Resume software

Before you decide to use any resume software, be sure to do a bit of research. You will be investing a significant amount of money into the development of your resume, so you will want to make sure that the software is all it s cracked up to be. Your resume is your most important marketing tool. Be a proactive force and don t leave your future up to chance ... 

Closing and Reopening of Experiments. Software interfaces can also be used to detect when an experiment is about to close and, before closing it, consult an external module that scans the experiment and other related information to make a decision on whether to accept and resume the closing operation or cancel out the closure. 

Both on your resume and during an interview situation, be prepared to provide specific examples of how you have applied these skills. Certain skills, such as being bilingual or computer literate (with knowledge of specific software applications), are definitely worth listing on your resume. 

Even if you ultimately choose to hire a professional resume writer or resume-preparation service to write your resume, you will have to supply the majority of this information. The same holds true if you purchase off-the-shelf resume-writing software for your computer. 

As you read this chapter, think about the types of jobs for which you will be applying, and determine which resume format best suits your needs. Keep in mind, it may be necessary to create several versions of your resume based on the type of job you re hoping to land. For example, you may want to have a traditional printed resume ready to submit to companies where you know an HR person (or executive) will be reading the resume, and also have a keyword version of your resume ready to send to companies using applicanttracking software. 

As the name suggests, an electronic (or digital) resume is not printed on paper. It s created on a computer, using a word processor, resume-creation software, or online resume form, then submitted to a potential employer using the Web (usually via e-mail). This way, no matter how a potential employer requests resumes to be submitted, you will be prepared. 

You re applying for a job at a small- to medium-size company that doesn t scan resumes into a computer database or use applicant-tracking software. 

Once an applicant s resume is entered into the database, the software deciphers it, word by word, and compares each word to the listing of keywords created by the employer. Only those applicants who have resumes with a pre-defined number of keyword matches will be flagged as potentially qualified applicants for a job opening. After the software has selected the top candidates, an HR professional can read only those applicants resumes or interview those people. 

As a job seeker, if you will be applying for jobs at medium- to large-size companies that already use applicant-tracking software, it s important to create a resume that will be compatible with applicanttracking software. Focus on using keywords within your resume that you believe will match keywords the employer has already selected. Instead of using action verbs (as you would for a traditional printed resume), incorporate nouns that describe your skills, experience, and education. 

When you create your resume on a computer, using a word processor or resume-creation software, save that document file, just as you would any other document. A traditional resume (one that is to be printed and then sent to potential employers), which you save on your computer s hard disk as a Microsoft Word document, for example, is different from an electronic (digital) resume that will be formatted differently, will take advantage of keywords, and will ultimately be e-mailed (not printed on paper and sent) to a potential employer. 

Don t make the assumption that the company you will be sending your resume to isn t high-tech enough to use applicant-tracking software. 

Anyone applying for a job at a medium- to large-size company in any industry that uses applicant-tracking software should take advantage of this type of resume. If an employer uses this type of software, the job ad may indicate it. 

When a resume is scanned into applicant-tracking software, it s put through a scanner, which takes the entire document and converts it into digital form. The software then picks apart the resume, word for word, looking for specific keywords and phrases. For this process to work, the scanner must be able to read your resume clearly. Thus, it s important to format your resume and print it in a way that helps eliminate the possibility of computer error. 

Information about formatting your resume so that it s compatible with computer scanners and applicant-tracking software was offered in Chapter 3. Some of the key formatting points included ... 

An electronic resume can be imported into applicant-tracking software, and in most cases, should be created using a keyword style for it to have the most impact and generate the best results for you. 

When your resume is in an electronic file, it can be e-mailed to an employer, posted on a website, added to an online database, and imported into applicant-tracking software used by potential employers. Although you won t have to deal with issues like choosing resume paper, picking the perfect font or ink color, or formatting your resume to look perfect on the printed page, there are other issues to contend with when creating an electronic resume. If you created your printed resume on a PC, you already have an electronic file with which to work. If you had someone prepare your printed resume and don t have access to or can t use the electronic file, you will have to create your electronic resume from scratch. 

Many companies accept electronic resumes in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect file formats. When creating your electronic resume using one of these software packages, pay careful attention to what format the finished document needs to be saved in before sending it to an employer. The majority of employers prefer to receive resumes in ASCII or Rich Text Format. Once you save your resume in a file format other than the program s proprietary format, you will probably have to further edit it in order to fix lost formatting (such as indentation or italics). 

In most situations, if an employer accepts electronic resumes, chances are those resumes are imported directly into applicanttracking software. Thus, it is important that the software used by the employer be able to extract the specific information it s programmed to find in the resume document you submit. If you don t provide the right information in the right fields, your resume may be ignored or not processed correctly. 

For an electronic resume to do its job correctly, it needs to be loaded with keywords that will result in your resume being selected when processed by a potential employer using applicant-tracking software. 

Use the spell check feature of the software used to create your electronic resume and then proofread the document carefully. Just as applicant-tracking software is designed to pick out keywords from your resume that showcase you as a qualified applicant, these same software packages can also instantly count the number of typos and spelling errors in your document and report that to an employer as well. 

Keywords are the backbone of any good electronic resume. If you don t incorporate keywords, your resume won t be properly processed by the employer s computer system. Each job title, job description, skill, degree, license, or other piece of information you list within your resume should be descriptive, self-explanatory, and be among the keywords the potential employer s applicant-tracking software looks for as it evaluates... 

When dealing with electronic resumes, you often read or hear the term ASCII. This is an acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It refers to the way informahon within a text file is saved. Because ASCII is a widely accepted standard (and understood by word processors, text editors, e-mail programs, applicant-tracking programs, etc.), using it increases your chances that the electronic resume you create will be compahble with the computer systems and software in use by potential employers. 

If you re using Microsoft Word to create your resume and then save it in ASCII format, use the "Save As" feature found under the File pull-down menu. When asked for the "Save As Type" (under the filename), choose "Text Only." If your document contains special formatting, or symbols such as bullets, you may be asked if you want the software to fix your document and edit it so it fits properly into the ASCII format. Choose "Yes" to ensure your document will be easily readable. Much of the formatting will be lost, so you should review and edit the text file yourself. 

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