One of the main differences between
electronic resumes and traditional paper
resumes is that electronic resumes place much more emphasis on nouns and
keywords, while traditional paper resumes focus on the use of action verbs.
When recruiters receive electronic resumes, they often search for potential
candidates by keyword. Keywords describe skills and competencies and often
describe industry buzzwords (e.g. brand management, market research).
You can incorporate keywords in your resume by including a skills
section. Within this section, try to incorporate nouns and different forms
of words. For example, in a traditional resume, if you begin one of your
bullet statements with "Led", you should consider using "leadership" in your
skills section.
If you are unsure of what keywords to include, examine the position
description. The job description will give you a good place to start.
There are several types of electronic resume formats which include:
- ASCII or Plain text - appropriate for e-mail or posting
your resume on the Web
- Rich text - appropriate for sending your resume as an
e-mail attachment
- MS Word - appropriate if you know the organization will
be scanning your resume
- HTML - appropriate if you are posting your resume on
your own personal Web page
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