In the fourth part of her Careers Workshop, Penelope Brown explains how to prepare a resume that is ready for the electronic age.

If you've started mailing out résumés, it may have surprised you to learn your résumé was unacceptable because it could not be scanned. With the high-tech revolution rolling nicely along, many companies currently in the business of hiring have instigated a high-tech process for matching job applicants with job openings. This computerised process is based on the 'Key Word Résumé'.

In this system, your résumé is scanned into the company's database. The computer then searches for key words that match the job description. These word matches are called "hits" and it may mean that the wonderful résumé you wrote for a real live reader is totally ineffective for the electronic process. In fact, once scanned into the system, it is entirely possible human eyes will never again see your résumé.

With a Key Word résumé, visual appeal is secondary to its being scanned without corruption and its ability to score multiple "hits" when the computer does its search.

Flexibility is key

Of course, the astute job searcher will have both a traditional or readable résumé and a Key Word résumé available. In fact, before you buy stamps, it's smart to call the personnel department and ask if résumés are scanned into the company's database.

Effective Key Word résumés rely on phrases describing job duties. These are the phrases — the Key Words — that provoke the hits that get you an interview.

James C. Gonyea, author of The Online Job Search Companion suggests you improve the electronic processing of your Key Word résumé by following this advice.

Key Word résumé tips

• left justify (do not fully justify) the entire document
• use a sans serif font in size 10-14
• avoid tabs
• avoid hard returns whenever possible
• avoid italic text, script, underlining, graphics, bold and shading
• avoid horizontal and vertical lines
• avoid parentheses and brackets
• avoid compressed lines of print
• avoid faxed copies that become fuzzy

In short, Key Word résumés must:

• be computer friendly
• use a regular, sans serif font such as Arial or Helvetica (no italics)
• apply terms and acronyms for skills and experience that are relevant to the job you seek
• use nouns describing job duties such as Total Quality Management or TQM, Project Management, Operations, Strategic Planning, Communication Skills or Sales Supervision
• promote your marketable attributes using the same key words and phrases the prospective employer or recruiter uses to search the database
• be printed on a laser printer or letter-quality inkjet.

Writing style

Keep the following guidelines in mind. For paper or readable résumés, remember the importance of strong verbs and action-oriented language. Use words like: improved, corrected, bettered, developed, produced, installed, enhanced, increased, augmented, expanded, succeeded, directed, managed, supervised, reduced, implemented, created, built, focused, clarified, generated and enriched.

For Key Word or Scannable résumés, pay attention to the "buzz" words or phrases common within the industry, or words that describe job duties and competencies. Write with the goal of multiple hits in mind. But remember, while the electronic résumé attempts to assemble a series of Key Words that trigger those hits, it must still be reasonably well written, should a live person actually choose to read it.

For an example of an effective Key Word or scannable résumé, refer to the Jane E. Doe sample résumé in the next article.

Responding to an ad

If you are responding to an ad and are still in doubt about which words are Key Words, you'll find some of them in the very ad you want to answer. For example, the following ad was taken directly out of a local newspaper. I've underlined the key words to make our point.

Key Word résumé

One more thing: The online résumé

Given the new and extraordinary opportunities for expats to make connections all over the world, the internet is obviously a terrific medium for marketing yourself.

Since a monitor or screen is a visual instrument, make your online résumé pretty; the visual appeal is more important than ever. And since the screen scrolls without page breaks, you're no longer limited to one or two pages so you may include more than you could in other formats.

For an online résumé, draw the reader in with short bullet points and attractive visuals. Learn to use hypertext so that if a reader wants to delve more deeply, links to additional information are provided.

To add flair and engage the reader, try simple but attractive graphics such as graphs, charts, shading or interesting font selections. A good picture of you may also help.

Preparing for success

As in most things, preparation sets the stage for success. To ensure you've got everything right, you probably want to see some good examples of effective résumés so you can start preparing yours.

We've got great samples for you in the next article. Use them as templates or just for inspiration. Stay tuned. 

Subject: Expat career tips