- One scanning method involves
scanning and maintaining the resume as a graphic image, so that your
resume is maintained exactly as you created it. In this case the
resume you have created for the human eye is acceptable.
- Another scanning method involves
converting the image into text. Even though your resume is a
document containing text, for purposes of scanning, certain kinds of
text are not always accurately read and converted. Therefore, when
we talk about a "scannable resume," we are talking about one that
can be successfully converted without misreading any of your text.
Do you need a scannable resume?
- You will submit resumes to many
employers in the course of a job search. Whenever possible, visit
each employer's web site to see if the site indicates that the
employer prefers or requires a scannable resume. If you cannot find
this information, ask the employer -- by phone or email, as
appropriate.
- Generally, if you will be sending
your resume to large organizations, or even medium-sized
organizations that tend to receive a high volume of resumes, it's a
good idea to create a purely scannable resume, in addition to your
resume for the human eye. Each time you submit your resume to an
employer, you can submit both versions, and allow the employer to
make appropriate use of each.
- If you are pursuing employment in
an industry or field in which resume scanning technology is not
typically used, or if you are unsure if you really need a truly
scannable resume, you could create a resume that is appealing to the
human eye, but which avoids some of the formatting elements that
could be misread by scanners.
Scannable resume formatting
To create a resume that appeals to
the human eye, but which avoids some of the formatting elements that
could be misread by scanners, do the following:
- No italics, no underlining, no
shading, or other unusual enhancements.
You may use bold or ALL CAPITAL letters, but make sure
the individual letters do not touch each other.
- On font style: use a sans
serif font, like Arial or Tahoma. These are fonts that do not
have the small markings on the edge of each letter (serifs).
- Don’t use serif fonts, like
Times New Roman or Book Antiqua.
- On font size, use 10, 11, or
12. Be aware that font sizes are not created equal. A 10-point
Arial is not the same as a 10-point Century Gothic.
- No vertical or horizontal
lines, graphics, or boxes.
- Avoid two-column format or
resumes that look like newspapers or newsletters.
- Print your resume with a laser
printer. Provide the employer with an original or high quality
photocopy on white or very light paper. Avoid paper with heavy
texture that could interfere with the clarity of the print.
- When mailing your information,
do not fold or use staples. Put resume and cover letter in a 9 x
12 envelope and paper clip them together. You may insert blank
sheets (or cardstock or cardboard) surrounding your documents to
reduce wrinkling.
To create a resume which is strictly
for scanning, and not for the human eye, take these additional
steps:
- No bold or ALL CAPS. It's
unnecessary; the scanner does not differentiate between this and
other font styles.
- One font style and size throughout
the document.
- No bullets. You may use asterisks
(*) or hyphens (-).
- No parentheses or brackets.
- Even spacing throughout the
document. No tabs.
- Don't condense spacing between
letters.
- Left justification only. No
centering or right margin justification.
- Going beyond one page is
acceptable. Place your name on each page.
- On the first page, place your
address(es) below your name.
- If including two phone numbers,
list each on a separate line.
- Don't print on two sides of one
page.
- Don't staple pages together. Don't
fold pages.
- Use white paper only. No texture
or watermark on the paper.
Stay up-to-date:
Keep in mind that scanning
technology is continually changing and improving. Be alert for
current articles that cite current sources for their information.
Scannable resume content:
- Scanned resumes are typically
retrieved using keyword searches. You need to research your industry
and/or the requirements of the jobs you are seeking to make sure
you've included appropriate information. Each time you apply for a
job, review the position description. Make sure key terms that are
included in the position description are also included in your
resume where appropriate. You may revise your resume slightly for
different positions or keep several versions of your resume if you
are applying for different types of jobs.
- It is not necessary to include a
section entitled "keywords." A search will locate words in any part
of your resume.
- Some keyword examples are:
- Accounting, chemical engineer,
manager, BS or BA (to identify individuals with a bachelor's
degree), MS, MA, PhD, process modeling, trainer, Spanish, co-op,
PowerPoint, etc.
- Be specific. For example, list the
names of software you use such as Microsoft Word or Excel, instead
of listing software packages.
- Use terms and acronyms specific to
the industry.
- In listing acronyms, it's wise to
spell out the full name; i.e., IEEE, Institute of Electrical and
Electronic Engineers. Either way the employer chooses to search for
this information, your text will be found.
- Going beyond one page is okay for
resumes used strictly for scanning. Be concise, but use more than
one page if necessary to include all relevant information.
- Misspelled words will not be found
in a keyword search. If you misspell a critical word, you have
effectively left it off your resume for the purposes of retrieval
after scanning. As with any resume, typos are unacceptable.
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