Lesson 9: Preparing Your Resume for the Internet
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Preparing your resume for the Internet
The first thing you need to do when creating your plain text resume is to use the 'save as' function in your word processor. Save the document as a.txt file. After saving the document, remove any of the. If you already have a version of your resume in Microsoft Word, create a text version of your document by going to File Save As. On the save screen, choose the “Plain Text (.txt)” format. Then open the new text document in a simple text editor, such as Notepad on a PC or TextEdit on a Mac. The first steps in converting your existing resume to plain text are simply to open it in Microsoft Word (or whatever word-processing program you use), choose 'Save As' from the 'File' menu, and select 'plain text,' 'Notepad' or the equivalent option in your own program. Sample Plain Text (.txt) Master eResume. Note how the formatting is retained, and how similar it looks to the hypertext sample resume. The difference lies in the file format. The only way to really understand this is to download this sample plain text resume to either your text editor or word processor for a comparison. (Link opens in a new.
A majority of job hunting is now conducted online, which means you need to understand the rules and strategies for emailing and posting your resume on the Internet. Protecting your identity and making sure your resume gets through online are two important concerns for job seekers. After all, you've spent a lot of time preparing your resume, so you want to make sure it is effectively received by potential employers without having to sacrifice your privacy.
In this lesson, you will learn how to format a resume for privacy and online posting. You will also learn rules and strategies for effective emailing to potential employers.
Watch the video below to learn how to prepare your resume for the Internet.
Emailing your resume
Because most correspondence with potential employers is now conducted by email, it is important for you to understand how to send your resume online. With some jobs, you can simply attach your resume to the email. However, some companies and hiring managers avoid attachments from untrusted sources due to the possibility of obtaining viruses from the attachment.
So how do you send your resume via email?
The job posting will usually give instructions for submitting your resume. If attachments are not allowed, you'll need to create a plain-text version of your resume and copy and paste it into the body of your email. We will show you how to do this later in this lesson.
Here are some additional tips for emailing your resume:
- Begin your email with a cover letter message just like you would send a cover letter. Type your name and contact information at the bottom of your cover letter. Use spacing, or type Resume Text to indicate where your cover letter ends and your resume begins.
- Add formatting to your plain text. Plain text allows for very little formatting, but many email programs allow you to change fonts and add bold, bullets, or underlines. If so, take advantage of this to create appealing text in your email.
- Protect your identity by creating and using a cyber-safe version of your resume for responding blindly to online job advertisements or recruiting companies. To learn more about how to make documents cyber-safe, you can take a look at our extra on how to Create a Cyber-Safe Resume. Once you have made direct contact with an actual employer, you can send your regular resume version. Make sure to also delete any automatic signatures with personal contact information from your email message.
- Make your email stand out by including an interesting entry into the subject line. For example, Captivating Teacher with five years of Language Arts experience may get more attention than My Resume. However, be careful of using common spam words (e.g., free, investment), punctuation, or capitalization that may cause your message to be blocked by spam filters.
- Test your email by sending it to friends and family and having them forward the message back to you. Check the email to make sure it is legible and accurate.
Creating a plain-text resume
Because most job hunting is now conducted online, you will need to create a plain-text resume for emailing and/or online posting. A plain-text resume contains no formatting other than line breaks and is ready to copy and paste into email message body windows, online forms, and text fields.
To copy your resume text into a simple text editor:
- Spell check and Save your resume in Microsoft Word (or your word processing program).
- Open a simple text editor, like Notepad on a PC or TextEdit on a Mac.
- Return to your Microsoft Word resume. Press Ctrl+A to highlight your resume text. (If you're not familiar with using shortcuts, you can review our Keyboard Shortcuts lesson.)
- Press Ctrl+C to copy the text. Move to the simple text editor and press Ctrl+V to copy your resume into the text editor.
- Click File > Save As and name and save your plain-text document (yournameresume.txt).
Note that a plain-text resume should not replace a nicely formatted resume created with a word processing program. Once you have made direct contact with a potential employer, a hiring manager will likely want a copy of your formatted version.
Additional resume formatting tips
- You also have the option of converting your file directly from Microsoft Word into a plain-text file or HTML (web) file. Go to Save As and use the drop-down menu under Save As Type, then select Plain Text, HTML, or Web.
- You can create an HTML (web) version of your resume from Microsoft Word. HTML formats are viewable in a web browser and allow you to add more elaborate formatting like bold and color. You can also copy and paste HTML resumes onto employer websites that allow the use of HTML.
- You can conveniently copy and paste text from your plain-text resume into the profile forms that are required by some employer and job board sites.
Formatting a plain-text resume
Once you have created a plain-text resume, you will need to format it to create a clean, legible document. You will see that all formatting (e.g., bold, bullets, font size) has been eliminated. Below are examples of how you can use your keyboard to create new formatting for your plain-text resume.
- Do not let the lines of text run any longer than 60 characters. To measure your text, create a line of 60 characters by typing X 60 times. Do not let any of your text go beyond this line. Then make sure you delete this line after you're finished with your resume.
- Use the spacebar instead of the Tab key to create spacing. Tabs do not work well in plain text and can mess up your formatting.
- Left-justify your text. Do not try to center your text because the spacing may not be reliable.
Use the following keys to replace formatting:
- Press the Caps Lock key before typing a word or a phrase to emphasize it.
- Use an asterisk (*) or hyphen (-) for bullets.
- Use an equals sign (=) , hyphen (-), or underscore (_) for dividing space or underlining.
Be sure to proof your resume. Make sure all incorrect and unnecessary formatting from your Microsoft Word document has been eliminated.
Review a sample Plain-Text Resume.
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- Resume Readings
Resume Topics
Resume Readings
Cover Letters
Interviews
Note how the formatting is retained, and how similar it looks to the hypertext sample resume. The difference lies in the file format. The only way to really understand this is to download this sample plain text resume to either your text editor or word processor for a comparison. (Link opens in a new browser window.)
QUESTION: What do you notice about the formatting in the sample plain text resume at the link, and the same resume below?
ANSWER: The difference is that the sample at the link has the lines of text moving off to the right of the window, forcing you, the viewer, to scroll right to read it. To fix this problem, you will need to re-save the file as text with line breaks.
Follow this tutorial to fix the problem using Microsoft Word 2002 or later versions.
Follow this tutorial to fix the problem using earlier versions of Microsoft Word.
THOMAS B. SEEKER
1234 Northern Star Circle
Baltimore, MD 12345
H: (410) 555-1212; W: (410) 555-2121
E-mail: [email protected]
Baltimore, MD 12345
H: (410) 555-1212; W: (410) 555-2121
E-mail: [email protected]
CAREER GOAL
Plain Text Resume
Client Server Systems Architect for a high technology firm.
QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY
Nine years of experience in designing, installing, and troubleshooting computing systems; a proven track record in identifying problems and developing innovative solutions.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
![How To Format A Plain Text Resume How To Format A Plain Text Resume](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118821907/296142030.png)
* PROGRAMMING: C, C++, Visual BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal, SQL, OSF/Motif, UNIX Shell Script (sh, ksh, csh), BASIC, Clipper, Algol 68, and 80X86 Assembler.
![Format Format](/uploads/1/1/8/8/118821907/636683799.jpg)
* OPERATING SYSTEMS: UNIX (bsd & SVr3/r4), MS Windows, MS DOS, MS Windows NT, Solaris, HP-UX, Ultrix, AIX, VAX/VMS, and Macintosh System 7.
* NETWORKING: TCP/IP, OSI, Microsoft LAN Manager, Novell Netware, DDN, Internet, Ethernet, Token Ring, SNA, X.25, LAN-WAN interconnection.
* APPLICATIONS: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Publisher, Lotus 123, Lotus Freelance, System Architect, and others.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Systems Engineer
Computer Engineering Corporation, Los Angeles, CA, 1993-Present
* Provide systems engineering, software engineering, technical consulting, and marketing services as a member of the Systems Integration Division of a software engineering consulting company.
* Designed and managed the development of an enterprise-level client/server automated auditing application for a major financial management company migrating from mainframe computers, db2, and FOCUS to a workgroup oriented, client/server architecture involving Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT Advanced Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle7, and UNIX.
* Designed an enterprise level, high performance, mission-critical, client/server database system incorporating symmetric multiprocessing computers (SMP), Oracle7’s Parallel Server, Tuxedo’s on-line transaction processing (OLTP) monitor, and redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) technology.
* Conducted extensive trade studies of a large number of vendors that offer leading-edge technologies; these studies identified proven (low-risk) implementations of SMP and RDBMS systems that met stringent performance and availability criteria.
Systems Analyst
Business Consultants, Inc., Washington, DC 1990-1993
* Provided technical consulting services to the Smithsonian Institute’s Information Technology Services Group, Amnesty International, and internal research and development initiatives.
* Consolidated and documented the Smithsonian Laboratory's Testing, Demonstration, and Training databases onto a single server, maximizing the use of the laboratory's computing resources.
* Brought the Smithsonian Laboratory on-line with the Internet.
* Successfully integrated and delivered to Amnesty International an $80,000 HP 9000/750 Server consisting of 8 Gigabytes of disk space and 9 software systems that required extensive porting work and documentation.
Automated Data Processor
US Army Infantry, Germany 1986-1990
* Analyzed problems and ADP processes; designed, tested, and implemented software and hardware systems for an organizational operations center.
* Supervised the maintenance, deployment, installation, and operation of a battalion's personnel system that monitored and controlled up to 12 platoons in a fast-paced, technically demanding environment.
* Designed a maintenance reporting program that converted the labor intensive task of producing weekly status reports from a 4-day to a 2-hour process.
* Developed a departmental computer literacy training program, teaching classes on microcomputer operating systems, office automation software, and introductory programming.
* Taught a 'Structured Programming and Problem Solving' course for the Community Education Center after work hours.
EDUCATION
* Computer Systems Technology Program, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Graduate Courses in Software Engineering and Computer Communications (24 quarter units); GPA: 3.43
* BS, Mathematics/Computer Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), GPA: 3.57; Major GPA: 3.62
SPECIALIZED TRAINING
* Database Administration, Performance Tuning, and Benchmarking with Oracle7; Oracle Corporation.
* Software Requirements Engineering and Management Course; Computer Applications International Corporation.
* X.400 Messaging and Allied Communications Procedures-123 Profile; ComTechnologies, Inc.
* GOSIP LAN Operating System Network Administration; ETC, Inc.
* Interactive UNIX System V r4 (POSIX) System Administration; ETC, Inc.
* Effective Briefing Techniques and Technical Presentations; William French and Associates, Inc.
* Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP); Technology Systems Institute.
* LAN Interconnection Using Bridges, Routers, and Gateways; Information Systems Institute.
* OSI X.400/X.500 Messaging and Directory Service Protocols; Communication Technologies, Inc.
* US Army Signal Officer Advanced Course, US Army Signal Center, Georgia; Honor Graduate.
CERTIFICATION, HONORS, & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
* MCP Trainer, DCS.
* MCP Trainer, SDD.
* MCP Certified Systems Engineer.
* MCP Certified Product Specialist, Networking, MS TCP/IP, and MS Mail 3.2 for PC Networks.
* Member, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA).
* Recipient, Department of Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).
(Note: To identify what version of Microsoft Word you have, select the Help pull-down menu from the menu bar in the application, and then select About Microsoft Word).
Convert To Plain Text Format
Saving an eResume as text with line breaks in Microsoft Word 2002 or later versions:
For those using Microsoft Word 2002 or later versions, the only thing you have to do is:
- Open the text file in your processor, and re-save the file as PlainText (*.txt) from the pop-up window.
- Another pop-up menu will appear that is labeled File Conversion and then show the filename of the file you are converting. Make sure the Text Encoding: Windows (Default) radio check box is checked.
- Select the Insert line breaks check box in the same pop-up window.
- Click OK.
- Open your file in your text editor to view the results.
Now view the revised sample plain text resume. (link will open in a new browser window)
Saving an eResume as text with line breaks in earlier versions of Microsoft Word 2002:
For those using earlier versions of Microsoft Word, refer to the following steps.
- In your word processor document, set your margins so that you have 6.5 inches of text displayed.
- Compose a résumé from scratch or open an existing résumé in your word processor. For this exercise, Microsoft Word 6.0 or higher was used.
- Select all of the text, and then select a font that is non-proportional 12 pitch, such as Courier 12. This will give you 65 characters per line, which will accommodate most e-mail programs.
- Save your résumé as a 'text only' file with 'line breaks.' NOTE: if you have been instructed to use 'hard' carriage returns at the end of paragraphs instead of lines, save as 'text only' without the line breaks.
- Open this new file in Notepad, or any other text editor that you can cut and paste text into. Most operating systems have a text editor.
- Review your résumé in the text editor. Notepad lets you view your résumé as it will most likely be viewed by the recipient. It will automatically convert proportional fonts to a fixed font if you did not select one earlier, and it will indicate what part of your text are unsupported ASCII characters such as bullets or underlining.
- Replace all unsupported characters with their ASCII equivalent. For example, bullets created in Microsoft Word 6.0 or 7.0 appear as a question mark when opened in Notepad. They can be replaced with asterisks or hyphens. Any character found on your keyboard is an ASCII-equivalent character. If you see long lines of text in your editor, use Notepad’s word wrap feature under the Edit menu. This feature inserts 'hard' returns, allowing you to format the résumé to meet specified margins. If you have been instructed to enter hard carriage returns at the end of paragraphs instead of lines, then do not use this word wrap feature.
- Copy and paste the text of the résumé into the body of a test e-mail message, once you are satisfied with the way it looks in your text editor.
- Create a very short cover letter using the same steps described above. Insert this text above the résumé in the e-mail message. Do not send the cover letter separately as an e-mail attachment.
- Send a copy of this e-mail message to yourself and to a friend who is using a different e-mail program, before transferring the text file to the recruiter.