This was new to me - I was reading Industrial Safety & Hygiene News and the article specifically mentioned this website:

http://www.wdc.com/en/company/employment/resume_tips.asp

I'm not affiliated with the magazine or the site.

The website gives tips to make your resume "scannable" - this is very interesting and I thought I would share it with the group in case someone can benefit from it. I'm currently happy where I'm at but if I ever need to update my resume I will be incorporating tips from this site into my revision process.

Thanks for reinforcing basics of resumes. Often, folks forget those basics and wonder why they didn't get called to an interview.

Obviously, the "scannable" resume is for the ones sent by snail mail. Folks sending via email or on-line form should be aware those resumes, too, will be entered into a searchable database and then those key words and buzzword jargon may be very helpful. (All the more reason to be very precise in spelling - not every data miner has "fuzzy logic" to pick up misspellings and variants like "colour" versus "color.")

Thanks for reinforcing basics of resumes. Often, folks forget those basics and wonder why they didn't get called to an interview.

Obviously, the "scannable" resume is for the ones sent by snail mail. Folks sending via email or on-line form should be aware those resumes, too, will be entered into a searchable database and then those key words and buzzword jargon may be very helpful. (All the more reason to be very precise in spelling - not every data miner has "fuzzy logic" to pick up misspellings and variants like "colour" versus "color.")

Wes,
Does this mean I need 2 CV's.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences

Howard,

You gonna need 4 (four). English and American English. Both should have a computer readable version and a human readable version (suggest by the wdc.com website). I was wondering how one is going to make sure that all versions are the same (document control!)

I have two versions of my resume. The nicely formatted MS Word format for use as an attachment or hard copy, and a simple plain text version for use when uploading to some systems.

The formatting that takes place in a MS Word document, does not always translate well into some systems, hence the need for a plain text version.

I always make sure when I submit the plain text version that I include, "Please request a MS Word formatted resume" at the bottom. I do this for two reasons. One, so as to let them know that a better version is available, and two in order to generate some form of contact (e-mail or phone call).

Wayne

All great ideas so far.

I want to stress the whole idea of having a resume laying (lying?) in someone else's database for a period far beyond the original position search is kind of like oysters spawning by spraying their eggs and sperm into the ocean for a chance encounter - you are likely to be surprised (pleasantly or unpleasantly) by the results.

Consider the likelihood your resume may be out of date even 3 months into the future. If you are currently out of work, you sure don't want to pin your hopes on that "chance encounter" and become homeless in the meantime.

It might be worthwhile to include a "stale date," with a notice to check back with you for an update.

I have no idea if there have been any documented studies or even anecdotal evidence of how many resumes get "revived" when the original first choice doesn't work out or for other positions than the original one for which the candidate applied. My surmise is that for folks currently employed and just "testing the waters," it's not a bad idea to have resumes on file at a number of places..

From an employer's standpoint, this strategy of keeping resumes on file really only works for large companies who are continually hiring new or replacement folks due to normal attrition.

Small employers who only occasionally hire new folks are liable to find it counterproductive to sort through resumes only to find folks are no longer available.

It does not support Chinese also.