Creative Job Search: Cyber Resumes

Once you have mastered the paper resume you can add plain text and hypertext resumes to your resources. On the Internet there are numerous opportunities to present your resume to potential employers. You can post your resume on newsgroups or in resume databases. You can send your resume directly through e-mail. You can even set up a professional web site using your resume information.

Plain Text Resumes

E-mail, newsgroups and most resume databases require you to format your resume in basic text. Plain text resumes have the advantage of being read by most computer programs and are easily transferred through electronic media. The major disadvantage is the loss of fancy formatting. The content of the resume should follow the same standards as a paper resume. Many plain text resumes will be managed in a database so special attention should be given to keywords. Targeting strategies should also be considered. Here are some general tips:

Formatting

• Use capital letters for EMPHASIS, but not for the entire text. It is harder to read and is the electronic equivalent to yelling.
• Use white space to break up sections.
• Use asterisk (*) to bullet. However, be sure to put a space between the asterisk and the text.
• Keep sections short and concise.

Keywords

• Include industry specific nouns (skill based keywords).
• Use action verbs to add emphasis; but use them sparingly.
• Vary the keywords. It is better to say the same thing three different ways than to use the same word repeatedly.
• Integrate keywords throughout the body of the resume.
• Keyword blocks should be short and consistent. Break up large blocks into sections.
• Use current language and industry buzz words.

Targeting

• If you know the resume will be posted on a newsgroup or managed in a database then target it to the industry/occupation. Do not target it too narrowly or to a specific job. If the database belongs to a specific employer then target it to the employer.
• If the resume is being sent to an individual for a specific job then target it to that job.

Hypertext Resume

Hypertext resumes take advantage of the features of the World Wide Web. They may include graphics, video, sound, hypertext links, direct e-mail and more. Some sites that post resumes require them to be formatted in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Many progressive job seekers are creating professional web sites which include their resume information. The cost to set up such a site can be reasonable. Many Internet service providers include space for a web page as part of their service package.

Creating hypertext documents, web sites and an Internet presence is an extensive topic. There are hundreds of resources on the Internet, in bookstores and in libraries to help you in this effort. Most of the major word processing programs have software additions that translate documents into HTML. There are software products on the market designed specifically for writing web pages. For more information and instruction on web authoring go to the Internet Instruction section of the Minnesota Workforce Center Internet Directory (http://www.mnworkforcecenter.org/links/service.htm).