Second Military Careers - Military Times

E-résumés require special attention

The job market is all about electronics. People look for jobs online, and employers post their vacancies online. Given this environment, it’s only smart for job seekers to learn the difference between the printed word and the Web when it comes to résumés.

Transitioning service members should have a paper résumé that can be physically handed over to prospective employers or anyone else they meet when networking. But there are advantages to electronic résumés. There are no printing and mailing costs, and they can be viewed within seconds of being sent. Best of all, they can be posted on job Web sites, which means they can then be viewed by hundreds, even thousands of hiring managers looking to fill positions.

Pat Kendall is a résumé expert. She also specializes in electronic résumés. A nationally certified résumé writer with more than 25 years of experience, Kendall is the principal of Advanced Résumé Concepts, a career-services and résumé-writing firm based in Oregon. She is also the author of “Jumpstart Your Online Job Search” and co-author of McGraw-Hill’s “eRésumés: Everything You Need to Know About Using Electronic Résumés.”

As president of the National Résumé Writers’ Association, she is a frequent speaker on tailoring résumés to fit today’s online environment. She offers the following information for transitioning service members looking to make the most out of their search for a second career.

Q: Could you describe the difference between a traditional résumé and an electronic résumé?

A: The primary differences between traditional and electronic résumés are, first, what they look like; second, how they are delivered; and third, how they’re processed. Traditional résumés are formatted in word processors, designed to be read and processed by human beings. They are typically delivered in person or by traditional mail.

Conversely, the average electronic résumé is unattractive to the human reader. It is transmitted via e-mail or copied and pasted into an online form. In most cases, the electronic résumé is not viewed by a human being unless it makes it through the keyword screening process.

The most common electronic résumé is a ‘plain text’ file that is downloaded into a database, processed by an electronic applicant tracking system, and scored and ranked based on its keyword content.

Q: Is having an electronic résumé essential in today’s job search, and if so, why?

A: You need to have an electronic résumé because your potential employers request electronic résumés — by e-mail or via an online application. In the current job market, 80 percent of résumés are processed electronically. Job seekers who submit traditional résumés (without the needed adjustments) can knock themselves out of the running before the résumé is even seen. Submitting a résumé in the wrong format has the same effect as sending a résumé to the wrong address — it fails to reach the intended audience, and the opportunity is lost.

Q: What is the most important thing a job applicant should know about electronic résumés?

A: Since your electronic résumé is scored on the basis of keywords, it is critically important that you build the right keywords into your résumé. In job searching, keywords are defined as the skills, abilities and knowledge required to do a particular job. For example, a partial list of keywords for an administrative assistant might include the following: clerical, administrative support, fast-paced office, MS Office, word processing, accuracy, detail, bookkeeping, file management, people skills, bilingual.

Regardless of your skill level, you won’t be flagged as a qualified candidate unless your résumé uses the right keywords to describe your qualifications.

Q: How does one know exactly which keywords to use?

A: To maximize your keyword score, populate your résumé with the same keywords that potential employers are using in their job postings. Some job descriptions actually contain a “keyword” section, but in most cases, you’ll need to extract the keywords yourself.

To “keyword-optimize” your résumé for a typical job search, start with three examples (full job descriptions) of your ideal job. Then make a list of the buzzwords, traits, technologies and experience required to do the job. Weave these keywords into your job descriptions and add a “Qualifications Profile” that summarizes your keyword skills.

Q: What else do job applicants need to know about the process of submitting their résumés electronically?

A: They need to know two things. First, they need to take the time to research their job target and “keyword” their résumés as described above. Secondly, I would suggest paying close attention to employers’ instructions on how to submit a résumé. One common mistake made by job seekers is submitting résumés in the wrong format. If a potential employer asks for a text résumé, send a text résumé. Don’t submit MS Word, RTF (Rich Text Format), PDF (Portable Document Format) or any other format unless it is specifically requested. To assist service members making the transition to the civilian work force and specifically to provide some help with electronic résumés, I recommend looking at a sample of text format by going to: www.personalmarketingtools.com/images/maxine-kent.txt. To learn about ASCII text résumés, look at: www.reslady.com/ASCII-ABCs.html. And for resources on résumé formats in general, log on to: www.reslady.com/formats.html.

Q: There are so many Web sites that offer job seekers the opportunity to post their résumés. What resources would you recommend transitioning service members use to find out more about selecting reputable job databases?

A: I recommend that job seekers check out www.Weddles.com. Peter Weddle is an expert in this particular topic, and he publishes newsletters and books that address these issues in detail.

Decision Times writer Tranette Ledford interviews a career transition expert each month for the Ask an Expert column.