Electronic Resumes

Electronic Resumes
An electronic resume is simply your resume in a format that can be sent over e-mail or the internet. The advantage to having an electronic resume is simple. You can respond via e-mail or the web to job openings posted all over the world. No faxing or mailing is necessary.
If your resume is on a computer or floppy diskette, you already have it in electronic format. While it is true that most e-mail systems can accommodate document attachments like MSword, WordPerfect etc. It is not always true that every person or organization to whom you would like to send such a document is willing to receive in that format. Plain text ( also called as ASCII text or MS-DOS text and recognized by its three letter file extension: .txt, however, is universally accessible and, in many cases, required.
1. Steps to make the electronic resume universally accessible:
Using a standard word processing application, compose a resume as you normally would. Note that plain text format is very basic that it does not recognize formatting such as bullets, bold facing or italicized text. Consider using asterisks (*), plus symbols(+) and capital letters to achieve similar effects. In any case, make sure your resume is legible in the absence of these formatting features.
If the word processing application permits, set your margins at 0 to 65 characters (This means that your longest line, including spaces, exceeds 65 characters before wrapping to a new line). This makes your resume easier to read and, just as importantly, safe to print.
Using the “save” command (or, if you are converting a document from another format, the “save as..” command), save your document as an ASCII or MS-DOS text document. Remember to append .txt extension on to the file name, e.g. “resume.txt”.
2. Include a cover letter and be sure to note where you found the advertisement:
Send the resume with the covering letter in one. You can do this by writing or pasting your cover letter in the space before your resume. You can also send your cover letter as an e-mail message with your electronic resume as a file attachment e.g. “cletter.txt”. Use the job title or job reference number as the subject of your message. Cite any relevant job numbers noted in the advertisement.
3. Important points to be remembered and followed:
v Follow up with an e-mail or phone call a week or so after you submit it.
v Research the company and position
v Search the following: Office locations, Products and services, Customers Competitors, Philosophy, History or Recent news
v Financial info, including salary and stock
v Practice your answer to the common questions
v First you answer your question and ask questions latter (employer)
v Rehearse your interview with a friend for about 10 or 15 minutes
v Prepare your interview materials before you leave, Dress professional, Don’t forget to bring several copies of resumes, notepad and pen