The Format of your resume after submitting it to a job posting (employees, applying)
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I was just wondering if anyone has submitted your resume for a job and then once you look at the resume and how it was submitted if your resume looks different.
For example, I have been submitting my resume to companies and when I look at my resume once I have submitted it the resume looks different. Like the spacing looks off. The resume just looks disorganized or it just does not look the same as what I see in a Microsoft Word document.
Does anyone know what causes this if you have experienced this? I just don't really know what the employeer is seeing as to what my resume looks like. If it is what I am looking at my resume looks kind of bad. Maybe this is why I don't get many call backs?
As a hiring manager, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. Everyone has different versions of MS Office, as well as different settings. Never, I repeat never, submit your resume in a Word document, as you will have no idea what the hiring manager will see when they open it.
Always pdf your resume. They you know exactly what it will look like when they open it.
If you suggest to not submit a resume from a Word document then what do you use to make your resume?
Also, how do you submit your resume as a PDF?
All I have ever know is to use is Word for making a resume. Any advice would be appreciated.
In order to PDF your resume, you'll need access to Adobe Acrobat, not just Adobe Reader. This isn't the cheapest software, unfortunately. But, most business employees have access to this. If you aren't currently employed, ask a friend if they can PDF your resume. It takes about a millisecond to do it (with the software)........
Some employers websites ask to cut and past your resume, or rewrite it in their format. In any case, the employer wants the resume in a uniform format that helps them search and browse. I don't care much if original formatting was lost, since I write it simple to begin with. HR departments are used to weird formatting. They know that when you submitted it, the resume looked different.
In order to PDF your resume, you'll need access to Adobe Acrobat, not just Adobe Reader. This isn't the cheapest software, unfortunately. But, most business employees have access to this. If you aren't currently employed, ask a friend if they can PDF your resume. It takes about a millisecond to do it (with the software)........
CNet has a link to a free program that will PDF a file. Itis called "PDF Lite". It works pretty well if you do not have access to Adobe.
The reason a resume turns into an inconsistent, unformatted piece of jargon after an upload is because the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) being used by the company isn't parsing your resume into a readable format. This is also a failure on the company's part because *prior* to applying for a position online, a company should tell the applicant what is needed (most do not, and this is because many of those individuals do not even know how it works). Simply put, a company should tell the applicant if a MS Word, PDF, or plain text (a.k.a., .txt) format is needed. In general --- when preparing your own resume for a submission --- it is best to always have a Word, PDF, and text format prepared since one really will not know until the upload process. Very few companies --- and I mean FEW --- are considerate enough to prepare the applicant in advance by telling them what is needed. An online application that could normally take 30 minutes may turn into one hour.
A plain text resume means that your Word resume needs to be stripped down --- no bold; no underline; no paragraph spacing; no tabs; no bullets; and no fancy font. The resume should reflect courier font; be flushed with the left margin (no centering!); and specific margins must be used. It will literally look like a document from the 70s!
PDFs -- contrary to popular belief --- are not always the best document to upload even if permitted. The reason is that (depending on the ATS being used) it does not always parse and/or scan correctly and could simply be a waste of your time.
To really understand how an ATS works, one of the best blog pieces written on the subject (in simple form) is here:
I think saving as pdf ability, came included with Office 2010.
At that point, you'll only need Adobe Reader software to view your PDF files, so you can double check on how they turned out. (or any other PDF reader e.g. Foxit Reader, etc..)
The reason a resume turns into an inconsistent, unformatted piece of jargon after an upload is because the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) being used by the company isn't parsing your resume into a readable format. This is also a failure on the company's part because *prior* to applying for a position online, a company should tell the applicant what is needed (most do not, and this is because many of those individuals do not even know how it works). Simply put, a company should tell the applicant if a MS Word, PDF, or plain text (a.k.a., .txt) format is needed. In general --- when preparing your own resume for a submission --- it is best to always have a Word, PDF, and text format prepared since one really will not know until the upload process. Very few companies --- and I mean FEW --- are considerate enough to prepare the applicant in advance by telling them what is needed. An online application that could normally take 30 minutes may turn into one hour.
A plain text resume means that your Word resume needs to be stripped down --- no bold; no underline; no paragraph spacing; no tabs; no bullets; and no fancy font. The resume should reflect courier font; be flushed with the left margin (no centering!); and specific margins must be used. It will literally look like a document from the 70s!
PDFs -- contrary to popular belief --- are not always the best document to upload even if permitted. The reason is that (depending on the ATS being used) it does not always parse and/or scan correctly and could simply be a waste of your time.
To really understand how an ATS works, one of the best blog pieces written on the subject (in simple form) is here:
Our company standardizes everyone resume so they can be placed in our system in accordance to system specifications. That means all font colors headings etc are removed and everyone is submitted to hiring managers looking exactly the same (black and white). This way everyone can easily be placed into our hiring system and pulled and re-pulled if need be.
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