There is a lot of talk these days about going ‘Green’.  Schools, businesses, and entire communities have adopted the phrase in order to make the Earth a better place to live.  This got me thinking about E-Resumes- no paper, no postage, no icky envelopes to lick.  Just a quick cut and paste and you are on your way to applying for a job online.  However, with E-Resumes there are some things to be aware of, as they do not always read the same to the recipient as they did to the sender.  With a lot of help from Career Builder, I will tackle the issue of E-Resumes in this entry.  To view the entire article click: 'Five Steps to an E-Friendly Resume'.

First, let’s discuss why you need an E-Resume.  It’s simple really- employers are going online, so you need to as well.  In some cases businesses are utilizing automated applicant-tracking systems to ‘pre-screen’ your resume.  These tracking systems do not like your fancy fonts and bullet points; they only want the nuts and bolts of your resume.  These systems essentially scan your resume for key words on your resume that an employer wants to read- sales representative, account coordinator or marketing director just to name a few.  This scanning will often confuse your fun fonts for designs or pictures and will make your resume virtually impossible to read.

So let’s get to the basics of taking your current (font filled) resume and changing it to a (plain text)
E-Resume suitable for applying to those online jobs.

1.       Remove all formatting from your original resume.  To do this, open your current document and choose the “SAVE AS” option under the “FILE” tab.  Save your document as Plain Text or Text Only.  You will then see another dialog box- choose the option to insert line breaks.

2.       Use Notepad, WordPad or SimpleText to reformat.  Close your original resume (with all the pretty fonts and bullet points) and reopen the text (plain) version using software such as Notepad, WordPad or SimpleText.  Your text version should be free of your pretty fonts, fun lines and bullet points.  Your text should also be lined up with the left side of the document.

3.       Keep it simple silly!  Use regular ‘ol fonts such as Arial, Courier, or Times New Roman.  The computerized tracking systems will be less likely to view a word as a design with these fonts as opposed to your fancy-pants fonts used before. 

A 12-point font is best, anything smaller could get missed.  Stay away from italics or underlining.  Rather using bold, try using CAPITAL LETTERS for your headings.

Instead of using bullet points, try regular key symbols like * asterisk, or – dash, or ~ squiggly line thingy.  Instead of using the TAB key, use the SPACE BAR to indent your lines.

Avoid abbreviations when possible- spell out Associates of Applied Science, instead of using AAS.

4.       Put it to the test.  After you have your plain, text only resume all set to go practice emailing it to a friend or to yourself.  Try emailing it to someone who uses a different email server than you (if you have Hotmail, send it to someone with AOL).  Have your friend keep track of any symbols or words that come across wrong or out of place and make adjustments when needed.  You can also try to cut and paste your resume into the body of an email for the test, instead of sending it as an attachment.   Do NOT cut/paste into email body when sending to an employer, always submit as an attachment.  For emailing as an attachment- you can use your regular, pretty resume.

Taaaa Daaaa!  You are now helping to save the Earth as well as apply to more jobs in the course of a day.  Be sure to KEEP A COPY OF YOUR PRETTY RESUME!  Print it out on resume paper and take it with you to an interview, or email it ahead of time, so an employer can see your computer skills.

Now, answer that phone- it could be your career calling!!!

I’ve read a lot lately about the job market these days.  There is even an article in today’s St. Cloud Times discussing this issue from a college students’ prospective. 

I’m not totally convinced there are not many jobs to be found out there - and my bulging Job Board can back me on that.  I think that people are unaware of the endless opportunities out there, and do not know what to do when they find one.

I do know one thing for sure - I have heard from several Alumni lately that employers are receiving anywhere from 50-100 resumes for each job they post.  But I’m curious, are those people all unemployed or just searching for a new job?  But does that really even matter? 

There are thousands of people searching for their first, second, fifth or final job right now- but you have the power to make sure YOU are one of those interviews.  Besides making sure your resume is PERFECT and EYE CATCHING, here are 3 key things to keep in mind when you are searching for a job in this type of market.

1.  Follow up is essential.  Follow up 2-3 days after you drop off, email, or submit your resume.  Unless you hear otherwise- do not assume your resume made it to its final destination.  It’s possible it got lost in cyber-space or did not get passed on to the appropriate hiring manager.  Make sure you call so you know for sure.  It’s also important to follow up 1-2 days after the interview with a Thank You card, email or phone call.  This will not only showcase your ability to follow up, it will also reinforce your interest in the position.

2. Stand out during the interview.  Make sure you have your Employment Portfolio.  I have heard from a whole lot of graduates who say their Portfolio made the difference in the interview process.  This is your tool to SHOW the employer what you can do, instead of just TELLING them.  Be sure your Portfolio includes your resume, cover letter, references, achievements, letters of recommendation and work samples.  If you need assistance recreating your portfolio - contact your Career Services Advisor.  Standing out also means dressing for success - the general rule of thumb is to dress for a job that is ‘one-level higher’ than the one you are applying for.  Obviously, standing out in an interview also requires preparation, practice, poise and personality.  Sell your skills and let the employer know how you can help their business!

3. Apply, apply, apply.  When you think about your job search, it’s really just a numbers game.  The more resumes you submit, the better chance you have of obtaining an interview.  The better chance you have of an interview- the better chance you have to get a job.  If you decide that it’s all ‘just too much’ and you need to ‘take a break’ from job searching you could end up losing out on the perfect career.  Set time aside each and every day to send out resumes, I suggest sending no less than 3-5 a day.  The leads are out there - and so are the jobs - all you have to do is get your resume out there!

Keeping in mind these 3 things will certainly assist you in your quest for a new career.  A new job will not just fall in your lap (most likely).  An effective job search takes time, effort and determination.  And remember- a positive attitude will help pave the way for good things to come! 

Now pick up that phone- it could be your career calling!