QUESTION:In teaching ENGL 202C (Technical Writing), I am beginning the resume unit and, even though I’ve taught it many times, I find that I’m not sure about the reality of some information in our book. Mike Markel (textbook author) says that when submitting a resume electronically, students should format it for electronic scanning software–add a list of keywords at the end, align all of the information along the left margin, remove formatting, etc. Do you find this in your experience? What do you tell students submitting resumes electronically?
ANSWER:The electronic resume submission format, in my experience working with employers, can vary significantly among different employers. Here are tips I share with students:
1) Follow the instructions of the employer. If the employer seeks a specific format or specific information within the resume or application, be sure to include this information. Otherwise, there is a risk that your application will be classified as incomplete.
2) When applying on-line, most employers are able to receive a PDF or Word version of your resume. Within Career Services, our Nittany Lion Career Network serves several thousand employers annually, and the mode of resume submission is the conversion of a student’s Word document into a PDF and then the PDF is accessed by the employers in the exact format through which the student built the resume.
3) In preparing for this any electronic scanning (a common employer practice) compare your resume (and cover letter) with the position description and ensure that you have addressed the most significant criteria for the position (this often includes related experience, areas of education and knowledge, and can often be field or industry specific).
4) When employers request that students “copy and paste” a resume into a text box within an on-line application, I do encourage these guidelines:
- Remove bullet points
- Simplify text: Removing underlines and any lines on the resume, removing bold from the text, removing italics
- Left-Justify text (often requires removing indents, margins, or tabs that are used in resumes)
- Before submitting the application, view what this text box looks like – if it is readable and easy-to-read for you, this enhances the likelihood that an employer will (either before or after it is scanned) want to read your application.
5) Regarding keywords, I am not and honestly have never been a fan of keywords in a list format without context. I have heard consistently from employers that resumes that offer examples of relevant skills in action are preferred over list of skills. The exceptions may be lists of technical / computer skills and language skills. However, skills like leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving become difficult to assess without some context offered through the resume or cover letter.
Best, Matt
Matt Ishler, M.Ed., LPC, NCC
Associate Director, Career Counseling
Penn State Career Services
101 Bank of America Career Services Center
University Park, PA 16802
(814) 865-2377
Email: mwi100@psu.edu
Website: http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/caree