Posting Your Resume on the Internet

Internet resumes are a different breed from the "typical" paper resume. Most paper resumes are verb oriented. But Internet resumes need to accomplish a different purpose, since they function best in searchable format. And employers don't search for verbs, they search for nouns. Nouns are the keywords or "buzzwords" that employers look for in prequalifying potential candidates. In preparing your resume for posting on the Net, be sure to first examine your resume from the perspective of searchability. Even if the resume is not initially keyword searched, it may find its way into an employer or general resume database beyond its initial posting location. In constructing your Net resume, consider the view from the other side of the desk and what you would typically look for in searching for a candidate such as yourself. If the proper keywords are not already included, revamp your resume to a specialized format that includes a separate KEYWORD section. If you initially formatted your resume with a word processor, make sure you save it in text (ASCII) format. Then double-check all formatting (especially if you used columns) to insure a clean look upon printing. Your resume is then ready for posting. The default standard for posting your resume is ASCII text format, which generally allows for greater searchability. However, with the greater usage of the Web, HTML (hypertext markup language) format is also growing in acceptance. The benefit of HTML is the flexibility with regard to graphics and overall presentation format. You can create a Web site all your own, complete with your fully formatted resume. And many e-mail packages (such as Netscape Mail) are now HTML-enabled, allowing for full formatting within the body of the message. To quickly generate your own HTML resume, go the Resumix site at http://www.resumix.com, where you will have use a fill-in-the- blanks form to help you in constructing. In order to understand Net postings, it is important to note that there is more to posting your resume than just placing it on a Usenet Newsgroup, then sitting back waiting for the phone calls (or e-mails) inviting you to the interview. Although most "passive postings" such as this take little time to initially generate, they are also less likely to produce positive results. The best results are achieved through both passive and active posting. Passive posting includes posting to all of the "usual" sites, such as (in order of importance) the misc.jobs.resumes Usenet Newsgroup, Online Career Center (http://www.occ.com), E-Span (http://www.espan.com), and Monster Board (http://www.monster.com). Make sure that you post directly from the E-Mail address you are most active with, since many employers will respond directly to that address. The key with any such passive postings is the use of an informative subject line. You will need to state clearly and succinctly your objective in 80 characters or less. Forget your English grammar class and simply force as many keywords into the subject line as possible. And unless you want to almost guarantee your resume won't be read, don't put the words "Entry Level" in the subject line. Very few employers are searching the Net looking specifically for entry level. Active posting involves surfing individual employer postings or job postings and responding directly with an e-mail resume. This is actually a much more productive method, since it is more direct and personal. It also provides you with the opportunity to add additional comments that relate to a specific employer. And you also have a contact point for later follow-up. When posting your resume passively, you truly have no idea who has viewed your resume, when, where, how, or why. You are literally waiting for them to contact you. For all you know, your resume was never viewed by anyone, or if it was, it may have been printed, reviewed, entered into a database, and searched consistently, while still producing no direct contact. All you know is that it has generated no interviews. There is nearly absolute lack of control. But by posting your resume actively, you always have a point of reference. Since you were the one who made the initial match of your background to the employer and its requirements, it's up to you to take the contact to the next level. Because of your initial contact you will always have an avenue to follow and a reference point to return to. Don't expect that merely sending an e-mail will generate a job offer. Or an interview. As with any employer contact, it will typically require multiple contacts before you get past square one. Resume posting on the Internet is ideally suited for those who are seeking more technical professions, such as computers or engineering. But remember that the supply side in these areas is also very crowded with experienced candidates. So if your background is non-technical, you will actually be more of a standout on the Net. And don't ever be shy about publicly proclaiming your availability. Discretion will come later in your career. For now, the more people who are aware of your availability, the better. -Article provided by CollegeGrad.com