Sending resumes as text only / attachments

[Enigma]

Recruiters do not have time to muddle through multiple documents in various formats. You will find that most require a text format. Prepare your resume in multiple formats. Then send the format that is requested and most do specify. If they don't, go to their website (do some research) and get a hint about what they are looking for. Think about it. You are required to sort through the resumes received and only forward the short list. If the recruiter forwards your resume that has been compiled on A4, it may be all screwed up when it is printed. Follow the suggestions in the advertisement but if they don't designate, do a word.doc but in a format that will print on the paper size in use in that country. I have been through this many times between the U.S. and Australia. U.S. is 9 1/2 X 11 and Australia is A4. If, at first glance, the resume looks fowled up, it's easier to by-pass than it is to make sense of it. It gets dumped and sometimes shouldn't be. Give them what they want but not in mulitple forms. If they don't have time to read it in one format, they sure won't read it in multiple formats.

[Quarters]

If you do Word, keep it simple. Their version of word might differ from yours or they might not have all the fancy fonts you have etc. WHich ends up in your resume looking jacked up. Keeping resume's simple and clean is a good idea anyways.

Right now (in Taiwan) I am using PDF (because I have chinese characters and a photo imbeded into my resume) and HTML for reference to my online version of my resume. Works great for here. However, I would not do this in the US.

[Chris]

Word file attachment, no silly fonts or formatting. Nicely spaced out. The American MBA "I must squeeze my resume onto one page" is a pain in the arse for HR people.

The silly "one-page" convention, de rigueur in the 80s, is now passe in the US; still, it is not advisable to go beyond two pages unless you have extraordinary credentials.

Use simple black-and-white pages with simple, clear formatting; recruiters are not impressed by fancy colors and fonts, they're impressed by clearly accessible information. Also, don't include a photo on a resume going to the US.