How To Create an Electronic Resume That's Easy to Scan
When creating an electronic resume, there are a few rules you need to follow to keep computers and scanners happy, and your e-resume legible.
Your resume has to be designed so it can be scanned in order to make an electronic copy for a computer to read using optical scanners with character-recognition software. However, the "reading" skills of some scanners and computers can be limited, so you need to make sure your resume is clean and has as few errors as possible.
1. Use a simple font such as Arial or Helvetica, which are called "sans serif" fonts. Computers can read "sans serif" fonts better than "Serif" fonts. Serif type fonts have the letter curls or decorations on their lettering, which can confuse a scanner/computer. See the examples below:
This is called "Century Schoolbook". Notice the embelishments on the various letters? This is a "serif" font and is not a good font to use for an electronic resume.
Below are some examples of fonts that are acceptable when creating your resume:
This typeface is called "Helvetica", which is a good font to use on electronic resumes.
"Times New Roman" is a font easily read by computer scanners.
Another typeface that is "sans serif" is "Arial", a very popular choice.
And 12 pt Courier is one of the best for scanning software to "read".
2. Once you've chosen your type font, make sure it's large enough to be read by the scanner. If the type if too small, the scanner will blur it. 8 pt is much too small. Stick with a 10 pt, 11 pt or 12 pt type size (depending on the font face you're using).
3. When creating an electronic resume, keep your letter spacing and sentence spacing even. Some people go into their word processing software and try to condense the spacing between letters and sentences in order to get more information on the page. Don't do this.
4. Don't underline, use decorative borders or graphics. If you want to emphasize headings, use capital letters and/or bold typeface. Don't use italics, the slated letters confuse the computer.
5. Type your electronic resume on white, plain paper, not colored. Use standard size paper of 8 ½" x 11", and preferably use a laser printer if possible.
The above tips should help you to produce an electronic resume that's well formatted and easily "read" when scanned by a computer.
About The Author:
Rose Smith operates several websites, including https://Resume-Help-Online.com, which provides resources and information on creating resumes, cover letters, electronic resumes, posting online, resume distribution, and career choices.
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