In our previous article we talked about the Presentation Resume versus the Submittal Resume. Here, we’re going to discus basic formatting and how to make sure your submittal resume makes it through the online process and into the hands of a person who can move it forward and schedule you for an interview.
As candidates are trying to stand out from the crowd with their resumes, they’re getting more creative. You have colors, images, graphs and columns, and commentary. And the more creative you are, the more likely mistakes in importation will happen - and then your chances of making it to an interview, sadly, will diminish.
Here’s what to avoid in a submittal resume. Leave off the unstructured data, the charts, graphs, pictures, and the things that make it “pretty.” Most search engines, and ATS packages are text-based; so when your resume goes in, make it easy for the other side to find you.
Your submittal resume should be a basic, no frills document that is all about you. Use a standard, and I know, somewhat boring, font such as Times New Roman, Ariel, Cambria or similar, in a 12pt size. Keep the curlicues away; the same goes for tiny 8pt, or conversely, 40pt font. You want your resume both easily readable and easily understood.
Next, have your name and your contact information on the top of your resume. We’ve seen a number of resumes coming in that have no contact information on them. If you leave off your contact information, and everything else is wonderful, how is someone supposed to call you? You want to make sure you’ve made it easy for the interview people to be able to reach you.
Label all of your sections, and make them clear as to what they have below them. We like to see a summary, then your skills, including certifications – you want the right people to see how qualified you are immediately. Then specify your experience, with each company listed with dates; the next line should be your title, and lines after that should either be a detailed paragraph, or two-sentence summary with bullet points of your accomplishments and duties. List your experience in descending order with your most recent first. After your experience, list your education, followed by organizations that you belong to that are work/career related. This will give your submittal resume a logical flow and make it easier for the database software to match you as a viable candidate with information submitted, which can then be given to the Interview Team.
One last important note:
Now that your submittal resume is done, spell-check it, then have someone else spell-check it, too. Make sure that your format is consistent, and if you have an online presence, make sure your resume maps to your online profiles. Remember the goal of the resume: it’s to get the interview. Once you have the interview, you will impress them with your solid presentation and professional poise.
For more information about Presentation Resumes versus Submittal Resumes or how to work with Recruiting Agencies to get through the online submittal databases, contact us at 713.548.5400 or via email at jda (at) jdapsi (dot) com , or find us on the web at www.jdapsi.com
JDA Professional Services, Inc. is a Houston-based IT staffing firm specializing in the recruitment of strategic-technical to executive-level IT professionals. We provide IT staffing solutions through full-time and contract placements. Since 1981, we have been helping companies locate, attract, and retain the right IT candidates to build great IT departments while helping IT professionals find the right opportunities to advance their IT careers.