Electronic Resume Distribution

The resume is a selling tool that outlines your skills and experiences so an employer can see how you can contribute to solving the employer's problems. While you may have all the requirements for a particular position, your resume is a failure if the employer does not instantly come to the conclusion that you can make a contribution and are worth the time and effort for a face-to-face interview.

Before you consider the following distribution methods you'll want to make sure your resume is in top shape. If you are not currently getting the response rate from your resume that you expect review the information in Resume Samples.

There is no right way to distribute resumes. You must be prepared to deliver your resume in whatever format the employer or recruiter requires. If you are using the Internet as part of your job search you will probably use most, if not all, of the following methods to send your resume. Most job seekers don't take the time and effort to learn the basics of electronic resume distribution and with a few skills and tips you have an excellent opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

Our best advise is simply to always follow the instructions on how to respond to an advertisement or to enter your information into a form. Obvious, but frequently ignored by many job seekers. We know recruiters that specify text only emails as a response to advertisements. Despite the text only requirement they receive and automatically delete responses in a variety of formatted email attachments. These recruiters are concerned about viruses and simply will not open any attachments.

Online databases are generally based on plain text data entry yet many job seekers enter HTML code, and formatted text from word processing programs that are not compatible with the system. Specialized resume databases routinely have problems with resumes that do not meet the posting eligibility criteria. If a advertisement or online form is worth your time and attention; take the time and effort to follow the instructions.

The following methods are commonly used to distribute electronic resumes.

E-Mail Resume Resume Banks Resume Distribution Services HTML Resumes Resume Newsgroups Resume on a Disk

E-Mail Resume

An Internet job search almost always involves sending your resume to an employer via email. The resume is forwarded by e-mail in response to an advertised job or specific request. Unless another format is requested, an ASCII version of the resume is pasted directly into the outgoing e-mail. If a different format is requested (MS Word, for example), it is sent as an e-mail attachment.

Resumes formatted as text-only or ASCII text are recognizable to virtually all computers. A plain text or text-only resume is your resume minus all of the formatting enhancements your word-processing application provides. When you are asked for your "text resume," send the ASCII resume.

Since the plain text resume is so important in an Internet job search you should carefully review the following articles and samples for a detailed "how to" guide:

The ABCs of ASCII/Plain Text Resumes
How to Create an E-Mail / ASCII Resume
Sample Text Resume

Your resume is often the first look an employer gets at you; be sure you make a good impression. Prior to sending your e-mail resume to an employer test send it to various people using different computer systems, online services and email software. Get the necessary feedback and make adjustments as required. Often a minor difference in formatting can make a major difference in the results.

Resume Banks

This is a service where job seekers post their resumes to a job board for paid subscriber employers and recruiters to find. Employers or recruiters find you by searching the resumes via key words. Resume banks offer a potentially easy way to match job and job seeker. Resume Banks have clearly explained instructions on how you can post your resume to them.

As a job seeker, you have to estimate the likelihood that the kind of employers you're trying to reach are actually searching the resume bank that you participate in.

The Internet contains 100's if not 1,000's of sites where you can post your resume. These sites range from the large well known sites such as Monster and HotJobs to small specialized sites. Services offered to the job seeker and to the recruiters varies. You will need to evaluate how beneficial a site will be to your job search and the time and effort required to enter your resume into the database.

We suggest you start your evaluation by visiting the JobMetaSeek Resume Posting Services Database and visit several of the sites listed and review the services offered and the procedures for entering a resume. Also review any site statistics that may be available, the services available and the site policy on confidentiality. Generate a list of resume databases that are likely to assist you in your job search.

When you begin to enter your resume into the selected databases use your e-mail version of your resume to copy and paste the appropriate section of this resume into the online form. Also save any text you entered directly into the form for future use and for your notes on the resume bank and the information you submitted.

Each job seeker faces a unique situation but as a general rule we recommend the use of resume databanks and, assuming that the confidentiality issue can be resolved, the more databanks the better. It is a numbers game. The more databases you use the more likely you are to be found by an employer. In addition, once you spend the time and effort to enter your data your resume will remain on file for a certain time period without any additional effort on your part.

We also recommend you give serious consideration to posting your resume to any and all association web sites that fit your background and skills. Many Associations offer job postings and resume banks for their members or the general public and these job search resources are often overlooked by the majority of job seekers. Associations are also an excellent means of expanding your network of contacts. A large list of associations organized by function is available at JobMetaSeek Association Database.

Resume Distribution Services

Resume distribution is the process of your resume being sent, via e-mail, to many recipients at once. There are many resume distribution services on the Internet today. Basically, the way they work is that you pay a fee and the resume distribution service will e-mail or fax your resume to the recruiters and employers in their database who match your specifications.

The quality of the service depends on the quality of the database of employers/recruiters the service maintains and the method in which the subscribers were obtained. The subscriber database should always consist of employers or recruiters electing to subscribe to the service. Make sure the distribution service allows you to target the employers who receive your resume. At a minimum, you should be able to query the employer/recruiter database by industry, job function and geographic region.

If you are job-hunting and looking to get your resume some broad and immediate exposure with both employers and recruiters, you should consider a resume distribution service. We suggest your start your evaluation by visiting ForwardYourResume. This site contains reviews of the top 10 resume distribution sites on the web. It is an excellent introduction to the types of services available and the fees charged by various distribution services. Resume distribution is a very competitive business and you should carefully review the services offered and the associated fees before making a final selection.

Web/HTML Resumes

An HTML or Web Resume is a version of your resume created in HyperText Markup Language that may contain clickable text and images. Most job seekers do not need an HTML resume, and it is rarely worth the time and effort. The possible exceptions might be for technical or creative positions or when many similar resumes are available. For example, all the engineering graduates at a university. Most employers, given the more productive options available, will not spend the time using search engines to locate these resumes.

Resume Newsgroups

Usenet is a worldwide bulletin board system that can be accessed through the Internet or through many online services. The USENET contains more than 14,000 forums, called newsgroups, which cover every imaginable interest group. Usenet has several newsgroups devoted to resumes and organized by function and/or geographical area. Access to this information generally requires specialized news reader software or email software with a news function, such as Outlook Express. The Newsgroups are generally available on most ISP servers or at newsgroup web sites such as Google Groups or Giganews.com

We recommend that you do not post your resume to the resume newsgroups. The Newsgroups are available on most ISP servers and you probably don't want your confidential information available to anyone with an Internet Account. The only way to protect your privacy would be to post a completely bind resume with no identifying information and a special email account for responses. This type of resume is unlikely to attract a favorable response from employers or recruiters.

Resume on a Disk

An Resume on a Disk is an interactive version of your resume designed to be sent to an employer or recruiter in lieu of a traditional paper resume or electronic resume. Most job seekers do not need this type of resume and it probably does more damage than good. The job seeker assumes that the employer or recruiter has received the resume and has taken the time to view the content of the disk. More often than not these assumptions are incorrect. Issues of computer compatibility, potential virus contamination, scanning and storing problems make it far more likely that the disk has been ignored or discarded. The possible exceptions might be for theatrical or creative positions. Do not provide this type of resume unless specifically requested.