If you are still using the old newspaper ad search to find your next job, you are overlooking the benefit and ease of using technology and the internet in making your job search not only more successful, but easier.

Putting your resume online might put your career into high gear if you know how to create and distribute your resume electronically. Here are some basic steps and guidelines to get you started:

Move from paper to electronic-friendly
Your resume might look great in paper form but once converted to electronic format, it might be impossible to read. Word processing programs such as Microsoft Word can offer great advantages in formatting but too often this formatting is lost when your resume is broadcast or sent electronically.

Create a resume in ASCII format
You can create an electronic friendly resume by following these steps : Open your Word document resume; highlight the text and click “copy”. Then open up the Notepad application to cut and paste your resume into this new document. The Notepad application will format your resume into ACSII text so your resume can now be read in email format.

Be sure to place keywords in your resume
If you are going to send your resume to a bank or online database, then you need to be sure that employers can find you. If you want a marketing job, then your resume needs to include keywords such as marketing, sales, public relations, marketing and sales, etc. The keywords need to be placed throughout your resume and in several variations to ensure that employers can locate your resume within the thousands that might be in the resume bank.

Choose Your Resume Bank Wisely
While some resume banks offer their services at no cost, others may have a monthly fee. No matter which you choose, you need to consider some of the benefits or drawbacks on the particular service you choose. Some resume banks are going to give you national exposure but is that necessary if you don’t intend to leave your immediate geographic area? Other resume banks might be run by a professional association or a network of businesses but these might be the same places where your employer might discover that you’re job-hunting.

Privacy
It’s important to remember that even though you are going online to look for a job that you don’t want to reveal too much personal information in your electronic resume. Use discretion when giving personal data. Don’t include a social security number for example. Most resume banks have good guidelines about how you can let an employer know about your skills without giving up private or confidential information.

Using resume banks or databases available on the internet will help you cast a wide net in your search for employment. Take some time to prepare a strong resume, search out the best resume banks or databases based on your needs and then cast your electronic resume into the sea of career opportunities.

What You Need to Know about Scanning Resumes
The days of an employer opening the mail and sitting back with a cup of coffee in hand to review a stack of resumes is quickly being replaced by technology. Many companies are now using scanning devices to identify but also to eliminate job candidates. When a company receives your hard copy resume, it may be scanned into an employer’s database as an initial phase of ensuring if you have the qualifications and skills the employer is seeking.

How does this technology affect you?
Since scanning devices are now replacing the human eyeball, you need to be sure that the scanner can read your resume. Your resume must successfully pass through an electronic system if you are going to be considered for a position or an interview. If your resume is not “scan” friendly, then you’re going to lose out on job opportunities.

Here are some tips to ensure your resume is scanner friendly:

• Place your name at the top of the resume page. Do not place other information on this line.
• Place address information below your name.
• Use bold typeface for headings.
• Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman in a range of 10 – 14 points.
• Use high quality paper. Provide a laser-quality original whenever feasible.
• Do not put information into fancy formats.
• Avoid the use of graphics.
• Do not use boxes, columns or other design applications.
• Make certain your resume contains words pertinent to the job posting.
• Use standard size 8 ½ inch by 11 inch white paper.

Being scanner-savvy will dramatically improve your chances of moving up the career ladder to achieve career success.