Resume Scanning

1. Make your name larger than the rest of the text, up to 18 points.
2. Text should be no larger than 10 points and headings no larger than 12 points in size.
3. Margins should be no more than ½ inch all the way around.
4. Delete months in your dates. If you were only there for 10 months, then write the year, e.g, 2000.
5. Date ranges should be on the same line (e.g, 1990 to 1994)
6. Use key words, usually industry-related nouns, jargon and acronyms, to increase your opportunities for matching job requirements and attracting recruiters.
7. Use strong action words to describe your skills. Vague descriptions cannot be scanned.
8. Use enough key words to define your skills, experience, education, professional affiliations, etc.
9. Be concise and truthful.
10. Unless you are fresh out of college, a one-page resume may appear weak. Electronic resumes can be in multiple-pages, as the computer can use all of the information it extracts to determine if your skills match available opportunities.
11. List the names of software you use such as MS Office.
12. Use familiar headings: Objective, Summary or Summary of Qualifications, Professional Experience, Accomplishments, Volunteer Work, Work History, Strengths, Education, Professional Affiliations, Publications, Papers, Licenses, Certifications, Examinations, Awards and Honors.
13. In the Summary at the beginning of the resume, below the Objective, provide an overview of your experience, then develop it with examples under Professional Experience. For example:
    • B.F.A., and 12 years developing extensive experience and building key relationships within the Internet, New Media, Online Game, Motion Picture and Television industries.
    • Expertise in strategic planning, managing multi-million dollar budgets, creating new products, and producing triple digit revenue increases.
    • Specialized in new business development, advertising, and negotiating domestic and international joint venture and distribution partnerships.
    • Skilled in determining market timing for new business opportunities, identifying trends, and defining opportunity costs.
14. Add a scan-ready resume copy to your regularly formatted one, when you snail mail or email it in.
15. Use white or light-colored 8-1/2 x 11 paper, printed on one side only. In this case, copy paper is acceptable.
16. Provide a typed, ink-jet or laser printed original whenever possible. Do not send dot matrix printouts or low quality copier copies. They won't be scanned.
17. Do not fold or staple hard copy resumes for scanning.
18. Use standard typefaces such as Helvetica, Futura, Optima, Univers, Times (New Roman), Palatino, New Century Schoolbook, Courier, or my personal favorite, Arial.
19. Make sure the point size is easily readable. Arial 10 point is, but Times 10 point is too small. Increase to 11 point when using Times.
20. Don't condense the spacing between letters, but you can bring the space between lines down to 6 points, and still be readable.
21. Use boldface and/or all capital letters for section headings.
22. Delete all italics, underlining, shadows, and reverses (white letters on black background.)
23. Use regular MS Word formatting. Do not use vertical and horizontal lines, graphics, boxes, and all forms of formatted input.
24. Use a full page format versus two-column, newspaper or newsletter formatting.
25. Place your name at the top of the page on its own line. Make sure it appears at the top of every page you turn in, along with your contact information.
26. Use standard address format below your name, and preferably not a P.O. Box.
27. List each phone number (phone and cellular) and your email address. No hokey email addresses for your resume. The best ones provide your name: frank.jones@hireme.com, so there is no mistaking who they are contacting. If you already have a hokey email address, get a free one from Microsoft Hotmail or other providers, like Juno.