When working with clients, I provide the final resume in three formats. Word .doc, PDF and plain text. I tell them plain text is for cutting and pasting into online applications. The PDF ensures clear printing with no printer or software issues and the Word version is the language of business so use that version to submit resumes. (As Office 2007 takes hold, a slow conversion, I’ll provide the .docx version of Word as well.)

A few years ago, I worked with a young woman aspiring to move to Costa Rica and teach. As we discussed her submission process, we realized we weren’t sure of the technical capabilities or software availabilities of some of the more remote areas where she’d be applying.

Take it from someone who works in a software-driven world, different versions of Word, print driver settings, hardware age, Microsoft Works (ewwww) can all play a hand in jumbling documents. Since “most” people don’t think about software as the problem behind the jumbled mess on the screen, that jumble creates the first impression of you.

We came up with this strategy to address possible electronic submission issues. I’ve been sharing it with clients ever since and today, you get to hear it. The thing is, you don’t have to be applying in foreign lands to run into technical difficulties. So a little effort on your part can make the difference between an interview and the delete key. As a boss used to tell me, “The best defense in life is a good offense.” 

(I preface this with, if there are specific submission instructions, they are your guide. Otherwise …)

If you want to be super efficient and the Word .doc version and PDF are identical, attach them both to email. In the body of the email, explain the reasons behind including different versions of the same document so they know it was intentional and why. Don’t assume people know or will take the time to figure it out. (Besides, we all know what assuming does …) Tell them. Plus it’s an opportunity to sell your solution-driven approach to things without using the words “solution-driven” to tell them. You showed them with actions. (What’re our mantras? “Sell, don’t tell” and “It’s all them.”)

This simple statement explains why you’re attaching two formats of the same document: (or something to this effect in your own words …)

“I’ve attached my resume in both Word and PDF format to avoid any software compatibility or print-driver difficulties. Please open the version best suited to your system.”

Think about it. You’ve identified a potential difficulty and offered a feasible resolution. AND you’re protecting yourself. You’ve doubled the chance of reaching your audience. Believe me. A busy hiring authority isn’t going to argue with documents that don’t open or are illegible. If she has a quick solution, she’ll use it. Otherwise. Delete! and there goes your chance.

Some may disagree and pass this off as electronic clutter. Fine, but I tell my clients to serve your customers (the hiring authority) while protecting your sale (the interview). If you, the candidate, tell the receiver ”docs are provided for their convenience,” you’ve also spread some “warm-fuzzies” — someone they don’t even know helped them be more efficient. Wow! And they’re not even employed here … yet.

“Little things” can make a big impact. In this challenging market, it’s best to stack the odds in your favor however and whenever you can.

By the way, if you’re tweaking keywords and titles to fit job requirements, BRAVO! You can create a PDF document from your newly tweaked Word document using one of many of the free downloads out there. Google will help you find them. I’ve used www.primopdf.com for years and Microsoft Office 2007 has a PDF creation feature as well.

Between Daylight Saving Time and the events of this past weekend, I’ve been remiss in tooting my own horn about my contribution to an article on resume writing for Careerealism. (As I tell my rez clients. If you don’t toot your own horn, who will???)

And yes gang, this is another Twitter-generated opportunity. Stop rolling your eyes. 11% of all Internet users are already tweeting up a storm, sharing wisdom, insights and little snippets of life 140 characters at a time. It’s an incredible marketing and social networking tool. Google it. There’s about 152 bajillion posts, videos and applications out there explaining all about Twitter. But as one astute Twitter aficionado said recently, trying to explain Twitter is like trying to explain bike riding to someone. You don’t understand the value and fun until you do it. But I digress, this is supposed to be all about me.

I met J. T. O’Donnell through Twitter, when I re-tweeted one of her posts. (A retweet (RT) is the ”supreme compliment” on Twitter. By retweeting you’re sharing someone else’s wisdom with your followers because you found it valuable. I could RT everything J. T. says. She’s brilliant!)  Anyway, she thanked me (yes tweeps are polite and thoughtful — two of my favorite things) and we started a virtual dialogue. This resulted in her asking if I was interested in contributing to an upcoming article. I said YES, so, rather than read my wisdom here, I’m sending you to the Careerealism for: Hate resume writing? Here’s how to get it done. The entire article is not mine, but I did get my $.02 worth in the conversation.

I would be remiss in not publicly thanking J.T. O’Donnell for the awesome opportunity. And I absolutely have to send a shout out to Greg Barrette, Careerealsm’s Brand Development Manager. He tolerated my anxious, “When is it going live?” emails and helped fix my link when it wasn’t working. He’s a true professional and a really nice person to boot.  All around a top drawer organization. And you gotta love their slogan: “Because every job is temporary.” (So true.)

AFTER you read the article on Careerealism, go set up a Twitter account and start tweeting. Do it!

Recently, Rosa Vargas put out a call through the NRWA elist for contributions on “Worst Resume Mistakes.” Great article Rosa. It’s not only a fun read. It’s got great advice for job seekers and professionals alike. Know what’s even better than Rosa’s article and sound advice? The fact that my contribution is #10 on the list. Thanks for the opportunity Rosa.

Some would say yes … but then I’m not talking about me. <smile> I’m talking getting professional help as you contemplate or begin a job search. When it comes to creating a compelling sales and market document, targeted toward landing interviews in a competitive job market, are you up to the task?

If some of this looks familiar, it’s compiled from an answer I wrote in response to a question on LinkedIn a few months ago. So many people start job searches after the holidays, it’s appropriate to make sure everyone is armed with the tools needed for career management success.

First, remember, putting together a resume is not about an individual’s writing capabilities. I’ve written resumes for clients with master’s and doctorate’s in English. Obviously, someone with advanced English degrees has strong writing skills, but there are different types of writing. A professional rez writer knows how to create a compelling document and grab someone’s attention in the 10-15 seconds allowed during that first pass read through. That’s a different skill set and a very specialized type of writing.

Second, a rez is not a career autobiography or a list of job duties. It is a sales and marketing document designed to sell your two most important commodities – your time and your talent. If you’re like most, you’ll find it difficult to objectively edit your own careers and create a targeted, focused document. You’re too close to your career wonderfulness to not want to tell everything. Do you spill your guts and tell absolutely everything about yourself when you meet that special someone? Probably not. You tell just enough to entice interest and land a date. A rez does the same thing. It entices an interview – that “first date” in the employment world.

Third, look at it in from a monetary standpoint. If a well-crafted document can reduce your job search by two or three days, the investment in the resume is returned almost immediately. Think about it: $15 an hour x 24 hours (three, eight-hour days) = $360. As you can see, a well-crafted resume pays for itself in the first week at your new job.

Bottom line – if your résumé is written in red crayon on a cocktail napkin and it’s getting you interviews, then no, you don’t need a professional. But, it you’re sending out hundreds of rezs with nary an interview, it’s usually not your skills; it’s your presentation. Invest in yourself and seek out a professional. You will get a noticeable positive impact in your job search.

And in a shameless plug for me, here’s more info on why to work with a professional …

“You’re a resume writer? I bet your business is booming.” That’s the reaction I get lately when I tell people what I do for a living. Then it’s almost a wink-wink, nudge-nudge, “You must be lovin’ this economy.” The first time it happened, I politely mumbled something and changed the subject. By the third time someone “assumed” I was thrilled with the economy and that my business was booming because of it, I exhaled and decided to take a moment to explain employment basics.

Yes, my resume business is steady – thankful for that blessing. And no, I’m not any more thrilled about the rollercoaster economy and jobless rate than you are. <Large smile> Funny thing though, the bulk of my clients are not recently laid-off employees. Some are, but most are currently employed and have decided to make a career move, are preparing for the “what ifs” or are smart enough to know opportunities surround them and stay ready to explore them. I have several astute clients come back every 18 months or so to freshen up their information.

When I say that, people look at me as if I’ve grown a third head. The idea of doing a resume before you “have to” is foreign to a good many folks. You don’t need a resume unless you’re looking for a job, right? Well, as I said in my last post, the smart person is always a job seeker.

Putting together a compelling sales and marketing document and starting a job search takes lots of positive energy and confidence. I tell my clients all the time, “You gotta break out those pom-poms from the back of the closet and get ready to cheer about you. ‘ Coz if you don’t do it, no one else will.” I’ve worked with plenty of recently downsized individuals and believe me, it’s difficult to help them expound on career wonderfulness when they’ve been forced into an unplanned career move. At least with a current resume, it’s one less worry. They can hit the ground running.

Wendy Haylett, fellow PARW member and elist contributor, has this quotation as part of her signature at the end of her emails:

“The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for somebody else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career!”
- Earl Nightingale, author, speaker, motivator

And there’s this from Jay Block’s Web site:

If you are not living life on your terms, you are living on other people’s terms at the expense of your own. A meaningful career should serve only one purpose – to give you the life you want and deserve. Career casualness leads to life casualty.
- Jay Block, author, career coach

Drive your own bus, whenever you can.