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Design Your Scannable Resume To Work On All Systems
As the example above shows, older scanning software can cause scanned resumes to look very different than your original resume. However, this doesn't happen with new, more sophisticated scanning systems. For example, Resumix keeps a snapshot of your resume which can be printed. This allows your resume to be scanned as well as being stored as a picture without changing it. But, many employers may not have this newer sophisticated software because such systems can cost up to $100,000. As a result, many employers are still using scanning software that is older and results in scanning problems. Therefore, you need to design your scannable resume to be scanned correctly by both older and newer scanning software.

If you have typed your resume with a word processor all you need to do is convert it into an ASCII file, or plain text format with line breaks, by using your word processing program's "save as" option. Converting your file will remove formatting commands such as bolding, centering, bullets and graphic lines.

When you print your resume from this plain text format you'll see that is very plain and downright ugly just like Fran's scanned resume. But, it's now very computer friendly. Here are the steps I took to convert Fran's nice looking resume into an ASCII or plain text format. I used MS Word and Notepad which made these steps very easy. You may find that your wordprocessing program or text editor works slightly differently. Don't be afraid to experiment - but save each version of your resume as you work on it. Especially your original resume! Test and proof read each version of your resume that you create.

Converting Your Resume To ASCII or Plain Text With Line Breaks

How Are Scanned Resumes Sorted?
Once your resume is scanned, much or all of all the text from your resume is put into a database program. This database program will then be used to sort all resumes by key words, hot industry buzz words, areas of experience and education. For example, a Department Manager might want to hire a Marketing Representative with 5 years sales experience, new product marketing, cold calling and territory management background. These key words can be put into the database program and a sort function performed on all resumes in the database. All resumes which have these key words in them will be sorted and pulled from the database. Some scanning systems rank the resulting resumes and score them based on the total number of key words in each resume.

Why Key Words Are Important and How To Identify Them
To ensure that your resume is selected from a sort, you must include the key words an employer will sort resumes by. One way to identify key words is to underline all skills listed in ads and job descriptions for the types of jobs you want. Include these skills at the top of your resume in a section like the one below. Most key words that employers sort by are nouns such as Accounting Manager. However, verbs such as "troubleshoot" or "calibrate" may be used to sort for some positions such as electronic technician.

E-Mail, Scannable, Or Nicely Formatted - Which Is Better?
If an employer gives you the option of either submitting a scannable resume by mail or by submitting a resume by e-mail, choose e-mail. Sending an e-mail resume is better because e-mail is already in electronic, plain text format that database systems can readily accept - with no errors. With any scannable resume you still run some risk of OCR programs creating an error when reading your resume. If you must send a scannable resume, also include a nicely formatted resume. Put a post-it note on this version that states, "Visual Resume." On your plain text resume put a post-it note that says, "Scannable Resume." If an employer doesn't scan resumes - then he'll have a nicely formatted resume to look at.

How Many Employers Scan Resumes?
Below is a breakdown of "Where People Work" derived from U.S. Department of Labor reports. As you can see the greatest majority of jobs (66%) are filled by small organizations with 1-250 employees. The next greatest percentage (18%) of jobs are filled by medium sized organizations with 250-1000 employees. The smallest percentage (16%) of jobs are filled by large sized organizations with 1000+ employees. As you can see about 2/3 of all people work in small organizations.

With electronic scanning and database systems costing up to $100,000 you'll probably find that many employers, those employing less than 250 to 100 employees, don't use scanning systems because it's just too costly and their demand isn't high enough. You may also find that these same employers don't have employer websites which offer online resume building forms. But, a high percentage of these companies will have employees with e-mail addresses.

This info can help you strategize how you'll contact employers based on their size. If you're unsure if an employer accepts scanned resumes, e-mail resumes or has an on-line site - call them and ask.

$9,000 Salary Increase
The first resume workshop in this site shows how Fran's after resume resulted in a $9,000 salary increase.  Fran wanted a $33,000 Corporate Customer Representative job but her resume created an image of her being at a $20,000 to 24,000 salary level -- that's $9,000 to $13,000 beneath her goal.

What Level Does Your Resume Market You At?
If you are curious to see what level your resume is marketing you at … then be sure to read and use the graphing techniques in my first workshop.  By graphing the job titles used in Fran's resume it's easy to see why her resume failed … and once you understand this … you will understand why the majority of resumes fail.  You'll then understand how to analyze your job titles and see if you are better off using them or replacing them with skill headings that market you more effectively. 

Most People Have Job Titles that Weaken Their Image
I estimate that at least 85% of all job seekers have job titles unrelated to their current career goals … and that they are much better off using skill headings rather than job titles to land higher salaries and double and triple their interview rates.

For example, Fran had been a Directory Operator but in most people's minds that doesn't sound like she's at the level of a Corporate Customer Representative making $33,000 … that's because most people don't view directory operators as providing true customer service.  Most people say that Directory Operator sounds like someone making only $20,000.  However, by using the 12 Questions in my Proven Resumes Series, Fran wrote a new description of her duties as a Directory Operator that described her being selected out of 100 Directory Operators to provide specialized Customer Service to the Governor's Office and Political Dignitaries in the Washington State Capitol … now that information begins to change our image of Fran doesn't it?  That makes her sound much more like someone being able to command $33,000. 

Which sounds like a better match for the $33,000 Corporate Customer Service Representative goal… her old job title of Directory Operator  … or a skill heading like Customer Service Representative to State of Washington Account.  In Fran's actual resume we used the heading of Customer Service Representative but you can see how you can play with skill headings to control and elevate your image … this is one strategy I explain in detail with examples throughout my book, Proven Resumes: Strategies That Have Increased Salaries, and one of the strongest things I can offer you as a resume writer … just in case you don't have the time or patience to write your own.

Going from 0% to 100% Interview Rate
By using skill headings that matched her goal, Fran went from a 0% interview rate to a 100% interview rate -- meaning none of her prior resumes had landed an interview but her new resume landed an interview for each position she applied for.

Click here to learn other ways we improved Fran's resume and landed her a job paying $9,000 more click here to read my first set of resume workshops!  If you've entered my site via this page, be sure to go to my home page for an overview of more than 60 Free Resume & Job Search Workshops that include tons of Resume Tips for 45 Career Fields, Job Search, Electronic Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing, Networking and Confidence Building strategies. 

The testimonials at the top of this page and throughout my site describe salary increases ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 and more.  Here's one of my most recent ones: 

For More Information
My booklets contain complete before and after scanned resume examples with a detailed list of guidelines on how to format a scanned resume and create key word summaries. Most importantly they show you how to create a resume with strong content that sells you!