Scannable Resumes

What is a Scannable Resume?

A scannable resume is one that may be "read" by a computer equipped with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) hardware and software. The hardware scans text from paper into ASCII text format which can be put into a database. Special software searches applicants' resumes in the database for keywords, phrases, or qualifications chosen by the employer. The software then creates a summary of your resume and ranks it among other qualified candidates for the position. This process, sometimes called electronic applicant tracking, is gathering popularity among medium- to large-sized companies as an initial employment screening device.

Why are the Employers Using Scannable Resumes?

Scannable resumes have numerous advantages for employers:



• Convenience
  Employers can more easily find potential candidates by simply searching through their database and identifying names with the specific experience, skills, and qualifications that matches their needs.
  
  
• Fewer people needed
  Human Resource departments can be much smaller because this new technology significantly cuts the time it takes to do an initial screening.
  
  
• Speed
  Electronic applicant screening speeds up the entire hiring process.

Why Should I Learn how to Write a Scannable Resume?

• Because 80% of medium to large-sized companies will be use computers to process resumes by the year 2000 (Kennedy and Murrow, The Electronic Resume Revolution).
• Because someone with qualifications similar to yours who is looking for the same job will have one.

What are the Advantages of Using Scannable Resumes?

Even though scannable resumes may seem initimidating, they can be used to your advantage in the following ways:



• Better Communication
  Since the new technology decreases the time it takes to process resumes, employers are able to get the results of their decisions to you sooner. This means you spend less time waiting for responses.
  
  
• Multiple opportunities
  When you tun in a scanned resume, you may be considered for positions you had never thought of before. When your resume is scanned into a database that is used by the entire company, your resume may be selected for jobs in additional departments in the company.
  
  
• Inclusion and fairness
  Scanned resumes can reduce exclusion due to bias in the selection process. Unlike humans, computers hold no bias. You may still have to face a biased person later in the interview process, but a scanned resume can help you get past the intitial screening process.
  
  
• Longevity of the resume
  Resumes that have been electronically scanned into a database can be retrieved, or "hit", at any time. With no additional effort from you, your resume may be seen by many additional people, and the resume can stay active for years.

What are the Disadvantages of Using Scannable Resumes?

Some problems do exist with electronic applicant tracking. These problems include:



• The human personality, a vital asset to many in the job hunt, is all but eleiminated from the initial screening process.
• There is little chances of your name being brought up if the words you use to describe your qualifications do not match what the employer is looking for.
• There may be less opportunity to negotiate salary, especially if you have included salary requirements or past salary numbers on your resume.
• Machines can make errors, even if they do so less than humans would.
• Resumes that have been in a database for a long period of time may become outdated and no longer reflect a person's most recent qualifications.

How do I Write a Scannable Resume?

Many people use their standard resume as a starting point for writing a scannable resume. To turn your standard resume into an effective scannable resume, make the following changes:



• Simplify your resume. Remove italic, bold, and underlined print; eliminate graphics and lines. The fancy additions you would put into your standard resume to catch the employer’s eye will only confuse the OCR equipment and software.
  
  
• Change your action verbs to nouns. Manager and developer are more likely to be used as keywords in a search than managed or developed.
  
  
• Add specific detail. Be specific about which computer programs you know, jobs you’ve held, skills you possess, awards you have received, and professional organizations to which you belong.
  
  
• Keep it clean. Use only a clean original copy, preferably white paper with black print.

Scannable Resumes Dos and Don'ts?

Do

• Use a standard resume format
• Use white or light colored paper, 8.5" x 11"
• Use 10 to 14 point sans-serif font
• Change your action verbs to nouns
• Use nouns, buzzwords, and industry jargon
• Include your degrees, majors, and GPA (if it is to your advantage)
• Use common headings, such as Objective, Education, and Experience
• Include specifics, such as computer programs and operating systems you know
• Include professional organizations to which you belong
• Send two resumes, one for people to read and one for computers to read (specify which is which in your cover letter)
• Send a laser-printed original with a piece of cardboard so the resume does not become wrinkled
• Be succinct and honest.

Don't

• Fold or staple your resume
• Condense spacing between letters
• Italicize, underline, bold, or shadow your text
• Use vertical or horizontal lines, graphics, or boxes
• Put your name and address on the same line
• Use excessive abbreviations (standard abbreviations used in specific fields such as BBA or MA are okay)
• Print on both sides of the page
• Fax your resume to its destination
• Describe your experience in vague terms
  
  
• It is acceptable for a scannable resume to go over one page because it does not take the computer much longer to read two pages than one. A good guideline for a recent college graduate’s scannable resume length is one to two pages. As your experience grows, additional pages may become necessary.
  
  
• Keep in mind that the focus of your resume is still on content, but your audience has changed from a person to a computer. A good scannable resume will maximize both the computer’s ability to read the resume and the number of hits it receives.
  
  

For additional reading on scannable resumes:

• Kennedy, Joyce Lain, and Thomas J. Morrow. The Electronic Resume Revolution. New York: Wiley and Sons, 1994
• Kennedy, Joyce Lain, and Thomas J. Morrow. The Electronic Job Search Revolution. New York: Wiley and Sons, 1994

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