| Author | Comment |
Freddie
Unregistered User
(1/25/00 2:12:06 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del All | Resume File Format
What format (ascii text, word, postscript, pdf, etc) do you use when submitting your resume to brokers?
I have used plain ascii in the past, but I have seen clients with a modified version of my resume. To avoid this problem, I started submitting my resume in .pdf format. The problem is that most brokers claim that they are unable to read it and they demand word or plain ascii format (to which I politely say "*&#$ you.")
I have trouble believing that brokers do not have a pdf reader like Acrobat on their machines. I have this feeling they want resumes in those formats so that they can modify them. Any thoughts, opinions?
|
Spindrift 
Global user
(1/25/00 2:45:16 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del | Re: Resume File Format
Hey Freddie,
I send mine out only as a pdf. If anyone has trouble viewing it, I resend it and direct them to Adobe's www site....I know my pdf file is not corrupted. I suspect that they simply want to be able to modify your resume.
Spindrift
|
Anon
Unregistered User
(1/25/00 2:49:59 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del | Probably as you say, plus cluelessness
>> I have trouble believing that brokers do not have a pdf reader like Acrobat on their machines. I have this feeling they want resumes in those formats so that they can modify them. Any thoughts, opinions?
I like the idea of using Acrobat, you're burning a copy of your resume that nobody can tinker with unless they retype it.
Probably this is a factor, but most borks are heads down end users to the max so just as likely they see PDF and stare at it like a deer caught in the headlights. A few years ago I emailed a bork my resume in 'Write' format, ZIPped. He emails back 'I try to open resume.zip and I see !$%$^%%%%'. Dumb....bell, pathetic. When he DID get my resume he splattered it across half a dozen clients w/o my say so. Shoulda known, tsk tsk.
|
David Cressey 
Global user
(1/25/00 2:59:12 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del | Re: Resume File Format
One way in which they want to modify your resume is to remove all contact information: phone numbers, web addresses, etc.
One time the broker forgot to remove my web site address from a resume, and the client started contacting me directly.
This greatly increases the broker's risk of being dropped out of the loop from the word go.
Regards,
David Cressey
ICCA Member since 1986
|
mini
Global user
(1/25/00 3:26:30 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del | Re: Resume File Format
ascii was the easiest format for brokers to use to OCR the resume into their database since it had the least amount of error...Word is always nice so they can remove your name, address, etc and cut and paste onto letterhead....
everyone should have Adobe.
|
Tom Welch
Unregistered User
(1/25/00 3:34:30 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del | RE: Resume File Format
My 2 Cents:
Most brokers want MS word format so they can:
1. Remove contact info
2. Copy your resume to their letterhead
3. Copy your resume to format they use
for submittal, which in most cases I seen
means you loose some impact of a well designed
resume. These canned preformated resumes are
more about filling a form than making a strong
marketing presentation.
Using Adobe Acrobat security options under
"Save As" seems like an excellent idea but may
lead to questions later.
Perhaps it is best to have a resume in all
3 formats, MS Word, ASCII, and Acrobat.
Tom Welch
http://www.moneywords.com
|
CODGER
Local user
(1/25/00 4:24:58 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del | Re: RE: Resume File Format
This may be hard to believe, but my most-used format for resume (email) submission is HTML Unless the recipient specifically requests a format, they get HTML. I have had very few questions, problems or complaints doing this.
The .pdf and attendant difficulty in modifying the content does have it's strengths.
Brokers will still find a way to introduce misspellings and material errors before presenting us anyway.
|
