Re: Your Online Resume

You know how when you search for a job online you can select various categories, locations and keywords? Well, employers registered with a job board can do the same when searching the site's resume database.

Why is this important? Over the last year at MyJobWave.com, we’ve seen many resumes registered job seekers have added to our database that miss the mark on being search friendly. Here are some tips to help you enhance the quality of your resume for our online database.

1. Use Current Software or Create Your Resume
At MyJobWave.com you can either create a resume or attach a Word document or PDF. Either format will be keyword-search friendly. Which one is right for you? That depends. If you’re on an older computer you’ll want to create a resume directly to the database. Outdated word processing software like Wordpad from Windows 95 more than likely can’t be opened by a majority of employers who are using a more current office suite. If your software is fairly new, feel free to upload your document.

2. Typos: Bad for Search Results
By now we’re all well aware that typos can give a bad impression. However, with online resumes, a typo could mean you don’t show in search results. If my resume had “coko” instead of “cook,” I would not show in a keyword search for a cook. Therefore the same information suggested for proofing traditional resumes still applies: proof, spell-check and have another person read it over before you post.

3. Summary/Headline
Many resume databases offer the job seeker an opportunity to add a summary or a headline. Think of this section as your online summary or objective statement. Most resume-database search results list the resumes just like you see a job-search result – title/person/location vs. job title/company/location – so you want to make sure any summary statement is attractive to the employer. Would you be interested in a job title that said, “Will Take Anybody?” No? Then how confident would an employer be to see a resume titled, “Will do Whatever?”

4. Customize Your Resume(s)
MyJobWave.com gives registered job seekers the opportunity to create multiple resumes. Why is this important? Well, there are a variety of reasons. We feel that you should customize your resume for the position in which you intend to apply. Now this philosophy doesn’t hold true when you're adding your resume to an online resume database. If you have experience in multiple fields, or have worked in many positions, adding multiple resumes will give you the opportunity to both increase your listing in search results and craft a resume that won’t be overloaded with information irrelevant to the job.

5. Keep it Fresh
Online job postings can grow old, and you have to wonder whether the job is still open when you see it listed four months ago. The same can be said about your online resume. Update your resume at least monthly, even if it’s just making a punctuation adjustment. This will keep your resume fresh in a resume database and tell employers you are available.

Online resumes serve the same purpose as traditional resumes, yet you have to take a different, more proactive approach. But the payoff – an employer calling for an interview by finding you online – is worth the effort. Therefore it’s very important to you that you take the time to properly list and style your online resume so that you are an attractive candidate.