You may be wondering what is the best format to send your resume. I.e. do you send your CV/Resume via snail mail i.e. postal service or via email?

1. What are the pros and cons of doing so?
2. How do I avoid being filtered as spam!

Employers will have different preferences with regards to this so if in doubt simply call them up and ask. But remember to print out a copy for yourself to take with you to the interview regardless of what the desired format is by the employer. If you are not able to find out what they prefer then always forward it by post. After forwarding an email resume always call and ask if it was received safely. If it was not then forward a hard copy. You may wish to do this anyway as an extra precaution.

Pros and cons of sending via the post

The cons of course are the time and cost concerned, in that you need paper, ink, printer, envelopes (A4) staple gun and postage and then of course a trip to the post office. Make sure if sending CVs this way that you are prepared and have all these items handy and ready to go when you need to send out that application. The pros’ of sending a hard copy CV is that for the recruiting employer they are much easier to read and refer to than email ones.

Pros and cons of sending email resume/cv

You can forward CVs in bulk from the comfort of your own home in minutes! It doesn’t cost you anything in paper, ink, envelopes or postage! On the downside the CV/resume is hard to read, the employer may forget it exists and worse it may be filtered out as spam!

To avoid Spam filters you should do the following:

• Avoid sending bulk messages. It is better to add some customizing to each CV rather than making it clear to the employer you are just doing a mass mail out and really have no great interest in their company! Additionally your ISP may identify a bulk mail out as Spam.
• Put something simple in the subject line and do not use punctuation, numbers, and monetary signs and do not capitalize words or swear though this is highly unlikely when sending a CV!
• Don't use the words used by Spam sites such as ‘free’ etc.
• Send a plain text" e-mail as often as possible with few links. Plain text means that you do not add colours or change the font etc.
• Using words in your CV that relate to monetary figures and symbols may trigger Spam filters so perhaps write those figures out full in words rather than using £/$ signs and numbers.
• Don't attach your resume to your e-mail unless requested to do so by the employer. Instead copy and paste your resume in plain text into the body of the email.
• Make a follow up phone call to ensure that the employer rec’d it.

Note: These tips may help reduce the problem but there is still no guarantee that even after following the rules that your email will get through. As spammers find ways around the Spam filters so do filters change and update to find ways around the Spam. So while these tips may help they by no means guarantee success.

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Although faxing your resume may seem like a good choice since it will reach the recruiter fast, the quality and neatness of your resume will be compromised. For this reason, you should only consider faxing your resume and cover letter when:

• The employer requests it in the advertisement.
• When you have to meet a deadline for an application.
• When you have already spoken to the recruiter or employer and informed him that you will fax it and will send or deliver a hard copy of the resume at a certain date.

Disadvantages of faxing your resume

• Besides the poor quality of faxes, most employers regard unsolicited faxes as rude. Their first impression of you when you send a fax without prior arrangement is that you are unconsidered of their resources and ignorant about business ethics.
• Your privacy can be compromised when faxing your resume since several employees may share the same fax facility and may read your resume.
• Your fax can get misplaced.
  

Things to do when faxing your resume

• Always mail or deliver the original CV or resume after sending the fax.
• Make use of a good quality fax facility that provides a record of when the fax is received and that indicates how many pages have been transmitted.
• Call the recruiter or employer to confirm that the fax has been received and is eligible.
• Include a cover page that includes your contact information, purpose of the fax, recipient details and your cover letter.
• Use black ink or font color on white bond paper. If your font color is blue or another color on the original resume or CV, the fax will not be legible for the employer.
• Never use color paper.
• Don't use too small fonts but remember that your font size may not exceed more than 20 points. The font size must be no smaller than 12 points. Many employers may wish to scan a copy and thus need a larger font.
• If your original resume has a lot of dark borders, you should first make a print without the borders. Too much black lines will appear untidy.
• First print a copy to make sure that it is legible before faxing your CV from your computer.
• Set the fax machine to fine mode to ensure high quality transmission.
• Include a header with your name and contact details on every page.
• Don't condense your letters; rather use normal spacing or an extra point apart between two letters to make the resume more readable.

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Do you prefer hand made china or the mass produced kind? There is something about individual items that gives them an edge over mass produced products, isn't there? Most of the time, even the best resume software cannot replace the individual touch that a real person can give to a resume.

A resume program cannot read the job advert and tune the resume to the job requirements. Resume software cannot actually show that you increased newspaper readership by 15% once your ideas were implemented. It is better to use a professional resume writing service where you deal with real people, or even better, write it yourself. Sometimes, the writing style of a professional writer will give the impression that you are a much better writer than you really are, leading to expectations from the employer that you simply cannot meet.

Employers & recruiters receive thousands of resumes and they are used to seeing resumes created by programs. The candidate is immediately labelled as non- creative and dependent on templates, something that does not reflect well when it comes to attitude and work ethic. Keep your resume based on recent accomplishments related to the job you are applying for. Give real numbers and facts to back your claims.

Resume Software Overuses Resume action verbs and keywords. These words are important in your resume - they give the whole resume a 'do it' attitude. Your resume, needs a 'raison d'etre' so your interviewer can justify your employment. Creating the resume yourself gives you the advantage of knowing exactly what is in it. This may sound obvious but in your interview you need to expand and give more details about your previous jobs and achievements.

When creating your resume, you are your best resource!

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The same rules for a cover letter or a resume apply to an Email. You have limited time in which to grab the reader's attention. In order to have served its purpose, a response to a job advertisement has to be: opened, read and saved.

Some important resume sending tips:

• Include a relevant subject that describes the email.
• If the email is unsolicited than include, looking for x position.
• It is a good idea to include both your resume and cover letter in the email, In the body of the email include your full personal profile.

A cover letter has to be customized for the company you are applying for. A 'general' resume and a general 'cover letter' are not effective. Try to find out the name of the HR manager and do some general research in view of getting the job. Find out more about the company. The more knowledge you have, the better equipped you are to get the job.

Your text resume has to be in the body of the email. If you attach your resume, chances are the potential employer won't even open it. Send your resume to yourself to see how the text version of your resume is modified by the email software.

If you are applying responding to a specific job advert, read the application instructions and follow them! A surprising number of candidates do not.

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The financial value of your resume is defined as the increased income that a well written resume can provide. This can also be measured in the time it takes for you to get a job - time is money and every day without a job is lost revenue. Without a properly crafted resume, it will have taken you far longer to land a job. Most job candidates never understand the true value of a well written resume. A good resume is one that will generate far more interest from interviews than an average resume ever would.

Careless job seekers that do not put enough time and energy into writing their resumes will experience the following:

• More time out of a job leading to loss of income.
• Stress due to rejections.
• More time available to be looking for work.
• Possibly loss of confidence in your resume.
  

These should be enough to motivate you to make more effort when creating a resume.

Realise that your resume is not the only tool in your job search the Cover Letter ↦ Interview are equally important.

Express the same confidence during your interview as you express through your resume. A more confident job seeker will relax. Rejections will affect you less and employers will offer you higher salaries.

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