Why Is ASCII Resume Conversion So Important These Days?

#1)  Optical Character Recognition Software (OCR)

OCR software, used by many large companies today, is designed to flash-scan through hundreds of resumes in search of particular, pre-programmed keywords desirable to their company. 

If the software doesn't find at least one of those desired keywords somewhere in your resume, it may be expeditiously disposed of, never to be seen again. And you would never know.

#2)  Translation of Characters, Fonts and Punctuation

Anytime a document is shared between two computers (one that sends, and one that receives), there is the potential for translation problems.

It is very common for a computer to change characters, fonts, & punctuation in the documents it receives.

One of the more common problems is when bullets turn into question marks. Undoubtedly, you have seen documents with lots of squiggles and question marks and wondered if it was written in Greek.

Normal Word formatting, such as Bolding or Underlining, may also be altered.

Doing your resume in ASCII eliminates that problem. Once it has been converted, simply copy/paste the text into the body of your out-going Email.

The ASCII conversion may make your resume a little less aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but it is necessary (and oftentimes expected) by many larger companies.

TIP:  It is not recommended to send your Resume as an Attachment, particularly on the initial contact. Viruses are always a threat, and many companies simply dispose of anything with an attachment and never open them.

Before submitting your converted resume to an employer over the Internet, I suggest you first Email a copy to yourself. That way, you can go through it with a fine-tooth comb and fix anything that doesn't look right.

Remember, First Impressions Are Key when it comes to your Resume!

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