by Kevin Donlin - Guaranteed Resumes - Click for Info

Here's a question I've been asked at least three times a week, every week for the past four years: "What's the best way to e-mail my resume to employers?"

Here are three things I tell my clients and readers of this column, to ensure glitch-free results when sending resumes by e-mail.

1. Attach your resume TO the e-mail When sending your resume as an attached file, remember: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of aspirin. If you pause to consider the person receiving your e-mail, you'll avoid headaches later.

Some numbers:
* about 75-80% of the business world's computers are running on Windows;
* most -- but not all -- of those people are running versions 2000/NT/95 of Windows;
* an equally high percentage of people use Microsoft Word as their word processing program, with WordPerfect a distant second.

So, unless you know differently, assume your reader is running some form of Windows and has Microsoft Word. If you save your resume in Word 6.0/95, most recipients should be able to read it.

SHOULD be able to read it. But computers are ornery. Thus, the importance of Plan B ...


2. Send your resume IN the e-mail. Attachments can and do get scrambled during transmission, making them impossible to open.

So, to ensure that anyone can read your resume, you should also copy and paste the text of it into the body of your e-mail.

In your word processor, simply highlight the text of your resume and copy it into the clipboard (short-term memory). Then, switch over to your e-mail program and paste the text into your message.


3. Test, test, TEST
Before e-mailing your resume to employers, send it to at least three friends. Then ask them to print your resume and show it to you. Do this until you're comfortable with the process and your readers consistently get a professional-looking document that puts you in the best light.

Because, after all, if employers can't read your resume, how are they going to hire you?

Best of luck to you!

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes.

Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others.

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