Question about applying for jobs online

[Buzzbee]

Many companies accept, or even prefer candidates to apply online for open positions. Having basically been out of the job search arena for the past 12 years I have some questions that I know people around here will be able to answer.

1) When posting a resume online, should you post just the resume, or could you include a cover letter and a resume all together?

2) Different companies require/allow different formatting/file types/etc. when posting a resume. I'm concerned that when I post my resume my formatting will be all screwy, making me look even more like an idiot than I already am. Is there a way to 'view' various formats before submitting? Specifically, a job I'm interested in requires an ASCII text format. I'm assuming that means notepad rather than Word, but I'm not sure.

3) Along those same lines, for companies that accept resumes in Word, are there concerns about version compatibility? If I'm on MS Office 2003 and they are on MS Office 2000 ( or whatever is prior) could there be formatting/compatibility issues?

4) Back 'in the old days' the recommendation was to keep a resume short, a page if possible, but no more than two. Since there are no physical 'pages' for resumes submitted on the web, are there guidelines?

5) Any online resume resources/advice type sites (free) that people can recommend would be appreciated as well.

6) Are there any other 'gotchas' to watch out for when submitting online, or any other tips and hints you guys/gals can offer?

Thanks for any feedback and advice. I appreciate it.

[Galaril]

Question 1, I am interested in as well .Anyone have an answer to that.Thanks.

[Desnudo]

1. On Monster you can submit resumes and cover letters seperately. If that's not the case in your particular situation, then you can create a summary letter at the top of your resume

2. Create a .txt version of your resume that is as clear as possible for uploading on the web. That should take care of any formatting issues.

3. I believe Word is backward compatible for basic functions like this one, so it should not be a problem

4. Unless you're a recent college grad, don't worry about the one page restriction. Focus more on making sure that you have accurately described your accomplishments, and make sure to include as many buzzwords and keywords as possible, since many companies use key word searches to filter out resumes submitted online. Personally, I have a two page resume and I've gotten plenty of interviews through it.

[Buzzbee]

Thanks for the response, Desnudo. I appreciate it.

I am applying directly on the company's website. Of course, that breeds another question.

If a company lists a position on Monster, Career Builder, etc. does it make any difference if you apply through Monster or directly on their site? Are they more likely to notice an application on their site vs. the multitudes they may get from Monster?

[Klinglerware]

As for resume length, I've noticed that paper resumes rarely adhere to the one page limit anymore. In fact, I haven't seen one in over a year now. It's like all the recruiters suddenly got together and decided that resumes should now be longer than one page.

To answer your question, if paper resumes are no longer restricted to one page then you shouldn't worry about the length of your on-line resume (unless it is ridiculously long and unnecessarily padded).

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by Buzzbee

Thanks for the response, Desnudo. I appreciate it.

I am applying directly on the company's website. Of course, that breeds another question.

If a company lists a position on Monster, Career Builder, etc. does it make any difference if you apply through Monster or directly on their site? Are they more likely to notice an application on their site vs. the multitudes they may get from Monster?

I would apply directly to the company's own site rather than monster. As you mention, your resume is more likely to get lost in the crowd on one of those big sites...

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Buzzbee

Thanks for the response, Desnudo. I appreciate it.

I am applying directly on the company's website. Of course, that breeds another question.

If a company lists a position on Monster, Career Builder, etc. does it make any difference if you apply through Monster or directly on their site? Are they more likely to notice an application on their site vs. the multitudes they may get from Monster?

I would apply directly through their site if it's an option. I see Monster as a middle-man, so obviously if you can eliminate a step in the process, it's good. I've found Monster is better for getting employers to call you based on a search from an uploaded resume than it is for actually getting responses from my own submissions.