The six guidelines that should be followed when creating an electronic version of a résumé are:
- Tailor content to the specific job or industry, ensuring relevancy and alignment with job requirements.
- Use a professional and simple layout, avoiding complex formatting such as columns, graphics, and special characters.
- Include relevant keywords from the job description to optimize for applicant tracking systems (ATS).
- Choose fonts that are simple and compatible with ATS software, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier, with a font size between 10 and 15.
- Remove unnecessary formatting like bold, italics, underlines, images, and colors, using capitalization instead of bold for section headings.
- Save the résumé in a plain text format or formats accepted by employers while maintaining clear structure and readability.
These guidelines help ensure that the electronic résumé is readable by ATS software and presents qualifications clearly to hiring managers.