How should I format an e-mailed resume?

Q: When you reply via e-mail to a job ad, what is the preferred format for a cover letter and a resume? A nicely designed document, or plain text? Many companies don't specify.

NICK'S REPLY: Some companies use resume scanning equipment, so call the company and ask exactly what format the machine prefers. That is, if you really want to compete for a machine's attention.

What matters to me is whether your resume demonstrates an ability to do the job and to add profit to the company's bottom line. To a smart employer (where a human being is doing the reading), formatting doesn't matter if the information is valuable. You could put it in the body of an e-mail, in an attachment or on a piece of paper.

Here's what matters most to me when I receive a resume:

1. Is the sender someone I know? If not, it gets deleted. I have no time to waste with people who have not taken the trouble to track me down and talk with me. That's not to say I accept unsolicited phone calls. The people I'm most likely to talk with have been referred to me by other people I know and trust. My advice to job hunters: Don't send a resume to someone you don't know who doesn't know you. Make personal contact first. Get introduced.

2. Is the information useful? If your e-mail is a tedious, empty pitch about how available you are, I won't spend any time on it. Why? Because I don't have time to figure out what to do with you. Nor do most employers. You have to explain it to us quickly and clearly. My advice: Tell exactly how you will help improve business. A very helpful book is Milo Frank's "How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less". Be ready to discuss the work I need done and exactly how you'll do it.

In general, a resume by itself is a dumb piece of paper (or e-mail) no matter how it's formatted. It cannot represent you or defend you. What matters most is a meaningful, personal introduction.

THE HEADHUNTER TIP:

Do what you say you're going to do.

Poor behavior costs people time, money and, most of all, their reputations

Avoid conduct like this:

-- Employers who "bait and switch," soliciting candidates for one job but interviewing them for less desirable jobs.

-- Candidates who don't show up for interviews, don't call, don't care.

-- Employers who want to hire you one day, but won't return your calls the next.

-- Candidates who beg for more time to consider a job offer, then ignore the new deadline.

-- Employers who hire you for one job, then assign you to another.

-- Candidates who accept a job, then change their minds.

We all make mistakes, but nothing excuses anyone from wasting another's time or showing disrespect. Your word counts.

Whether you're a job candidate, an employer or a headhunter, you'll ruin your reputation if you don't do what you say you're going to do.

Copyright 2008. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.