Creating a Digital Resume: Tips & Best Practices from Legal Professionals

SUMMARY

Job-seekers today must know how to develop an electronic resume if they want to stand out in the job market. An electronic resume, also known as a digital or e-resume, is an online curriculum vitae or CV designed to showcase a job-seeker's skills. It is often used to supplement a traditional, paper-based resume. Developing an effective electronic resume begins with an understanding of the various techniques that can be used to make an impact with potential employers.


When creating an electronic resume, job-seekers should keep in mind that their digital CV should be tailored to their target job or industry. This means focusing on the relevant skills and experiences they offer to the employer.

The job-seeker should make sure to include a professional biography section that outlines the job-seeker's achievements and qualifications. A comprehensive biography should include key information such as educational background, job titles, employers, and areas of expertise. This section should focus on the key skills and experiences the job-seeker has that are relevant to the target job.

Job-seekers should also include an objective statement that outlines the job-seeker's goals and what they can bring to the employer. This should include a clear description of the job-seeker's professional interests and qualifications.

The job-seeker should also include a portfolio of skills and experiences. This section should showcase the job-seeker's relevant skills and experiences in the field, as well as provide examples of the job-seeker's work. Examples may include web design, graphic design, writing, or other relevant skills.

Job-seekers should also take advantage of social media to promote their electronic resume. Social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook can be used to showcase a job-seeker's skills and experiences to potential employers. Posting relevant content and engaging with industry professionals can help to create a positive impression of the job-seeker.

Finally, job-seekers should always create an attractive and easy-to-read layout for their electronic resume. Appealing fonts, headings, and whitespace should be used to draw attention to the content of the electronic resume. Using a template is often necessary to ensure that the electronic resume looks professional and presents the job-seeker's skills and experiences in the best possible light.

Creating an effective electronic resume is essential for job-seekers who want to stand out in the job market. By understanding the various techniques and tools involved in creating an electronic resume, job-seekers can ensure that their digital CV is tailored to their target job or industry, includes a professional biography and objective statement, showcases their relevant skills and experiences, takes advantage of social media, and presents a well-organized and attractive layout.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS ARTICLE

 

The Changing Landscape of Job Search

In today's job market, the old methods of job search that used to be so reliable and consistent are slowly becoming obsolete. Traditional paper resumes and networking through friends and family are still useful and relevant, but the rise of the internet has created a new way for job seekers to find opportunities electronic resumes.
 

The Benefits of Electronic Resumes

Creating an electronic resume gives job seekers the upper hand when it comes to finding the perfect job. It allows them to pinpoint what they are looking for, quickly search and apply for jobs, and be found by recruiters who are actively looking for the right fit.

With the help of software, job seekers can quickly and easily create a comprehensive electronic resume that highlights their skills and experience. The format of the electronic resume is more flexible than a paper resume, allowing job seekers to include more information and customize it to fit their needs.

 

How to Create an Electronic Resume

Creating an electronic resume can be a time-consuming process, but it is well worth the effort. The main goal when creating an electronic resume should be to make it attractive and informative.

The first step is to create an outline of the resume. This will help to structure the resume and make it easier to read. The second step is to gather any relevant information that will be included in the resume, such as job experience, education, skills, and awards. The third step is to enter the information into a template or software program that will help to create the electronic resume. This is the most time-consuming step, as it requires formatting and creating the content. Once the resume is complete, it can be saved and sent to potential employers.

 

Tips for Developing an Electronic Resume

When developing an electronic resume, it is important to make sure that the resume is easy to read and contains all of the necessary information. Here are some tips to help make sure that the electronic resume is up to par:

 

• Make sure to include key information such as job experience, references, certifications, and education.


• Format the resume in an easy-to-read format and make sure the information is relevant.


• Use keywords that are related to the industry or the job position.


• Proofread the resume for any errors or typos.


• Make sure the resume is optimized for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).


 

 

 

Ways to Enhance Your Electronic Resume

 

Once the electronic resume is created, there are a few ways to make it stand out from the competition. By adding graphics, video, and audio clips such as podcasts to the resume, job seekers can demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a more dynamic way. Additionally, including links to social media profiles, portfolios, and websites can give employers a more holistic view of the job seeker. Finally, potential employers may appreciate it if there are keywords scattered throughout the resume that relate to the position they are looking for. This will help recruiters quickly find the information they need.

Many law firms are technologically conservative and not at all savvy in the electronic processing of their documents. They prefer to receive paper resumes for law school recruiting or for screening of lateral moves. But sooner or later in a job search, a potential employer or recruiter will ask you to e-mail your resume. Or it might be that an ad in a legal newspaper will instruct: "Apply by e-mail and send your resume as a Word attachment." What do you do?

First of all, you don't need a completely different resume for e-mailing. With a few slight variations, the same text can be used for the three most common formats for transmitting resumes:

A Paper Resume

Sometimes labeled "hard copy," with arresting typefaces and bulleted descriptions of accomplishments. This is the resume, still widely used, that you have traditionally mailed with your cover letter. When required, you can also fax your paper resume as an answer to an advertisement.

A Scannable Version

This form of electronic processing does not yet seem to be widely used by law firms, but resume scanning is employed by the human resource departments of major corporations to manage large numbers of incoming paper resumes. Clue: The ad tells you to direct your resume to "Data Processing."

The company scanner creates an electronic image, or text file, of the resume that it then stores for later retrieval and review in a databank. This scannable resume is developed from your ordinary word-processed resume, but created with simple typefaces, such as the kind of typefaces used in this book - Times New Roman, Ariel, Helvetica, Univers - but without italics, horizontal lines, or underlined words. Note also that words used for section headings (e.g. Education, Bar Admissions) in the scannable resume are emphasized by capitalization, rather than written in bold type.

An Electronic Resume

Your resume can also be sent electronically either as an attachment file to your e-mail message that the addressee opens upon receipt or as plain text pasted onto the e-mail message itself. Both methods are widely used to submit resumes to either recruiters or in answering advertisements.

As An Attachment File. If you've created your resume using standard word processing software, say WordPerfect or Microsoft Word 98/2000, after composing your e-mail message, you hit "Browse" to find your resume file, then click the "Attach" button and then "Send" and your resume goes out as a file with your covering message. If sent in Word and received as a Word document, formatting and fonts should appear very much as they do in a "hard copy" format. For example, Bradford Bunting's corporate resume, when sent as an attachment and "read" in Word 98, came through exactly as printed on page 60.

Be aware of two downsides to attachments. Sometimes attachments are not sent in Word or a compatible format and the attached file is garbled when opened. This file can usually be read by some other application already in the computer, but the process is time-consuming, inconvenient, and infuriating. A more serious problem with attachments is that some employers, concerned about viruses, have firewalled their systems against all attachments to protect the integrity of their emails. As a result, the phrase "No Attachments Please" seems to be appearing more and more in corporate advertisements. Read the advertisement carefully or ask the person requesting your resume what e-mail format to use when forwarding the resume.

As Plain Text. You convert your resume to an ASCII ("ASK-key") or plain-text format that is then pasted directly on to the bottom of your e-mail message.

To send your resume as part of the e-mail message for Word 98/2000, just follow these steps:

1. Open your resume. Choose: File > Save As > Save As Type; Choose: Text Only. You'll probably get a message saying that the document "may contain features that are not compatible with Text Only format. Do you want to save the document in this format?" Select: Yes

2. A Text Only form of your resume will come up on the screen. Select the resume, then Choose: Edit > Copy. Then go to your E-mail text, position your cursor after your message and Choose: Edit > Paste. If your resume contained bullets, they will be changed into asterisks. Check your heading to make sure the name, address and phone and e-mails are in the proper order, and make sure the Section headings are printed in capital letters for emphasis.

See 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms for more information.


To test the appearance of your plain-text resume, it's easy to open up another e-mail address, say in HotMail, and send yourself your resume at your usual e-mail address.

Note the Plain-Text Resume [at the End of This Section]

The original hard copy version of Tamika Greene's resume ... was converted into ASCII, or Text Only format, pasted onto an e-mail and the resume appeared as it does on the next page. Other than dropping the horizontal line below the letterhead and looking as if it had been typed on an old Remington typewriter, in 10-point New Courier typeface, the resume required no changes or edits. Substituting either a series of asterisks or dashes can approximate the effect of the horizontal line in the original.

Resources

The Internet contains many additional resources to answer questions and assist you in creating your electronic resume. Some of the best:

www.eresumes.com This is Rebecca Smith's site, "eResumes 101," and it is a comprehensive source containing several pages of excellent technical information about e-mail resume design and formats, including Keyword resumes, Web resumes, HTML resumes, and so on.

www.dbm.com/jobguide Margaret Riley Dikel, author of "The Riley Guide" to web career research information, has several pages at the Drake Beam Morin corporate site with good, common-sense advice about web resume design and, especially, the process of web posting.

www.monster.com Kim Isaacs has an excellent article here on converting a resume to ASCII format. Select: Career Center > General Resources > Resumes.


TAMIKA GREENE

436 West 76th Street, New York, N. Y. 10023 (212) 123-4567

EDUCATION

Fordham University School of Law, New York, N.Y.
Juris Doctor (cum laude), 2002

American University, Washington, D.C.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (magna cum laude), 1997
Washington Post Scholar, National Foundation For The Arts Award

EXPERIENCE

Justice Milton Migrano, Appellate Division of New York, 2nd Department
Law Clerk, 2002 - Present

Electronic legal research using Westlaw and LEXIS-NEXIS.
Prepared written memoranda and oversaw statistical reporting, document review and file management.

Peace Corps, Republic of Ghana
Volunteer, 1997 - 1999

Teacher of art in small village school; community organizer.
Facilitated various agricultural development projects.

American University, Fine Arts Department
Student Research Assistant, 1995 - 1996

Prepared bibliographies, catalogues, overheads and other classroom materials. Using PowerPoint software, created several presentations for History of Architecture courses.

ADMISSIONS

United States District Court, E.D.N.Y., 2003
New York State Bar, Second Department, 2002

AFFILIATIONS

Bar Association, City of New York
American Red Cross - CPR Instructor