Once you have converted your (Word, Word Perfect, etc.) word processed resume into an ASCII version, your ASCII resume can be modified and improved for readability and to add emphasis to important sections of your resume.

The Basic Rules of ASCII Text:

1. Your "tools" are now the keys on your keyboard -- just the basic alphabet (both upper and lower case, of course), the symbols above the numbers on the top row of your keyboard, the various punctuation marks, and the spacebar. Exception: the Tab key -- don't use it for ASCII text because it is not reliable.
   
   
2. Centering doesn't work because it is not easy to do reliably with the space bar. Remember you can't use the Tab key for ASCII. In addition, your readers' computers may use a different font face and size to display your resume so you don't really know how it will look, even using the space bar. Just keep everything left justified. It will look better, more consistently, than any other attempted alignment.
   
   
3. Bold and italicized text is not possible with ASCII text. You can still add emphasis (see "Dressing Up" ASCII Text below) to text, but you'll need to be more creative.
   
   
4. Underlined text is not possible. You can get a somewhat similar effect using the hyphen key (see the Sample ASCII resume, and the "Dressing Up" ASCII Text information below)
   
   
5. Symbols (e.g. the asterisk) must be used to replace bullets. The asterisk sign works pretty well though, as you will see.
   
   
6. Limit line length to a maximum of 60 characters so that it doesn't wrap from one line to another inappropriately.
   
   

• Break up the big blocks of text (or the jumble) back into coherent sections.
  
  
  • Use all capitals for emphasis, like "EXPERIENCE" at the top of that section of your resume.
    
    
  • Within reason, you can use the dash key to add underlining, with the equal sign adding extra emphasis, for example --
    ========================<< a line of equal signs
    Personal Resume of M. J. Smith
    ========================<< a line of equal signs
    
    EXPERIENCE:
    --------------------- << a line of hyphens
    
    
  • Include extra blank lines to draw attention to the different parts of your resume (like we are doing on this page).
    
    

• Eliminate the "left-overs" from your print resume (for example, the page numbers and page headings, if you have any).
  

• Indent sections of text from the left margin to draw additional attention to the separate parts of your resume.
  
  Use the Space Bar, NOT the Tab key, for indenting text.

  • Add extras spaces to set off important parts of your resume, for example --
    1989 to 1992       Consultant
    1992 to 1995       Senior Consultant
    1995 to 1998       Manager
    
    
• Use the asterisk key (the * symbol, above the number 8 on your keyboard) to give the effect of bullets in a section of text. If you have more than one "layer" of bullets, change the symbol to a dash or period to help differentiate the levels of bulleting. For example --
  
  *   Developed a call-back/reminder process that improved
      accounts receivable performance by 40% over six
      months:
      -   Kept a list of all accounts that paid 30 days late
          more than once
      -   Called those accounts 10 business days BEFORE
          payment due date to ask if the invoice had
          been received.
      -   Called those accounts 5 business days AFTER
          payment due date to ask if the payment had
          been mailed, unless payment was received.
  
  Don't forget to use the Space Bar here for the indenting!
  
  
• Keep the maximum line length of 60 characters (or less) in mind, too, or your ASCII resume will look REALLY ugly when someone receives it.
  

  The brute-force method of limiting line length is low tech, but effective. Type a row of 60 X's into your document, and use that row as a "ruler" for determining where to hit the "Enter" or "Return" key. You can cut-and-paste it into your resume as you edit. Just check before you send your resume to be sure that the rows of X's have been removed from the final version.

Be sure to read Protecting Your Privacy and Choosing a Job Site for more information.

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About the author...

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff "graduate" who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.

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