Scanner-Friendly Resumes

To prepare your resume for scanning:

• Use white or light-colored 8-1/2 x 11 paper, printed on one side only.
• Provide an original or high quality photocopy.
• Don't fold or staple your document.
• Use a sans-serif typeface such as Helvetica or Arial.
• Use a font size of 10 to 14 points.
• Don't condense spacing so much that characters touch each other.
• Limit the use of Italics and underlining.
• Avoid vertical lines, graphics, and boxes.
• Avoid multi-column formats.
• Use plenty of white space between groups of information.

To maximize keyword "hits" for your resume:

• Be sure to use key words. These can be placed in a keyword list but it's better to use them within the document text itself.
• Use specific words (especially nouns) rather than vague descriptions.
• Use jargon and acronyms specific to your industry.