Have you ever heard of ASCII (As-kee) Resumes? Judging from the sound of it, ASCII resume may be a trick that companies ask applicants to do so that 95% of them will be eliminated, presto! However, it’s not the case, some employers really prefer this plain text resume format. However, before you search for an ASCII resume sample, did you know you could also get tips from it on how to improve your own resume? Discover them here!
Tips on How to Write an ASCII Resume
What is a plain text resume format? It’s when you remove all the fuss and other details and just come up with the essentials needed in your resume. Do you want to know how to write one? Before copying any ASCII resume sample, try to do these tips first!
- Write your resume first in MS Word, however, don’t use bullets or the tab key, as it won’t work for a plain text resume. Make sure to spell-check. Spelling mistakes can affect what employers think of you through your resume.
- Once done, you can now copy and paste your work in Notepad.
- Divide your ASCII resume using special characters since you cannot use bullets, dividers, and borders. Instead, take advantage of some symbols like ‘+’, ‘_’ and ‘*’. So don’t fret for not having to use your favorite bullets and be thankful instead that you can still use some overlooked characters.
- This format is automatically left-aligned, so when you need to indent, use the spacebar.
- All caps are good for emphasis, but only use them for highly important details like your name and the name of the section.
- Go to Format menu and click Word Wrap. Set the margins at 0 and 65. Then, put a line break by punching enter every after 65 characters or less. In that way, you won’t have to deal with an odd-looking layout and know exactly how your document will look like in print.
Lessons You Can Learn from an ASCII Resume Sample
It’s not every time that an ASCII resume is needed. However, there are reasons why employers prefer a plain text resume. Check out some lessons you can still apply even to your hi-tech resume!
1. Simplify Your Resume.
An ASCII Resume is an electronic format of resume that does not contain any designs. When you use this format, it assumes a simple and clear resume version possible. Hence, when you examine an ASCII resume sample, bear in mind that ASCIIÂ is a plain text language. Consider the way the texts are written.
Remember, as an ASCII resume sample does away with the frills, you must also learn how to simplify your resume. When you do this, your resume would not distract future employers with the layout. When you know how to make a plain text resume, you increase your chances to be chosen among other applicants without being influenced by designs.
2. Hit the Target Precisely.
Companies today receive many resumes when they have job openings. To aid them in selecting exactly what they are looking for, they enlist the help of applicant tracking systems (ATS). ATS parse resumes based on selected words in a resume. Having your resume in ASCII file allows the resume bots to look in your resume to check whether you’re a perfect fit to what they need.
Since the aim of the ASCII resume format is to simplify the layout to make people focus more on the content, you must choose words that would keep the hiring managers interested. What better words to attract them but by using the exact terms they are looking for? Check the job description for your wealth of keywords, and thus increase your chances. This way, you can tailor your resume based on what they expect from an applicant.
Don’t worry much if your resume looks plain. Just keep your copy coherent and organized as much as borders can do. Try using characters seen only in your keyboard. You will never run out of resources once you know them well. You could also check other ASCII resume samples to get ideas on how you can make your resume readable.
3. Strive for Transparency.
What should you first see when you read a resume? The name of the applicant. Hence, in most resumes, the name appears first than all other texts. This is done in order to focus the hiring managers on who they will hire, and not be confused with other applicants. You might also notice that some ASCII resume samples make the name of the applicant bigger than other texts, as a way to highlight to whom does the resume belongs. So when you write your name in ASCII, don’t forget to make your name more prominent.
But did you know there are other things you need to be transparent about in your resume? Your ASCII resume can highlight your skills, achievements, and strengths shine, without being hindered by designs. You can list your feats using a hyphen, then your skills with an asterisk. This way, they can view whether you have the set of skills they need for the job. You may classify them as job-related or transferrable, but what’s important is to choose which skills must fit the job you’re applying. Quantify them as much as possible, for this gives hiring managers a base point of your skills. This is also a way to present yourself as transparent as possible through your resume.
Now that you have more reasons to look for an ASCII resume sample, would you like to improve your resume further? Visit our resume examples, or better yet, enlist the help of our professional resume writers. No matter what format, we’ll make sure you get what you need.
Resources: medium.com| chr.ucla.edu| dummies.com| linkedin.com
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