eCV helpful hints

The e-cv or e-resume, short for electronic CV or Resume, is a vital tool for today's job-seeker.

But what exactly is an electronic cv or resume? Whilst opinions vary about what is or is not an electronic cv, it's a broadly used term that covers several types of cv's. What ties these cv types together is mode of delivery. Rather than traditional modes of cv delivery - snail-mail, faxing, and hand-delivery - e-cv's are delivered electronically -- via e-mail, submitted to Internet job boards, or residing on their own Web page. Then there are sort of middle-tech cousins of e-cv's, scannable cv's - used less and less frequently these days - that are in print format but are ready to become electronic cv's through optical scanning.

• 1. You absolutely MUST have one.
• 2. Your e-cv must be loaded with keywords.
• 3. Your e-cv must be achievements-driven .
• 4. An e-cv is not too difficult to create.
• 5. Text-based e-cv's are pretty ugly, but you can dress them up a bit.
• 6. E-Cv's are highly versatile.
• 7. You must tailor the use of your e-cv to each employer's or job board's instructions.
• 8. Take advantage of job-board features to protect yourself and get the most out of posting your e-cv on the boards.
• 9. A few finishing touches can increase your e-cv's effectiveness.
• 10. Use your common sense

9. A few finishing touches can increase your e-cv's effectiveness.

Use the "Properties" feature in MS Word to boost the keyword searchability of your attached Word cv. This feature, found under Word's File menu, enables you to insert keywords, comments, and a link to your Web-based cv if you have one. You can use the "Comments" field to enter geographic and relocation preferences.
A similar trick applies to using HTML commands called meta tags in creating a Web-based cv. The "description" command, for example, gives you up to 150 characters to provide a description of your document. Make sure you use words that highlight your experience and skills. The "keywords" command gives you limited space to enter critical keywords. Be sure to use keywords that you think employers and recruiters might use in searching for the position you are seeking -- and make sure those keywords are also listed at least once (perhaps in a "key achievements" section) in your cv.
Do some test runs of the formatted print cv you intend to send to employers as an attachment by sending it to the computers of a few friends to see if the formatting is consistent from computer to computer. Try to find testers who each have different versions of Windows (95, 98, 2000, XP), as well as a tester or two using Mac OS.
It's best to include your cover letter in the body of your e-mail rather than as an additional attachment because some systems can't handle multiple attachments
Use a specific subject line in your e-mail when transmitting your e-cv. The subject line might include the reference number for the job, your name, the name of the position, and a concise keyword-oriented selling point about you.