New Tactics
-Kevin Franks

As recruiters we seem to see it all. Job Seekers and Clients will do some pretty innovative things just to get themselves or there jobs noticed. One constant question we get is what can I do to improve my odds of getting selected. Just recently I noticed a candidate for a position sending a link to a web page that contained his resume instead of an attaching it to an email. His logic was that even though Word or Acrobat documents are a de facto standard not everyone can read them. Not only that, he added but many company's firewalls intercept all email attachments. So while you are wondering if you are in line to be interviewed. The hiring manager may be looking at an empty email wondering "what's is (or was) this?" 

Just this week my manager brought me another example. In a crisp catalog sized envelope containing a great resume, clean, flat (no folds), typed in a good font for scanning. I thought, "This is perfect". When I do get a "snail-mailed" resume this is how they should come. Alas! Not only did the candidate do all those steps correctly but he also went the distance and included a diskette containing an original copy of the resume file. As a result the candidate got noticed and furthermore got himself into the potential hiring process quicker. Obviously this method, as well as the website can be an effort (and expense) beyond some of our means. The key is to realize that we (the industry) is in the midst of change. Rules are made and dropped and made again on a daily basis. If you are mailing a resume, do it the right way. If you are emailing, make sure it gets there and do it in a format that can likely be read. Stick to the rules of being brief and simple even if it's online (where space and eye candy are easy to add). Unless your creativity is what you are selling keep it strictly business. The resume is used to try and get an interview; that is it's entire function. Point of advice; save some of your best stuff for the interview(s).

Keep in mind that resumes don't get hired, people do. Spending too much time building the perfect resume is simply avoiding the issue of getting a job. That said, taking that extra effort on a resume will nearly always reflect positively on you.