I hear this all the time from career coaching clients, “I submitted my resume online and when I copied and pasted it to the form, the formatting was completely lost and it looked like junk.” I know what this is like. This has happened to me before too, and it can drive you nuts!
You need to realize that employers knows this happens. I imagine they give some leeway when it comes to formatting when you have submitted your resume online. It still can be frustrating. You want to get noticed and be seen as someone who’s on the ball and savvy in their job search. Here are two ways to overcome this obstacle:
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Create a PDF version of your resume and attach that, or email it if possible. You can find free PDF translators online if you don’t have the software on your computer.
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Create a notepad version of your resume. Notepad (on PC’s, I’m sure there’s a version for MAC as well) removes all formatting in a document. So if you have a notepad version of your resume on file, you can copy and paste that instead and it will look the same when you insert into the online job boards.
Remember that every little thing you do to make an impression counts in your job search. Good luck!
