Pongo Resume

It's relatively easy to avoid the most obvious resume mistakes (typos and such) but there's one resume mistake even the savviest of job seekers often make. It's so obvious once you think about it, yet so easily overlooked amid all the other things you're proofing and verifying and remembering as you submit your application. It's a small, simple thing, but it can either support or detract from the first impression you're making on a prospective employer.

I'm talking about the filename you give your resume before you email it.

Think about it. Have you been sending attachments that are clear, professional and show your attention to detail, such as "MaryJones-MarketingAssistant.doc"?

Or have you been sending attachments with names like "Res14.doc," which gives an impression of "Ho-hum, here we go again for the 14th time."

This topic came up when I was having dinner the other night with friends. They were talking about a recent group of job candidates they had interviewed for an open position at their company. My friend Kate said a majority of job candidates who submit their resumes and cover letters by email don't seem to realize that the hiring manager will see the filenames of the attached documents.

Never submit your resume as an email attachment with a filename containing any of the following:

• Another company's name (e.g., J.Doe-Consultant-ABC Company.doc —but it's being submitted to DEF Company)
• Old dates (e.g., Jen'sResumeSept06.doc)
• Typos (e.g., B.Jones-AdministraticeSuperviser.doc)
• Names that are just for you (e.g., ManufacturingResume.doc)

But perhaps the most common resume-naming faux pas is simply titling it "Resume.doc," or "MyResume.doc," which makes it next to impossible for the hiring manager to distinguish that resume from any other without opening the document.

Next time you customize your resume for a particular job opening, be sure you give it a meaningful, professional name that makes it easy for the hiring manager to identify in the future.

As a rule of thumb, it's helpful to use a formula, such as lastname_firstname followed by the position you're applying for (either by title or reference number). 

Acceptable examples include:

• Baxter_Kim_Sales_Manager.doc
• Baxter_Kim_JobRef_345678.doc
• Cooper, James, Sales Associate.doc
• Taylor - PR Director.doc
• Resume-L.Delgado.RadiologyTech.Clark Hosp.doc

It may also help to indicate whether the document is a resume or a cover letter, if you're sending them as separate documents (e.g., Smith_J_Machinist_Res.doc and Smith_J_Machinist_CL.doc).

Details are important. Make sure your resume - and cover letter - have names that identify you and contribute to a great first impression.

Did this mistake surprise you? Hiring managers or job seekers, have you encountered or committed this (or similar) resume faux pas? Let us know in the Comments section!

I have seen some great resume names but most folks simply name it resume.doc as you mention and it gets lost in our system.

I wanted to point out that people also forget to change their answering machine messages. "Yo Yo Yo, I will get back to ya when we are done at the watering hole" does not meet the professional standards that an employer is looking for. Make sure to adjust your personal voice mail message as well to be simple and professional. Also, make sure you answer the phone and not some family member who will embarass you. And note that I said personal voice mail. Do not give out your business #.

Marilyn, You're so right! Your voice mail messages (cell and land line), and the people who are likely to answer your phone (kids, roommates, significant others) all contribute to the overall impression an employer gets!

And giving out a business phone or e-mail is like telling your future employers, "I will use your company resources for conducting my personal business!"

Thanks for pointing these out! --Julie

I had never even thought of this before but it makes so much sense! I have always saved mine as resume.doc and haven't ever thought twice. Good info!

Even I as a fellow CPRW have never thought to mention this to my clients. I will start now.

Good thinkin', Julie!

Donna Tucker, CPRW Phoenix, Arizona

Hey Casie and Donna, thanks for the compliments!

Truth is, I had never really thought about it either! That's why the light bulb went on over my head when my friend mentioned it. Being a forgetful sort, I actually made her e-mail the idea to me from her Blackberry while we were in the restaurant. :)

--Julie

Thank you for the advise. Although I would never send a proposal to a potential Client without a proper title, I never thought how important this is for sending a potential Employeer a document with a proper title.

I'm working on a very important cover letter for a particular job I'd really like. This will be one more thing that may give me an advantage.

Again, thank you.

Thank you for that useful tidbit. I always wondered if hiring managers actually looked at the file name. That makes it all the more important when that is how the resume is being tracked. It's too easy to get lost in the shuffle as it is.

I was stunned to read this article because I had made the same mistake by naming my resume....myresume.doc. duh! Never even dawned on me that could be a problem. Have been a job search mode for 8 months without success. I hope this helps land some interviews at last.

Glad you found the information helpful, Donna, John, and Guy!

Good luck -- Hang in there with the job search!

Julie

Never thought about the answering machine do some business from home employer probably shoud not hear ___ Graphology. or -____ Hypnosis Associates along with name & leave message message

I used to send my resume and cover letter as an attachment, but after reading something about hiring personnel having very little time and fear of viruses etc., that it would be perhaps better to create a text version of your resume (instructions are in another part of this blog), then paste it into the BODY of the email, rather than add an attachment. This saves the receiver of the email time and eliminates the problem of document names. Your cover letter can be at the top of the email, just prep it as text, paste, and make a dividing line between the letter and resume:

"cover letter"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"resume"

at the bottom of the resume put:

END

to indicate the end of the email

For the subject line you can do something like this: JOB TITLE/COMPETITION NO. - WHERE YOU SAW THE ADVERTISEMENT, DATE - YOUR NAME

EG: Accountant, Competition #583857 - Monster.com - Lee Jones

I do not agree with the comments regarding not leaving one's business phone number with a potential employer. Since I use my personal cell phone and my laptop for a good deal of business related to my current employer, I think it is quite reasonable to give a business number to potential employers, if that is the most efficient way for them to contact you. With the blur of boundaries between home and work, I would not sweat spending some time (discreetly) during official "work" hours speaking to a potential employer, because, again, I certainly spend a lot of my "personal" time doing work for my employer.

I left my business phone number with a potential employer, once, years ago. Needless to say, I was not employed there much longer, after that.

@Amy

Your scenario might be an exception, but as a general rule of thumb, it's bad form to use resources your current employer is paying for in order to secure employment elsewhere. It's kind of like using your significant other's cellphone to line up a date with someone new on the side :)

@ Linda I rest my case ;)

Thanks to both of you for commenting!

Julie