subject: Business Cover Letters [print this page] Business Cover Letters Business Cover Letters
If you're intending to submit your CV embedded into an e-mail then you'll need to know the following rules, because many companies computer systems will automatically convert the e-mail message into plain text (ASCII), and during this conversion many CVs are left messy and takes too much time to sort out, that the employer doesn't take the time and the CV goes in the bin.
So if you're submitting your CV by e-mail, make sure you consider the following:
Font Conversion: Bullet points and special characters other than the basic symbols will often convert into strange characters. The chances are your CV will turn into a messy and unpredictable read, so try using a hyphen and a space '-' to create your own bullet points.
Display: Tabs spacing, formatting and paragraph lining will usually be lost in conversion into plain text. When creating your CV within an email it is a good idea to start each paragraph on the far left of the page, with a standard margin and without any indent, that way when converted to plain text the main body of the text will not produce a messy result. If you need to break up a line with information, such as where you studied at university then break it up with tabs and hyphens which should be retained during the conversion.
Paragraphs: In most instances paragraphs spacing will be retained, but the text wrapping (the point at which the line is automatically returned to the next line) wil vary depending on the receiver's settings. It may be worth including forced returns at the end of each line if appropriate.
Headers, Footers and Text Boxes: When your CV is converted into plain text, it is likely that the information in the Header, Footer or any Text boxes you have created will be lost entirely, or fitted into your CV at any point. It is best to avoid creating Text Boxes, and manually enter the information yourself. In conclusion, you want your CV to look good both as a formatted version, and if your CV is converted into plain text, then you also want it to retain the information in a readable and understandable way.
The best way to do this is to make your CV as well laid out as possible, but creating as little formatting as possible... alternatively send a pdf as an attachment where you can format it exactly as you like!
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