Resume Writer Matthew Greene, M.Phil.

In 2012, do you fax your resume to employers without giving it a second thought?   Well, it's the WORST way of introducing yourself to a critical reader!   In today's recession, it will usually be FATAL.

Nowadays, employers receive a daily avalanche of hundreds of unwanted resumes. Faxed resumes are treated as JUNK MAIL!

Even on plain paper, faxed resumes look awful and are awkward to handle.    Whenever possible, try to AVOID sending yours by fax.

The awful truth is that faxed resumes are SCREENED OUT THREE TIMES AS FAST as those that arrive in the mail!   A recruiter who spends 10-15 seconds in scanning a mailed or emailed resume, will only have 5 SECONDS of patience with a faxed one.    This explains why more than 95% of faxed resumes end up in FILE C –the circular file!  

In order to fax it to a recruiter quickly, you will RUIN your first impression — the laser printing and high quality resume paper you should always use.

SO, WHAT'S THE RUSH? Speed is only necessary for junior-level vacancies which can be filled almost immediately.   For most other positions, the hiring process takes from one to six weeks!

Instead of a "suicidal" fax, email it as an attachment or hand-deliver your resume or "snail mail" it in a 9" x 12" envelope so that it arrives UNFOLDED.

If you must fax your resume, there's a lot you can do to improve your chances and avoid being trashed:

Since you need to impress the reader of a faxed resume in 5 seconds or less, the first 10-15 lines of your resume are crucial — mainly the JOB OBJECTIVE and SUMMARY sections.   These should "sell" your track record, accomplishments, skills and abilities.

In a faxed resume, bulleted "SELLING POINTS" are better than long, run-on sentences or gray paragraphs that tend to look like mashed potatoes.

Anything important should jump out at the reader.    ATTENTION-GETTERS such as borders, bullets, bolds and underlines are also more important in a faxed resume.