What is Resume Scanning

Article on frequently asked resume question "What is Resume Scanning"

One aspect of the application process that you may be unaware of-as many of us are-is the part of the potential resume scanning that your resume may encounter. While not used by every company that you may apply to; resume scanning is used by the largest of companies around, and is still a common means of processing your career history into a digestible and universal format for certain employers to review your experience and qualifications.

What exactly is resume scanning you may wonder? Resume scanning is a means that many of the largest Fortune 500 companies use to process a lot of resumes into one format for easy review. In this day and age-though not as common as previous years-it is common that hiring companies would receive a number of applicants resumes by mail and also by email. It is their goal to make all resumes readable in the same format-electronically. This said, many prospective employers scan the resumes they receive in the mail from hard or paper copy, to electronic form. They scan copies of the resumes into their computer systems, so that there is one reference for hiring candidates.

While this means of assimilation of resumes may seem like a coherent and positive way to adapt all resumes into one form into one database; it can offer some problems, as all scanning is done automatically, and is not always error-free in its transmission. This is why many companies do not use resume scanning, as it can easily interfere with a person’s candidacy for a particular job position through format and any other administrative errors.

If you are applying to a particular job and are planning on sending your resume through the mail, it might behoove you to email your credentials and materials to ensure none of these kinds of problems would affect your resume. If you still choose to send in your materials, it is wise to inquire first of the human resources department or hiring team, if they-indeed-scan their resumes; and what their overall process is for the acceptance, screening, and review of resumes sent to them.