HTML Resume PrimerMake Your Resume Come Alive Online

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It's a simple computer language that is used almost exclusively for the Internet. The language uses "tags" to assign colors, pictures, text, and formatting for your browser. In fact, if you click "View" on the top navigation bar of your browser and choose "Source" (in Netscape, choose "Page Source") from the drop-down menu, a Notepad file will open up containing all the HTML code for this page. The Notepad file begins with many lines of "invisible code" that we use but do not display to unauthorized users -- do a "Search" for "HTML Resume Primer" on the Notepad file and your cursor will be taken to the beginning of the body text. There, you will see this page is formatted in HTML using a "<" as the start and a ">" at the end for each tag. A "/" is used to end a format. Take a look at the following examples of basic HTML tags:

The Basics
If You Type This in HTML It Will Look Like This
Joe Bloggs Joe Bloggs


Joe Bloggs Joe Bloggs
Joe Bloggs Joe Bloggs
Joe Bloggs Joe Bloggs



That's not too difficult, right? (We told you so.) Here are a few more important HTML tags to know to make the most of your online HTML resume:


your namewill center the text (your name in this case).


will right-justify the text in the tag.



will add a line break. You need this to separate the text in your resume.

---

will add a horizontal line across the screen. This is a nice feature if you want to divide the sections on your resume.


Joe Bloggs will increase the size of the text in the tag. You can also make the font size larger (2, 3, etc.) to make it even bigger or smaller (-1, -2, etc.) to make it smaller.


Two additional tags are important to know for creating a successful HTML resume:


Type at the start of the file, and put at the very end. This tells the web browser that it's looking at an HTML file.


When you're ready for the text of the resume, type , and type when you're done.


Okay, so now you know the basics. Already you know more than 99% of the web-surfing public. But before you get too cocky, there are a few more HTML tags that can really enhance your online presence. And before you get too attached to the way anything looks on your screen, consider which browser you are using to view the page.

HTML Headings

There is a neat feature with HTML programming called META tags, which can help your resume get noticed. These specialized tags allow you to put text in the file that won't actually be visible in the real resume. Why would you want this? A brief description in your resume will allow you to pop up on more employer searches. For example, look at the following two lines of HTML code:








Putting the above two lines at the top of your HTML file will automatically direct employers to you if they search for the words listed under CONTENT. You can put as many words in that description as you want. The more the merrier.


Giving your HTML resume a title will also help to get it noticed. The title is what you see in the top left corner of your browser's screen:


will add a title to your page.


Since the title of your HTML resume and META tags aren't part of the body of the resume, they go before the tag. Instead, these heading codes have their own tag, which is and . A typical introduction to an HTML resume looks like this:











Links

Links are one of the most convenient features of the Internet. They allow users to hop around the web with a simple click of the mouse, yet they're incredibly simple to create. For your resume, linking prior jobs to their respective web sites is a professional and handy way to say, "Look where I've worked." A prospective employer should appreciate your effort to make his or her research as simple as possible. Check out the following two lines of HTML code:


Review.com
Joe Bloggs


The first line above links Review.com to its URL. The second line links to Joe Blogg's e-mail. Just use before the text you want to link, and a to complete the tag. Link as many companies and references as possible. The easier you make it for employers to learn about you, the better chance you have of getting hired. Always remember to add the http:// at the start of a linked URL.

Links

Links are one of the most convenient features of the Internet. They allow users to hop around the web with a simple click of the mouse, yet they're incredibly simple to create. For your resume, linking prior jobs to their respective web sites is a professional and handy way to say, "Look where I've worked." A prospective employer should appreciate your effort to make his or her research as simple as possible. Check out the following two lines of HTML code:


Review.com
Joe Bloggs


The first line above links Review.com to its URL. The second line links to Joe Blogg's e-mail. Just use before the text you want to link, and a to complete the tag. Link as many companies and references as possible. The easier you make it for employers to learn about you, the better chance you have of getting hired. Always remember to add the http:// at the start of a linked URL.