You need to have an electronic resume whenever an employer asks you to send your resume by e-mail or submit it through an online form. Many employers will input your resume into a database called an automated applicant-tracking system. This system will scan your resume, along with the hundreds of others the employer receives, for keywords that match keywords in their job descriptions. Those whose resumes have the best fit will move on to the next step of the hiring process.

In order for an automated applicant-tracking system to scan a resume well, it must be in a format it can read. Pasting your conventional resume into an e-mail message or into an online form simply won't do. You must put together a special version of your resume to be used when you are asked to submit it electronically, which will probably be quite often.

Sometimes job seekers choose to utilize a resume bank. The concept is similar to the one described above. Your resume is put into a database and scanned for keywords. Employers looking for candidates to fill open positions will look through this database for resumes that are suitable. As with an automated applicant-tracking system, your resume must be formatted so that a computer can read and decipher it.

Before you go ahead and throw out your old paper resume, be advised that not all companies stay up to speed on the latest technology. Many companies simply don't have the equipment to directly receive e-mailed resumes and to search online databases for job candidates. Having a paper copy of your resume is still a necessity, especially since you'll need to bring it with you to all those job interviews!