Is your resume truly portable?

ìYou never know when or where you may meet a prospective employer,î says on-line recruiter, WallStJobs.com. ìMemory sticks, flash-drives, or email versions of your resume on your Blackberry, Treo or iPhone are must-haves in todayís volatile employment market.î

It could well happen to you. You are sitting next to someone on a plane, or a train, or on a bus and in the course of conversation, you discover that they are with a company you would really like to work for. You can exchange business cards and tell them you will send your resume when you reach your destination. Or, you can instantly transmit your resume to them via your PDA or hand them a flash memory stick to download all your credentials on the spot. ìWhether it is traveling internationally or at a party or even standing on line for a movie, you can never tell when a career opportunity might present itself,î said Robert Graber, founder of online career site, WallStJobs.com, ìand the impact of instantly transmitting a resume is hard to beat.î

Graber notes that with todayís competitive employment market, you should always be prepared to initiate a job search. ìHaving an up to date resume and some supporting documents such as articles you may have published or periodicals in which you were quoted, will make a profound impression.î

Graber suggests that you prepare a few ìiResumesî that can be downloaded via a USB flash drive or transmitted via your PDA. ìIdeally you should have both Word and PDF formats.î he said. ìYou might have more than one iResume at the ready . . . one that is more industry-focused in addition to a more skill-centered version to choose from depending on the circumstance.î

Graber advises using only a PDF format for sending articles, awards or trade papers you are featured in to preserve their visual format which will maximize their impact when opened.

ìYou may have to email yourself these files from another source to have them in the email history of your portable device,î Graber notes, ìso be sure to highlight which iResume or article is which in the subject line so you can find it quickly. And take care that these emails donít get archived off the device as new mail comes in.î

ìThese career moments can happen quickly,î Graber noted, ìbut donít forget to follow up with your new contact. Be certain you get a business card or have that individual give you their information via their electronic device and check to see that it comes through accurately.î