A plain text resume is a job application document stripped of all visual enhancements and complex styling. This basic format ensures the content remains universally readable across various digital platforms and systems. Understanding this specialized document is necessary for navigating modern job application requirements. This article explains why the plain text format is frequently requested and provides instructions for its creation.
Understanding Plain Text Resumes
Plain text uses basic ASCII or Unicode characters, representing the most fundamental form of digital writing. The format excludes rich text formatting, meaning elements like bolding, italics, underlines, or special fonts are entirely absent. When a formatted document is converted, the underlying codes for these styles are stripped away, leaving only the raw letters and numbers.
This restriction also eliminates complex document features such as tables, graphics, columns, and embedded objects, which are often stored as proprietary codes within standard word processing files. The resulting simplicity ensures maximum compatibility, as the text file contains only characters, basic spaces, and line breaks. A plain text resume is often saved as a `.txt` file extension, though it is frequently submitted by pasting the raw text directly into a designated field on a web portal.
Why Recruiters and ATS Require Plain Text
The primary driver for the plain text requirement is the widespread use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) in the hiring process. ATS software scans thousands of resumes, parses the data into structured fields, and scores applicants based on keyword matches. Complex formatting, often found in visually designed resumes, introduces significant parsing errors into this automated system.
When an ATS encounters rich text features like custom fonts, graphics, or nested tables, it frequently misinterprets the data, leading to misplaced contact information or unreadable employment entries. The system may fail to recognize text in headers or footers, or it might incorrectly merge text from multi-column layouts into a single, garbled block. Plain text guarantees standardization, allowing the ATS to accurately extract specific information like job titles, dates, and skills without interference from proprietary codes. This ensures keywords are correctly identified and scored, impacting whether a candidate advances to the next stage.
Key Differences from Traditional Resumes
The core difference between a plain text resume and a traditional, visually formatted document lies in their intended audience and functional purpose. A traditional resume, typically saved as a PDF or DOCX file, is designed for immediate human review, relying on visual hierarchy and typography. This visual appeal and control over presentation are lost in the plain text format.
Elements that enhance a traditional resume, such as multi-column layouts, decorative bullet points, and customized typography, become liabilities in the plain text version. Columns merge text into an unreadable block, and custom fonts revert to a basic monospace typeface. Furthermore, any embedded images or company logos are omitted, leaving large, confusing gaps in the text. The plain text version is a purely functional document, optimized for machine parsing and data extraction, whereas the traditional resume prioritizes aesthetics and visual impact for the human reviewer.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Plain Text Resume
The creation process begins with your finalized, traditionally formatted resume, which serves as the source document for the content. To strip away all hidden codes and rich formatting, you must convert the document using a minimal text editor. Open your traditional resume and copy all the text, then paste it into a utility like Microsoft Notepad, Apple TextEdit set to plain text mode, or a similar basic editor.
Alternatively, if working within a word processor, use the “Paste as Unformatted Text” or “Keep Text Only” function to remove all styling. This initial pasting often results in messy formatting, including inconsistent spacing, awkward line breaks, and residual tab characters that must be manually corrected. Word processors often use tabs that convert to a variable number of spaces, which destroys alignment and necessitates a full manual cleanup. Meticulously clean up the document, paying close attention to replacing “smart quotes” and double-dashes with their simple, unformatted equivalents. The final step is to save the document using the `.txt` file extension, or keep the raw text ready for direct copy-pasting into a web form submission field.
Essential Formatting Rules for Plain Text
Since visual formatting tools are unavailable, job seekers must rely on basic character manipulation to create visual structure and hierarchy. There are several essential formatting rules to follow:
Essential Formatting Rules
- Use consistent capitalization for section headings, such as writing “EXPERIENCE” or “EDUCATION” in all capital letters, followed by a blank line for separation. This technique creates a visual cue that is parsed by both ATS and human eyes, indicating a new content category.
- Replace traditional bullet points with simple, universal characters like asterisks (“), hyphens (`-`), or plus signs (`+`). Consistency in the choice of character is necessary throughout the document.
- Use blank lines consistently between jobs, education entries, and sections to break up the dense text and improve readability.
- Maintain a narrow line width, ideally around 65 characters per line, to prevent the text from wrapping awkwardly when pasted into application systems.
If the line is too long, the receiving system may introduce a “hard return” in an inappropriate place, disrupting the flow of a sentence or an entry.