How Do YOU Spell Resume

How Do YOU Spell ResumeHow Do YOU Spell Resume?How Do YOU Spell ResumeYouve probably noticed that resume is sometimes spelled with no accents, sometimes with one, and often with two. Since this blog resides on a web site called Resume no accents you may have astutely gathered that the no-accent option is perfectly acceptable. It is (of course). But is it the, ahem,proper way? Not according to the Professional Association of Rsum Writers (PARW), or anyone who speaks French. Rsum is originally a French word, meaning summary or outline. In French, its pronounced raise-you-may(as in the raise you may get if you write a great resume and get a new job). Insert shame-faced emoticon here. But the aufgabe with theso-called properformat is its a major pain in the butt to remember to put the accents in every instance of the word.And furthermore....Sending the written word through cyberspace sometimes turns special characters (such asan accented ) into gibberish. So despite your perfect formatti ng, your reader may see something that looks like a cartoon swear word (e.g., My re%sume% is enclosed for your review). So whats the best way to punctuate the word resume? Here are some theoriesResume (no accents) = Perfectly Acceptable (and Recommended) For most of us, its safest to use the plain, unaccented word resume. Its become the standard, at least in the U.S.A. Rsum (2 accents) = Proper, but Problematic You might want to use the double-accented rsum if youre a traditionalist, a stickler for propriety, or you live in a place where a lot of people speak French (e.g., Canada, Europe). Bear in mind that accents look good on paper, but onscreen, they tend to make things harder to read. Resum (1 accent) = WrongThe paperback Websters Dictionary in my desk drawer says this is OK, but I disagree. I think its the worst of both worlds the mullet of resume spellings (English in the front, French in the back).Bottom line, when in doubt, leave em out. But also play it by ear. For example, if youre applying to a job ad that says send us your rsum, then you should follow their lead and use the accents.Tip If you do decide to use the accents, consider sending your documents in PDF rather than Word format. PDFs are guaranteed to appear exactly as theyre sent, but require the recipient to have Adobe Reader software. Not a big deal. Most people have it, and its a quick, free download if they dont.