Abstract:
A method and system for allowing a user to dynamically change the style of an online resume that is created using an online guided resume creation system is disclosed. The method and system include displaying a plurality of resume styles from which a user may select, each resume style having a corresponding style sheet describing the style, The method and system further include prompting the user to enter data needed to create a resume, and to select a resume style from the plurality of styles. A file is automatically created from the user data. The file is then transformed into a resume file by applying the style sheet corresponding to the user&#39;s selection to the file, whereby the resume file is viewable online and printable.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to using an online guided resume creation system to create resumes automatically on the Internet, and more particularly to dynamically changing the style of online resumes.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Presenting an effective resume is an essential key for conducting a successful career search. Generally, a prospective employer&#39;s first impression of a future employee is through the person&#39;s resume. Accordingly, much attention should be paid to how the resume looks, how it is organized, and whether the content is presented clearly and succinctly. After all, a qualified candidate who is able to convey to the reader that she is right for a job will most likely be successful in her job search.  
           [0003]    PC software applications have been developed to assist individuals in preparing customized resumes. For example, the assignee of the present application has developed a PC software application that aids users in creating electronic resumes and automatically submitting the resumes to career websites on the Internet. Through a guided resume wizard, job seekers are prompted for all relevant information. Users can select from 100,000 pre-written resume phrases for every major career and then choose from 25 single-click resume designs that transform the entire resume into a different format. For a more detailed discussion, please refer to co-pending application No. 09/626,428, entitled METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR QUERYING AND POSTING TO MULTIPLE CAREER WEBSITES ON THE INTERNET FROM A SINGLE INTERFACE, filed Jul. 27,2000.  
           [0004]    Although the PC software application described above functions well for its intended purpose, the user cannot view his or her resume on the Internet as a web page. Online applications for generating resumes have emerged where a user can create a resume online without accessing a PC software application. These tools generally prompt the user to enter generic resume information, such as educational background and past job experience. Some applications may allow the user to pick a resume style, such as a functional or chronological resume. This information is then merged into a predetermined template corresponding with the resume style chosen.  
           [0005]    Although somewhat convenient, there are several draw backs associated with these conventional tools. First, the online applications only allow the user to enter text. Because the user information is merged into a predetermined template, the user does not have the flexibility to customize the style of the resume. For example, the user is limited to the section names provided by the template, and may not select different headings or categories. Further, the user cannot alter the order in which the sections appear. A second drawback is that the user is not allowed to customize the look and feel of the resume because the user cannot format the data entered, e.g., italicizing certain phrases or boldfacing headings. Therefore, the user does not have complete control as to how his or her resume appears online.  
           [0006]    Third, in the conventional online application, the user information is merged directly into an HTML template corresponding to the style selected by the user to form the online resume. Therefore, if the user is not pleased with the resume style selected and selects another, the user information is discarded and the user must reenter the data for the newly chosen style. This can be a time consuming process if the user would like to see her resume in several different styles to choose the most appealing style.  
           [0007]    Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method and system for allowing a user to dynamically change the style of an online resume, and for allowing a user to have some control over the content and look of the resume. The present invention addresses such needs.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    A method and system for allowing a user to dynamically change the style of an online resume that is created using an online guided resume creation system is disclosed. The method and system include displaying a plurality of resume styles from which a user may select, each resume style having a corresponding style sheet describing the style, The method and system further include prompting the user to enter data needed to create a resume, and to select a resume style from the plurality of styles. A file is automatically created from the user data. The file is then transformed into a resume file by applying the style sheet corresponding to the user&#39;s selection to the file, whereby the resume file is viewable online and printable.  
           [0009]    According to the system and method disclosed herein, the guided resume creation system in accordance with the present invention enables a user to create a customized online resume, wherein the user is allowed to dynamically change the style of a resume on-the-fly.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for dynamically changing the style of a resume on the Internet in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a process for allowing users to dynamically change the style format of a resume on the Internet in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example card displayed to the user during data entry in the Resume Write section of the resume application.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a sample resume in style Stanford.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the process for automatically providing delimiters in an online resume in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    FIGS.  6 A- 6 D are a series of block diagrams illustrating an example for automatically providing delimiters in an online resume in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6A is a block diagram illustrating a first example card for the Experience section of a resume displayed to the user during data entry for the example.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6A′ is a block diagram illustrating a second example card for the Experience section of a resume displayed to the user during data entry for the example.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6B is a hypothetical case statement for the Experience section for a selected resume style used for the example.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6C is the case statement output in HTML corresponding to the particular case statement executed.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6D is the case statement output in HTML corresponding to a different sum of fields. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]    The present invention relates to creating a user customized resume web page using an online guided resume creation system, wherein the user can dynamically change the resume style. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for allowing a user to create a resume having a custom format style on the Internet in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The system includes a web-based application  10  that aids users  12  in creating customized resume web pages  30 , preferably formatted in HTML, on the Internet through a graphical user interface  16 . Although the present invention will be described referring primarily to resumes formatted in HTML, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the resume can be formatted in other document formats, including but not limited to, .TXT, .RTF, and .PDF files.  
         [0023]    Referring again to FIG. 1, the resume application  10  includes several features for helping the user  12  to create an effective resume, including a resume write feature  18 , a resume type feature  20 , and a resume styles and custom settings feature  26 . The resume write feature  18  guides the user  12  through a step-by-step process for writing the resume. The resume type feature  20  allows the user  12  to select from a variety of resume types, which generally defines the sections and their order in the resume. The resume styles and custom settings feature  26  allows the user  12  to select and customize the style of his or her resume. The resume application  10  also includes at least one database  24  for storing information entered by the user  12 , and a library of style sheets  22  corresponding to a variety of resume styles from which the user  12  may choose.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a process  100  for creating a resume online where the user  12  can dynamically change the style of the resume in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the process  100  begins by collecting user information from the user  12  in step  110 . User information includes personal information, such as the user&#39;s name, address, and contact information. The user  12  is then prompted to select a resume type from a list of types in step  120 . Resume types describe the organizational format of a resume, and include, for example, chronological and functional resumes. For each resume type, the user  12  is presented with suggested sections for resume text and the order of those sections. In step  130 , the user  12  may customize the resume type by deleting or adding sections as well as by defining the order in which the sections appear on the resume.  
         [0025]    Once the user  12  has finished selecting the resume type and optionally customizing the resume type in step  135 , the user  12  is prompted to enter relevant information relating to each section in step  140 . This step is referred to as the resume write process  18 , and will be described in more detail below. Information is collected by displaying cards to the user  12  which contain a number of fields in which the user  12  enters corresponding data.  
         [0026]    Once the user  12  has completed the resume write process  140 , the user  12  is prompted to select a resume style from a list of styles in step  150 . Generally, the resume style defines the appearance of a resume, e.g., by setting margins, font type, font size, and text justification. A single-click resume style feature allows the user  12  to choose a resume style from pre-formatted templates. The user  12  is shown a description and graphical preview of each of the formatting styles.  
         [0027]    According to the present invention, the user  12  has the ability to choose a particular style and then make modifications to that style through a custom settings feature (step  160 ). The custom settings feature in step  160  allows the user  12  to change formatting parameters in the style. In one embodiment, the resume  30  is broken down to its fundamental elements, e.g., name, address, section titles, etc. The user  12  then is allowed to modify the appearance of those elements by, for example, changing the font size, or the font. Thus, for example, if the user  12  selects a style which boldfaces the user&#39;s name, the user  12  can modify that style by going into the custom settings feature and changing the setting to make the name appear in italics. In addition, the custom settings feature allows the user  12  to manipulate the line spacing of the resume  30 . For example, the user  12  can change the line spacing between sections and text. With this feature, the user  12  can control the page length of the resume  30  without necessarily altering the resume&#39;s  30  content. Accordingly, the user  12  has the ability to customize a selected resume style to suit the user&#39;s  12  tastes. This process may be repeated as necessary in step  165 .  
         [0028]    Next, in step  170 , all of the information entered by the user  12 , e.g., resume type and style, modifications thereto and data, is stored in a database  24  and used to create a structured format file, preferably using Extensible Markup Language (XML). XML is used for defining data elements on a web page. It uses a similar tag structure as HTML, but allows the tags to be defined by the developer of the page. Whereas HTML generally defines how elements are displayed, XML defines what those elements contain. Although the present invention is described utilizing XML, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other markup languages could be utilized and such utilization would fall within the scope of this invention.  
         [0029]    Finally, in accordance with this preferred embodiment, the XML file is transformed into an HTML formatted file  30  via an Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) style sheet  22  in step  180 . XSL is used for creating style sheets for XML documents. A style sheet  22  is a file that is used to store margins, tabs, fonts and other layout settings for a particular category of document. When a style sheet  22  is selected, its format settings are applied to the documents created under it. Thus, for each resume style available to the user  12 , a corresponding XSL style sheet  22  exists. Along with defining margins, fonts and other layout settings, the XSL style sheet  22  also defines where the resume content is placed in the document, and where punctuation, separators, and other delimiters are placed. Therefore, the user  12  need not worry about placing delimiters in the resume because they are provided automatically by the guided system of the present invention.  
         [0030]    At this stage, the user  12  may view the resume  30  on the user&#39;s browser, and determine whether he or she is satisfied with the style in step  190 . If the user  12  is not pleased with the resume style, the user  12  may select a different style and/or customize the style in steps  150  and  160 , respectively, and the resume with the new style may be displayed to the user  12  after steps  170  and  180  have been executed. This process can be repeated until the user  12  is satisfied. Therefore, unlike the conventional online applications, the user  12  can perform dynamic on-the-fly transformations between styles. In addition, the user  12  has the ability to customize a resume style by utilizing the custom settings feature. It should be noted that each time the user  12  selects a different style or changes a custom setting, such selections are reflected in the XML structured file.  
         [0031]    When the user  12  is satisfied with the content and appearance of the resume  30 , the resume file is stored as a web page  30  on the internet in step  195 . As such, the user  12  can easily submit the resume  30  to a prospective employer over the Internet by sending the web address to the employer. Moreover, anywhere the user  12  has access to the Internet, the user  12  also has easy access to his or her resume  30 , which can be downloaded and/or printed. Moreover, because the user  12  information is stored in the database  24  in the system, the user  12  can edit the content of the resume web page  30  at any time by returning to the online application  10  and accessing the database  24 .  
         [0032]    The operation of the resume write process  18 , and the automatic delimiter feature will now be described in more detail.  
         [0033]    The resume write process  18  is a step-by-step guided resume creation system that helps job seekers create professional resumes  30 . Through a guided resume wizard, job seekers are prompted for all relevant information with a card-like interface with next/back buttons that collects relevant information from the user  12  for each section of a resume  30 .  
         [0034]    According to the present invention, the guided resume wizard includes several data entry features and several data formatting features that facilitate the generation of a resume. The data entry features include a title selector feature and a pre-written phrases/words feature. The title selector feature is a drop-down list displayed at each stage during the step-by-step wizard for the user  12  to enter or change the name of a particular resume section, or Section Title, on the resume. For instance, for OBJECTIVE, the user  12  can easily choose, OPENING STATEMENT, SUMMARY etc. directly from a drop down list, or type in a custom heading, if so desired. This will rename the section of the resume to fit the user&#39;s  12  preference. For EMPLOYMENT, users  12  can easily change to EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY or EXPERIENCE.  
         [0035]    The pre-written phrases/words is a data entry feature that includes a set of buttons displayed at each stage of the step-by-step wizard that assist the user  12  in writing the resume. An action phrases button provides a list of pre-written phrases for the major sections of a resume, including OBJECTIVE, SKILLS/ABILITIES, EXPERIENCE, and EDUCATION. An action words button provides a listing of 3,600 action words which are used to empower the user resume. Job Descriptions is a listing of several hundred pre-written job descriptions for every major career.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example card  70  displayed to the user  12  during data entry in the resume write process  140 . The card  70  includes a series of subject fields  72  for the user  12  to enter the requested information. After the card  70  is filled in by the user  12 , the data in the subject fields  72  is stored in the database  24 . The subject fields  72  are utilized later in the process to determine the placement of delimiters in the resume  30 .  
         [0037]    Commonly, a single block of text in a resume  30  may comprise multiple subject fields  72  from the database  24 , and in most instances are separated by delimiters such as commas, semicolons, and so on. Referring to FIG. 4, which is a block diagram illustrating a sample resume in style Stanford, the user&#39;s home telephone number field is separated from the work telephone number field by a small dot. The user  12  does not enter delimiters (the dot) when entering data into the fields  72 . The present invention stores the layouts of resumes in the XSL style sheets  22 , including the position of each field  72  in each section within the resume and the delimiters separating those fields  72 .  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the process  200  by which the delimiters are automatically provided. The XSL style sheet  22  transforms the XML file section by section. As stated above, the user information entered during the resume write process  140  is entered and stored in subject fields  72  in the database  24 . In step  210 , each field  72  in a section is assigned a unique numerical value, wherein the number doubles for each successive field. For example, FIG. 6A is a diagram depicting a card  70  corresponding to the Experience section in a resume  30 . The user  12  is prompted to enter data into the fields Employer  72   a , Location  72   b , Position/Title  72   c , Start Date and Year  72   d , End Date and Year  72   e , and Description  72   f . Each field  72  is assigned a unique numerical value. Therefore, for purposes of this example, the Employer field is  1 , Location is  2 , Position/Title is  4 , Start Date is  8 , State Year is  16 , End Date is  32 , End Year is  64 , and Description is  128 .  
         [0039]    Referring again to FIG. 5, each XSL style sheet  22  is provided with a plurality of instruction blocks comprising of a series of case statement codes corresponding to each section of the resume, where, in step  220 , each case statement code is assigned a numerical value related to the two-fold increasing numerical values assigned to the fields  72 . The instruction block determines which fields  72  and delimiters will appear and where within that section. The value assigned to each case statement code corresponds to a respective sum of the values of the fields  72  which contain information entered by the user  12 . So, for example, FIG. 6B illustrates, in conceptual form only, a hypothetical set of case statement codes corresponding to the experience section card  70  in FIG. 6A.  
         [0040]    In operation, the user  12  is prompted to fill in the fields  72 , and the values of the fields  72  in that section containing user data are added together to determine the sum value in step  230 . Referring again to FIG. 6A, the user  12  has entered data into the Employer, Location, and Description fields only. The sum of the values of the combination of fields containing user data is 131 (1+2+128). Depending on the sum, which is a unique numerical value because the assigned field values increase twofold, the field output and delimiters will change.  
         [0041]    Once the sum is determined, the case statement code having the numerical value matching the sum value is executed, thereby providing the content and delimiters automatically in step  240 . Thus, referring again to the example in FIGS. 6A and 6B, according to the hypothetical case statement code corresponding to the sum of 131, the XSL style sheet  22  will output in HTML the name of the company and its location on one line separated by a small asterix, followed by the job description on the next line (see FIG. 6C). In another illustration, suppose the user  12  has entered data into the Employer, Location, and Position/Job Title fields  72  only, as shown in FIG. 6A′. The sum is now  7 , and the corresponding case statement code (FIG. 6B) will output the name of the company, its location, and the job title on one line separated by small asterix, as shown in FIG. 6D. Hence, the placement of delimiters is not a rigid function, but rather a flexible feature which takes into consideration the user&#39;s data entry.  
         [0042]    For some resume sections, for example the Experience section, the section may contain several information blocks. For example, a user  12  may fill in several experience section cards  70  to reflect different employers. Therefore, referring again to FIG. 5, the processes embodied in steps  230  and  240  are repeated for each card  70  until the section is completely transformed in step  250 . When the section transformation is complete, the process continues to, and repeats for, the next section until the resume is completely transformed in step  260 .  
         [0043]    A method and system for creating an online resume where the resume style can be dynamically changed using a guided resume creation system has been disclosed. Although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, the final resume file can be formatted in other formats, including but not limited to, .TXT, .RTF and .PDF, and is not limited to HTML. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one or ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.