(FORTUNE Magazine) – Dear Annie: I hope this isn't a dumb question. I'm graduating from college in a couple of months and am now corresponding with employers via e-mail. Should I send my résumé as an attachment or paste it into the body of the e-mail? -- Alpha Tau Epsilon

Dear Alpha: It is not a dumb question at all. In fact, many recruiters wish more people would think about it before they start e-mailing stuff willy-nilly. Kevin Donlin at career site CollegeRecruiter.com says that since most of the English-speaking world uses Microsoft Word, your résumé should be readable if attached as a Word file. Label it with your name, not just the word "résumé." And to be on the safe side, since attachments can get scrambled in transmission, copy and paste the file into the body of your e-mail as well, Donlin advises. If you're including a cover letter, type that in first, separated from the résumé by a line of text (such as "Résumé below").

An important tip: Test, test, test. Send your résumé to at least three friends. Then ask them to print it and show it to you. "Do this, and make any necessary changes, until you're sure prospective employers will consistently get a professional-looking document that shows you in the best light," Donlin says. Incidentally, for other résumé quandaries, Donlin wrote a handy do-it-yourself manual called The Last Guide to Cover Letter & Résumé Writing You'll Ever Need, available for $17 at www.CollegeRecruiter.com/1dayresumes.html. Good luck!

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