Today’s job market is competitive. Many companies receive
hundreds of resumes a year, making it difficult for yours to
stand out from the crowd. However, that should not keep you from
getting interviews. The following 10 tips will help you
learn how to get employers to read your resume and get your
phone ringing.

1. Include a profile

Begin your resume with a profile, which contains a synopsis of
your varied skills and educational qualifications. This profile
should match the particular job you want to apply for. State
your career objective clearly so that the reader gets an overall
idea of your background and areas of expertise. Write this
section in such a manner that it immediately catches the
attention of a hiring manager, and he calls you instead of
someone else.

2. Keep the resume short

No one has the time to go through elaborate detailing about your
past jobs and experiences. Therefore, keep the resume short.
Make a list of the most important jobs you have held and give a
brief of your previous job-oriented experiences. However, in the
case of technical people, resumes can extend to three pages in
order to include relevant technical information.

3. Give more importance on content than on looks

One of the major mistakes people make while creating resumes is
in the use of fancy fonts. Avoid using fancy fonts and do not
change font regularly throughout the resume. Changing fonts
regularly will distract and confuse a hiring manager. Do not use
underlining or italics to add emphasis. Make your document eye
appealing so that your reader can review it with ease. Use white
paper and make the thoughts flow smoothly.

4. Clearly identify your skills

Do not be modest in mentioning your skills. Clearly identifying
your skills will distinguish you from the other job seekers and
eventually help your potential employers to select you from the
rest. Remember, all you have to do is to stand out from the
crowd.

5. List your educational and professional qualifications

Include any relevant education or training that might relate.
Provide details of only those qualifications that match your
current job search. This will help you to get short-listed more
easily.

6. Focus on your job responsibilities

Starting with your present position or most recent job, mention
the title of every job you have held, along with the name of the
company, the city and state, and the years you have worked
there. Under each position, make a list of your job
responsibilities. Use descriptive verbs, such as created,
increased, performed, initiated, developed, led, improved or
reduced to begin each statement of your duties and
accomplishments. Producing a document that is well presented,
detailed and targeted will attract the attention of your hiring
manager.

7. Add related qualifications and interests

Think about anything else that might qualify you for your job
objective and place it at the bottom of your resume. It may
include licenses, certifications, awards and achievements, and
sometimes even your hobbies and interests if they truly relate.
If you seek a job in a music company, for example, stating on
your resume that you are a pianist will increase your chance to
get that interview call.

8. Be honest with your resume

If you did not actually do what you said you did, it would be
called a lie. Numerous surveys show that job applicants lie most
frequently about education and employment, particularly about
job responsibilities and dates of employment. Hiding gaps in
employment and jobs where they were forced to leave by the
respective employers is also common. There are many risks
involved in lying, but many job applicants do not seem to get
the message about the risks of lying. Once you are caught with a
lie, you will be fired then and there. So, DON”T lie – be honest
with your resume.

9. Always attach a covering letter

A cover letter is a letter of introduction that highlights your
key achievements and skills and entitles you for a job opening.
It reflects your communication skills and your personality. The
main purpose of this document is to introduce yourself in such
an interesting manner that the reader will not only continue
reading your resume but also be willing to call you for an
interview.

If you want to create cover letters for any career situation,
position, and job level, I recommend a unique resume/ cover
letter tool on the Internet today called Amazing Cover
Letter Creator. I recommend this tool, because it solves
the frustrating problem job seekers have when trying to write an
effective resume cover letter. You can use it over and over
again for all your cover letter needs.

10. Proofread your resume

After you have finalized your employment documents, check them
repeatedly for errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Spelling and grammatical errors can automatically disqualify a
resume from consideration. If you make mistakes on your
employment documents, hiring managers might presume you will be
equally careless on the job – no matter how important your
qualifications and experiences are. Proofread your resume and
cover letter carefully.

Make your resume positive and completely error-free. If you are
seeking two or three different positions, prepare two or three
separate resumes, each tailored to the job you are targeting.
Make your resume exclusive and unique so that it stands out from
the crowd. Good luck for your career!

Image taken on 2008-11-14 03:24:57. Image Source. (Used with permission)