What’s wrong with your resume? Listen, only you know if your resume is working. If the phone’s not ringing or your e-mail box is empty, your resume could probably use a smart tune-up. In today’s competitive market, it’s imperative that you submit a very dynamic resume which clearly outlines how the combination of your experience, skills, qualifications and accomplishments can work together to provide measurable contributions. FACT - Did you know that most advertised positions today can received well over 400 resumes PER opening? That number doesn't even include the hoards of unsolicited resumes received weekly. That's a lot of competition. Employers are being more careful these days too, only interviewing the candidates who make a powerful impression on paper. Getting in the door is today's toughest challenge. When an employer advertises a job opening, they have specific ideas of who that person should be, what functions they’ll perform and the expectations they need met. Even if you believe you have the qualifications to fill that job, you won’t have the chance to prove it if your resume isn’t clear on all you can offer. Your resume MUST tell the employer how you can come in and solve this “problem” (read: fill the opening) because they are NOT going to assume anything other than what your resume says!   In addition to very powerful verbiage and eye-catching design, there are a few resume basics that must be followed to generate employer attention. While these are not the only practices that apply, they are general enough to help ensure that you’re on the right track.   Presentation – Proof your resume carefully for errors and have others proof it too. There should be no typos, misspellings or grammatical mistakes. Take the extra step by printing your resume on quality bond paper to give it substance…flimsy all-purpose copy paper doesn’t demonstrate professionalism or seriousness. Focus – While objective statements are usually unnecessary (either too vague or very limiting), it’s important that your resume maintain a focus. This can be done via powerful profile/summary statement and by concentrating on the relevant experiences, skills and accomplishments that relate to the industry you wish to pursue. Experience – Listing your experience is a given, but take your experience to the next level by adding accomplishments to your daily duties. For example, if one of your responsibilities is “customer service,” provide the results of particular customer service activities using action-oriented statements.  Information – Limit your information to professional relevance only. Do not include personal information (age, marital status, sex) and don’t mention why you left your other positions. Employers do not care if you were let go or if the company went out of business. That’s interviewing material. And NEVER mention salary information on a resume. Period.   Education – Provide the name and location of the school and type of degree/major. High school is not necessary, but internships may be helpful if relevant. Don’t forget to include any professional development activities such as seminars or specialized training. If you’ve been in the workforce for 5 years or more, the actual date is not necessary, nor is your GPA…your experience is what matters at this point in your career. Page Length – No longer is it considered mandatory to have a one-page resume. As long as the information provides VALUE to the reader (not fluff), is relevant to your career goal and you have at least 5 years of experience under your belt, don’t worry about length. Naturally, you don’t need to write a book if you have a 30-year career, so focus on the most recent 10-12 years or so.  References – The standard statement of “References Available upon Request” is not necessary. However, if the placement of the comment balances out the resume presentation, feel free to include it. Don’t, however, incorporate references on the resume itself or send a reference list with the resume. Employers aren’t ready for that at this stage of the game.  Cover Letters – Ideally, all resumes should be submitted with a targeted cover letter. This additional marketing document is the ideal place to tell an employer 4 key points of information - what your goal is, what you’ve done, how you can help them and a request for an interview. Contact us at info@resumedotcom.com if you need professional resume writing help. Review our samples to see how we incorporate our own rules!