Show Them What You've Got!

Hiring experts agree that the best way to get the attention of your dream employer is to create an achievement-based, employer-targeted resume. Focus on a few key tactics, they say, and your phone will soon ring with invitations to interviews. It's about your achievements. "The one word job hunters must focus on today is 'achievement,'" says Penelope Trunk, author of the popular job advice blog Brazen Careerist. "Employers want to know what you achieved in your prior jobs, not just your job title and where you worked." About half of the candidates qualified for a given position fail to find their way to the top of the stack because they don't follow that advice. If possible, quantify the benefits you brought to your current and past employers.
For example, did I take the lead on a significant project that increased my employer's profile? Once you start thinking about your past work achievements in this way, you can illustrate to prospective employers why and how you intend to bring value to their organization.

 
Create a core resume. When you're home at your computer, forget the advice about limiting your resume to one page. Start big, then carve out the parts of your employment past that are relevant to each job you apply for, says Joyce Lain Kennedy, author of "Resumes for Dummies" (For Dummies, 2002).

In this "core" resume, Kennedy advises to include everything you've ever done, including hobbies, special interests and anything else you think might in some way be pertinent to an employer.

Once you've created the base document, it's easy to create what Kennedy calls an "On Target" resume for each employer, cutting and pasting only the pertinent highlights that are relevant to a specific employment goal.
While you might include three years of college lacrosse on your resume when looking for an entry-level job, for example, it should probably come off at mid-career unless an interest in sports or competitive experience is pertinent to a job you're seeking.

In addition, committed job seekers would be wise to research a prospective employer's job requirements and then tailor a resume to a particular opening. Employers are increasingly looking for exact matches between job requirements and the skills they see on resumes. That approach, Kennedy says, is a proven way to break away from the stale, formulaic resume pack and help overwhelmed human resources personnel find your resume.

 
Make your resume scannable. Once you've tweaked that resume so that it truthfully sings your achievements and qualifications, make sure that it is scanner-friendly by writing in keyword search terms a prospective employer may be looking for.

 
Simplicity and precision count. Finally, don't forget the simplest of advice: Keep your resume short, easy to read and free of errors.