Your resume is a key tool in your career search. The content and quality of your resume can directly impacts whether or not a company chooses to interview you. You have about 10 seconds to get the attention of your target audience, and then only 30 seconds to drive that hiring manager to action (arranging an interview).

It is not enough to write "Created corporate Web site from scratch." A better, more complete description might read "Lead architect on a team of three that created the corporate Web site from the ground up. Used Java 1.2 and CORBA on a Solaris platform. Developed shell scripts and SQL to allow Web site to interface with the Oracle 8i back end."

Exclude irrelevant information. If you are an Oracle 8i DBA seeking an Oracle 8i DBA opportunity, focus each achievement on your resume to that end.

Be aware of resume scanning devices. Many agencies and companies scan each inbound resume searching for key words and/or phrases. Those that meet a certain level of predetermined criteria are forwarded on to the appropriate manager. The others get rejection notices, no matter how qualified they may be. Fortunately, it is easy to accommodate this technology. Build your resume around the key words relevant to your experience. Include critical skills like "XML" and "Sun/Solaris UNIX", as well as certain personality traits like "analytical, results-oriented, team player, self-starting," etc. Also, it is best to use a 10- or 12 point common sans serif font such as Helvetica or Arial and avoid tables and text boxes.

Your individual needs are specific to you, and proper resume building advice must be targeted to your specific needs. Therefore, if you choose, a GoTechNow.com representative can assist you in effectively targeting your resume for the right opportunities.

The article below has more valuable information about writing good resumes:

Top 20 Recruiter Pet Peeves About Resumes

By Michael Worthington

Reprinted from http://www.resumedoctor.com/ResourceCenter.htm

Recently ResumeDoctor.com has surveyed 2500 recruiters across the US and Canada to find out the "Top 20 Resume Pet Peeves Recruiters have about resumes that result in a resume being tossed in the excluded pile. These recruiters stemmed from varied specialties and industries, (Engineering, Information Technology, Sales and Marketing, Executive, Biotech, Healthcare, Administrative, Finance, etc.).

When recruiters receive hundreds of resumes a day, the best strategy to narrow down the "keepers" is through the process of elimination. According to executive search recruiter Terry Cantrell of Panama City, Florida, "People often try to write a resume so generic that a reader has no idea what industry the candidate comes from. Did they manufacture fertilizer, package cow chips, cook and distribute potato chips or assemble computer chips? ... I am usually looking for a reason to exclude resumes, not a reason to include them."

More often than not, your resume will be the only tool to let your reader know why you would be the right person for the job. According to Mike Worthington at www.ResumeDoctor.com, "Just because you have 20 years of experience, does not necessary mean you have a good resume. It simply means you have 20 years of experience... You may have all the necessary skills and experience, but the way you present yourself through your resume can tell your reader all they need to know."

Listed below are the Top 20 Resume "Pet Peeves", starting with the biggest problems. More detailed insight to each problem can be found at: http://www.resumedoctor.com/ResourceCenter.htm

1. Spelling errors, typos and poor grammar 
2. Too duty oriented - reads like a job description and fails to explain what the job seeker's accomplishments were and how they did so 
3. Missing dates or inaccurate dates 
4. Missing contact info, inaccurate, or unprofessional email addresses 
5. Poor formatting - boxes, templates, tables, use of header and footers, etc 
6. Functional resumes as opposed to chronological resumes 
7. Long resumes - over 2 pages 
8. Long, dense paragraphs - no bullet-points 
9. Unqualified candidates - candidates who apply to positions they are not qualified for 
10. Personal info not relevant to the job 
11. Missing employer info and/or not telling what industry or product candidate worked in 
12. Lying, misleading, especially in terms of education, dates and inflated titles 
13. Objectives or meaningless introductions 
14. Poor font choice or style 
15. Resumes sent in .pdf, .zip files, faxed, web page resumes, mailed resumes; not sent as a WORD attachment 
16. Pictures, graphics or URL links that no recruiter will call up 
17. No easy-to-follow summary 
18. Resumes written in 1st or 3rd person
19. Gaps in employment
20. Burying important info in the resume

Be sure your resume does not fall under your reader's "pet peeve" list. Know how to market your skills and present yourself in a way that will make your reader want to consider you for a position. Typically, if your resume contains a few, or even one or two, of these "Pet Peeves," your resume will be automatically excluded and your chance of that job will be lost.

ResumeDoctor.com provides resume-consulting services and FREE resume evaluations for job seekers in all industries at http://www.ResumeDoctor.com/ResourceCenter.htm.

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