Let’s face it. Once you send your resume to an employer, it’s a crap shoot as to whether they will notice it. And while no one trick will be able to change this, there are some things that you can do to help ensure your resume has the best shot at standing out:

• Keywords: Take a hard look at the job description and write down a list of the keywords it contains. Do your best to integrate these keywords into the body of your resume in a natural way.

• Tailoring: Tailor each resume to a specific job. Include only the skills, experience, and education that are relevant to the position (assuming that you have more information than you need to include).

• Focus On Results: Instead of listing your job responsibilities, focus on your achievements. If possible, quantify every result with percentages (ie. “increased X by 25%” or “added an additional 4% to the bottom line”).

• Unique Formatting: Instead of using tired, old resume templates, create your own. Make it visually appealing and it is more likely to catch their eye.

These are just some of the ways you can improve your chances of being noticed. I’m sure that there are many other tricks that you can use to make your resume stand out. Feel free to share your best tricks on the message boards!

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1. What A Great Resume Needs
2. 7 Ways Your Resume is Just as Boring as Everyone Else’s
3. Creative Resumes: The Pink Slip Resume
4. Subtle Ways to Tell Your Story in Your Resume
5. Proofread Your Resume Backwards