A resume plays a crucial role in our lives. Whether its your first job or your changing your profession, a winning resume is what you need. This will distinguish you from the rest. So, it's time to focus your time and energy on creating that winning resume. There are thousands of employers just waiting to hear from you and now is your time to shine.

The resume is the first impression an employer sees of you and it has to shine as your entrance into the employers mind. It should be something that is different and yet simple and it should follow some conventions.

Today's resumes though have to tell the employer about you in about 10 seconds or they move on to another person. I order to make sure you're one of those who get into an interview; here are 10 tips to help:

1. Clarity - make sure that your resume is clear and reads well. Employers are checking for more than just what you do; they want to make sure you can write well.

2. Attractiveness -- although you aren't there are win a beauty contest with your resume, it should be pleasing to the eye and attention getting. You can do this without using special characters.

3. Keywords -- every profession no matter what it is has a variety of keywords it uses. The employer will expect you to use these words on your winning resume.

4. Formatting -- formatting your resume is part of the attractiveness. Always use a clear font like Arial and at least a 12 font. Remember it has to be easy to read and for some employers, smaller fonts are difficult to see.

5. Check it once, twice, three times -- check your resume to make sure there are no typos or misspellings. This leads to a sloppy resume. Have someone else check it over as a second opinion.

6. Make it interesting -- although a resume highlights your job information, it can be an interesting read. Use full sentences and only write about your experience that is pertinent to the job for which you are applying.

7. Use action words -- we emphasize this in two points because people forget to use action words. You want your resume to come alive in a manager's hand and you want it to look different.

8. Motivation -- what motivates you in a job? Let the employer know. It is very important to let the potential employer know what job you are applying for and your goals and objectives for that job.

9. Emphasize achievement not job duties -- let the employer know what you achieved in the other positions. They will want to know what you will bring to them.

10. Customize your winning resume -- if you have had more than one job or interest, it's a good idea to have more than one resume targeted to each interest.

You can use this list to check off your winning resume to see if you have everything you need. The better you represent yourself to an employer, the easier it will be to get that interview.

Sharon Alexander - Claim That Job

For more information on how to manage your career successfully, and to get a free job hunting report, visit Claim That Job at http://www.claimthatjob.com