We've all read funny stories about resume blunders - sometimes the mistakes are so ridiculous it might make you wonder if they're real or fictional.

As a recruiter who's reviewed thousands of them, I can assure you that poorly written resumes are not at all uncommon. In fact, some are terrible. There's no other way to put it. Further, the quality of resumes is trending down. On the whole, they're worse now than they were even 10 years ago.

This doesn't mean the labor pool is unqualified - but it does mean that people don't necessary know how to write a good sales document....because that's what your resume is. It's a product brochure, and you're the product on display.

Lest you think the "poorly written resume" syndrome is something from which only the recent college graduate suffers, it's actually pervasive at all levels. Not long ago I was asked to review a resume written by a 40 year old senior sales executive that was so astoundingly poor I wondered how he'd ever landed a job. No exaggeration. It contained spelling errors, serious grammatical errors, it jumped from past to present tense and back again (sometimes from one sentence to the next), the presentation was inconsistent, and some key information was missing.

There are days when a hiring manager has literally hundreds of resumes to review. Believe me, those like the one I just mentioned go into the "rejected" pile in a matter of seconds. If I've got 250 resumes on my desk, I'm looking to screen them OUT at this stage.

Not only must you ensure your information is presented in a compelling manner, your resume can't contain spelling or grammatical errors, and you need to be mindful of how it's laid out...what it looks like on the page.

The purpose of the document is to get you an invitation to interview. You'll never receive that chance if nobody reads what you've written.

Following are a few pointers:

Proof your resume. Don't rely solely on spell check. Read what you've written. More than once. Then have someone else read it.

Look at the page like a graphic designer might. Is there enough white space? Does it seem crowded? Is the text easy to read? Is the information presented clearly? What's the first thing that catches your eye?

Have you included a cover letter? Have you customized it specifically for this position? Is it addressed to a person ("Judy Smith" rather than "Hiring Manager")?

Are you certain you have the hiring manager's name and title correct...and spelled correctly?

Have you followed the instructions regarding submission?

Don't make it easy for the hiring manager to screen you out by making sloppy mistakes. Give yourself a chance to be considered. Do everything you can to craft a resume that will get that invitation to interview.

Rebecca Metschke is the author of The Interview Edge, a comprehensive career guide for those who are serious about their careers. Gain a professional advantage using proven tips, tools and strategies that will help ensure you're as marketable as you can be. http://www.TheInterviewEdge.com