Have you ever wondered why so many resumes start off with an "OBJECTIVE" informing the review the applicant is looking for a "career position with opportunity to grow and develop"?

This is not the strong first impression you want to make.

Employers will spend 10 - 20 seconds looking at your resume before they toss it. It is important to limit your content and to avoid mistakes. Yes, you want your resume to stand out but for a good reason. The format of your resume needs to highlight your strong points and de-emphasize you weak areas.

I was reviewing resumes to hire an administrative assistant when I came across one of the best resumes I have seen to date. This applicant worked at a oil and gas company and had daily interaction with clients of the company, responsibilities for tracking financial transactions, worked as part of a team, invoiced inventory, handled complaints, and had many of the qualifications I was looking for. I placed a call to him and set up an interview.

It wasn't until the interview process that I understood he worked the cash register at a convince store - night shift. No, he did not get the job (he came to the interview in sandals and a t-shirt) but his resume was formatted and structured so well, he did get my attention and an interview. If he would have presented himself in a more professional manor, he likely would have been one of my top applicants.

After your name and contact information, you need to start your resume with the best reason for the reviewer to call you for an interview. This will often be the only thing the reviewer takes the time to read so you must grab their attention.

If you use an "OBJECTIVE", it needs to be focused and exact. "A Summer Internship with a marketing corporation to learn about international marketing strategies" is a focused objective that allows the person reviewing the resume to know in the first 10 seconds exactly what you are looking for. An objective needs only to be used when you are looking for something particular. Loose the vague objectives.

Instead of an objective, many top resumes start with a "SUMMARY OF SKILLS". If you are applying for a job as an office assistant and the job description has a list of Qualifications or Requirements, start by letting the reviewer know you meet their minimum standards:

Summary of Skills

- Bachelors Degree Over Two years experience as an Office Manager

- Budget development and bookkeeping

- Proficiency with MS Office software, including Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and desktop publishing programs

- Knowledge of financial accounting software

- Excellent communication, research, and writing skills

The reviewer will continue to read knowing you already have the skills they are looking for.
When listing your job "EXPERIENCE" or "WORK HISTORY", be sure to include the dates you were employed. This can at times point out a gap in your work experience or show that you have several positions in a short time. While these bumps on a resume can often be explained in an interview, you must first get the interview.

Consider modifying the date to only reflect the years you worked instead of year and month (2000 - 2004 instead of May 2000 - June 2004). This is a way to show your work history while disguising your 2 month gap in work or that you only held a position for 3 months.

ALERT: Never lie on your resume! Do not put dates that you did not work because your potential new employer will most likely be checking.

Some resumes start off with "EDUCATION" at their first section. This is a very good strategy if you have an advance degree and the position you are applying for requires your degree. This is even better if you have more then 1 degree or a unique degree that will increase you chances of getting an interview. Do not list your education at the top of your resume if you have limited education. This should be at the end of your resume or not included. You do not need to list the dates on your education unless you feel it will benefit you. A Business Degree awarded in 1971 would be much different then the same degree in 2001.

Additional Formatting Tips:

- No need to add "REFERENCES" on your resume or to add "references available upon request". They will ask if they need them.

- Be careful with font, bold and italics. Keep you font clean and professional (if you are not sure, use Times) and limit bold to section titles, name and address. I like to use italics for job titles but don't get too crazy.

- Loose all of the fancy line, section breaks, "backgrounds" or any other graphics.

- The trend lately with the development of website postings has been to include a professional photo. Keep it professional, small, and placed off to the side.

- Watch font size. Your resume should be all the same font size with the possible exception of your name and section titles.

- Do not worry about keeping everything on "one page". If you have more then 2-3 jobs or have been working for several years, list your accomplishments. With that said, if you have anything over 3 pages, you likely can edit some or a lot out.

Keys things to remember when formatting your resume are to put your strong points first. If you have a lot of education and you are applying to a position that requires an advanced degree, you may want to start with that. If your hands on skills are your best quality, start with a list of your skills to let the employer know you are the person the need. If your objective is specific and direct, let them know up front. Lastly, don't try to get fancy with your font and text. Your resume needs to be simple and easy to read while letting the reviewer know you skills and history.

Duffy is founder of http://www.ConsiderMyResume.com, a new format for web resume posting. http://www.ConsiderMyResume.com is the best tool to post your resume, add a photo and links to your work or to other sites. You can even add a video resume or video cover letter.

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