Before you begin to write or revise your current resume, invest some time in learning how to create a marketing piece that will get attention. Resume screening is the first step in the hiring process. Your resume must pass that review or your dreams of landing the job come to a screeching halt. It may take some extra effort, but the objective is an invitation to interview. A polished professional resume should stimulate the recruiter's interest enough to contact you.

Customize Your Resume
If you are serious about landing a position that moves you up on the career ladder, do not make the mistake of responding to every job opening with a standard resume. Take the time to tailor each document you send out. This means you must select each item on your resume with care. Before you even begin crafting a customized resume, study the employer. Review the company's website. Gain an understanding for their product, their culture and their mission. Read their press releases and peruse company financial information. This may sound like overkill, however, when your resume gets stacked up against that of 200 other interested applicants, it is advantageous to do your homework.

Planning Process
The first step to writing a winning resume is introspection. Begin by asking yourself what characteristics are required to make an applicant the perfect candidate for the job. Mentally putting yourself on the other side of the interview desk is a tip that will help you structure your resume properly. When you have outlined the type of person you would hire for the job, you are on your way to understanding how to position a document that meets the employer's requirements. The next step is to outline the portions of your background and experience that match your idea of a candidate who would get the offer.

Content
Write using action verbs that demonstrate your accomplishments. Recording a laundry list that sounds like a job description will quickly get your resume tossed in the "no thank you" pile. It is mandatory to show a potential employer how you added value to an organization. Quantify results. If you saved the company money by designing a simplified work process, or lead a sales team that exceeded goals, make sure these endeavors are noted. Use powerful words that evoke strong and memorable images of you as a professional.

Considerations
Beyond powerful content, a clean looking resume gets attention. Leave some white space on the page. There is no law that says a resume must be one page. Two pages are acceptable. Use a font that is easy to read. Recruiters get annoyed with small print. The most important details about you should be on the top half of the first page. Reporting relationships are helpful to show on a resume. If you reported to the CEO, or vice president of marketing, make that apparent. Proof your resume carefully and ask two other individuals to review it for errors. If you are sending a cover letter with your resume, keep it short.