Many candidates still thinks that resume is just a complete list of employment and education history... This is true, but is also boring and not enough. Beyond that, it's got to be a selling document. It needs to make very clear that you are highly skilled and an excellent candidate for the position.

A resume probably includes one kind of information: historical data that tells an employer who you are, where you came from, and what you did. It may also list skills that may or may not be transferable to a new job.

None of this information tells an employer what you can do for him. The resume leaves it up to the employer to figure that out for himself. That's no way to market yourself. But that's all the information 99% of resumes contain.

Market yourself
First, you have to clearly understand what makes your work and abilities valuable to the recruiting company. Don't just think about your skills, but about how you have used your skills to help an employer succeed and be more profitable.

The resume has to say not just where you've worked, but how well you've performed. Give brief information about what you have accomplished, in addition to your responsibilities.

For example, "As a Sales Manager, successfully used a team management style of supervision to increase sales performance; increased market shares to 70% in two year time; promoted staff to management through an emphasis on training and development; maintained A/R at a healthy level..."

Another example for a Customer Service Manager: don't just write, "Directly supervise 12 Customer Service Representatives". Instead write, "Directly supervise 12 Customer Service Representatives entailing training on computer system, troubleshooting, scheduling to meet peak demands, and maintaining employee records..."

Try to use active verbs such as maintained, supervised, managed, as opposed to saying, was responsible for...

Two basic types of Resume are often used: Chronological Resume and Functional Resume.

A chronological resume - which works best for most people - emphasizes employment dates and perhaps increases in responsibility over time.

On the other hand, a functional resume places less importance on dates and more on the skills gathered through the years. A functional resume can work best, for career shifters, those with an inconsistent work history, and those who may be a bit older than the average job-seeker but don't want to call attention to the fact.

In fact, some people may have both a functional and a chronological resume, or even several different versions of the same resume, highlighting different objectives and different skills.

Finally, the purpose a resume serves varies from industry to industry. A resume for the banking industry might certainly look different from a resume for the advertising industry. In sales, for instance, just a brief resume can often get you an interview; in other fields, a more detailed resume is the only way to get your foot in the door.

Appearance of the Resume

Typically, a resume should be in one page. However, that's not always the case, especially if you have at least 10-15 years' experience, or a list of publications you've written ...In case you need more room to get all your skills in, then go to two pages.

The length of the resume might also depend on the format you use -chronological or functional.

References

Select your references carefully. Pick references who will emphasize your wonderful attributes, but make sure they will satisfy the employer so he won't need to track down more references on his own. This is a good mix: a recent boss, a recent co-worker, and a recent customer or vendor who knows the quality of your work.