2.  Keep it short.

Stick with two pages max for your resume. Longer documents are used for very senior management and high-level recruiting firms.

3.  Include up-to-date contact info.

Always put in your preferred phone number, as well as your email address. It is amazing how many resumes I have come across that have outdated email addresses or phone numbers. You can’t get an interview if the recruiter can’t reach you!

4. State an objective that shows your interest in the job.

Including an objective at the beginning helps recruiters understand if your needs match those of the position. In lieu of a cover letter, just looking at your resume can give the recruiters a clear idea why you are applying for the job. Be sure to customize your objective for the position rather than using a broad, generic statement (that’s a waste of space).

5.  Include all relevant facts.

Highlighting work history and relevant experience is the next step. Emphasize special achievements and/or accomplishments to catch recruiters’ eyes. Numbers like percentages, revenues, staff size, leads generated, and other quantifiable results work best. List your strongest achievements and qualifications at the top of your resume. Provide your working experience from most recent to least recent job. Include the dates worked for each employer: recruiters and hiring managers look at that information to check the relevance and depth of your experience.

6.  Avoid jargon or buzzwords.

Be direct. List your employment history, education and experiences as they are—facts. However, it is okay to use “power words” and “keywords”. Power words are adjectives to help you describe your achievements (e.g., “reduced operating costs significantly”). “Keywords” will be words that are targeted for the type of jobs you are applying, which is great if a company searches for resumes in resume database or scans resumes using software before being reviewed by people (e.g., “P&L responsibility,” “business development,” “team building,” etc.).