How to Get Your Resume on Top of the "Yes" Pile

There are hundreds of books written specifically about resume writing. Many job seekers will opt to purchase one of these books and write their own resume to avoid the high cost of having one professionally written. If you choose this option, make sure that the book you choose has been written recently because resume structure can become outdated.

There are standards in resumes that never go out of style. We will discuss four standards in this article.

Never apply for a job for which you don't qualify. Submitting your resume to employers is not a numbers game. Many job seekers go so far as to submit their resumes to as many job listings as they can find whether they have the skills asked for or not. Their thinking is that the more resumes sent, the more likely someone will hire them. That is a total waste of time and effort. Your resume will only be viewed for five seconds to determine if it goes in the round file or the "yes" pile.

Always include a cover letter that is targeted and specifies your qualifications. Your cover letter acts as an introduction to your resume. In fact, your cover letter will determine if your resume should be studied at all. The cover letter will let the employer know whether you are a good match for the job and the company to which you are applying.

It is best that you address the cover letter to the person who is doing the hiring. If there is no name in the job listing, try looking up the company's website for the human resource director or the head of the department doing the hiring. If their name is not available on the website, call the company and ask for the name and correct spelling. Never address the person by their first name; you are being too familiar with someone you don't know.

Always be specific about the position you are applying for. Make sure that you use correct spelling and grammar. Make the cover letter as attractive as possible with the proper layout, especially if it is an email. In fact, online cover letters and resumes are preferred by most employers. Learn the proper formatting for emails.

Do not use a "one for all and all for one" resume. Your resume should be targeted for a specific job. Specify your objective at the top of your resume. Do not use a general statement such as "a challenging position to utilize my skills" as your objective. It is better to say "a full-time position as an administrative assistant" or get even more specific if you can. Learn to customize your resume to the specific job you are applying for. It will stand out from the crowd of "one size fits all" resumes most employers receive. Customization of your resume to the job shows the employer that you take his job listing seriously.

List your strengths first. This is the most important information to the hiring employer. State how your experience and background is a good fit for the job you are targeting. Use numbers and percentages in your statements. For example, "Spearheaded a campaign to increase production by 10%" shows the employer that you not only lead the way to increased production, but you know specifically how much increase occurred.

If you are a college graduate, start your resume talking about your education and your degree. Placing these things at the beginning of your resume will at least get your resume in the "yes" pile to be looked over in more detail at a later date.