by Laura Smith-Proulx

You’ve promised yourself to get really ready for the job search this time, dusting off that suit and polishing your interviewing skills.

How about your résumé? Maybe you’ve heard that most résumés get only a 10-15 second glance. Will yours stand out? Are you worried about covering gaps between jobs or encountering age discrimination?

These tips can help assess your résumé with a critical eye, create a stellar first impression, and get your phone ringing:

Strategize.

Skip the objective statement in favor of a summary that shows what you offer an employer. Why use “A challenging position utilizing my abilities and skills”, when “Innovative, customer-focused Multimedia Web Designer with demonstrated ability to set site traffic improvement standards” will do? Use short, clear, sentence fragments—think marketing copy.

Don’t Be Shy.

Add your positive qualities to the summary. Are you tenacious? Loyal? Committed to quality? Do you pay strong attention to details? These are the attributes a prospective employer WANTS to find out. Mention of “soft skills” can effectively capture your work style and dedication.

Consider Your Target.

Many job seekers throw every detail on a résumé, hoping something will stick and interviewers will be able interpret their qualifications. However, it is best to focus on career goals and selectively portray credentials to win the interview. Hint: If you cannot dedicate the résumé to one clear job type, you may need at least two versions.

Use Figures.

Which looks more impressive? “Provided outside sales and marketing for large client base”, or “Secured additional 30% business and brought in four major accounts.” Think about how your work resulted in serious gains for employers—and show, don’t tell! Did you help turn around a particular situation to the company’s benefit? Are you known for efficiency? Do you tend to exceed deadlines? Convert these accomplishments to figures where possible.

Use Dates to Your Advantage.

Age becomes less of an issue when you consider that most employers focus on the past 10-15 years of work history. Detail recent positions, but forego dates on older jobs (summarize these under an “Early Career” heading). Use years for job From and To dates, instead of months. Page Length Doesn’t Matter.

Clarity does, though. Don’t expect a prospective employer to read anything resembling a novel. While there is no “magic” length, more than eight years of professional experience typically dictates a second page—but not necessarily a third.

Utilize “Extra” Experience.

Volunteer jobs, internships, or part-time employment can be useful in covering work history gaps. Most require the same organizational expertise, ability to multi-task, and people skills that a “regular” job does.

Obtain Feedback.

Show your résumé to others in your field, as they can point out missing skills or project work. You can also ask them to evaluate how well your résumé hits the mark.

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread.

Don’t count on spellcheckers to ensure that your meaning is clear. Proper noun misspellings and unintended gaffes are common. Ask a friend to review the final product.

Laura Smith-Proulx, President of 1st Advantage Careers (www.1stAdvantageCareers.com, is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer and job interview coach providing résumé development and interview preparation services. With a background in recruiting and journalism, she applies both a hiring perspective and experience in career progression to counseling her clients through job transitions. She can be reached at info@1stadvantagecareers.com.