Okay, it’s obvious. It’s obvious that the economy isn’t as it should be, and we’ve heard about it for years. It has directly affected the opportunities that we have worked so hard to earn. Your resume is the only thing that can stop you from getting the job. There are many people searching for the few thousand available jobs. You are competing with thousands if not hundreds of other applicants for each position.

Let’s get down to business. What is the best way to make your resume stand out? Let’s take a look.

The Cover Letter

I won’t bore my audience. Look at your cover letter. Count the number of strong adjectives or action verbs. It’s likely that you have very few. This is because you are too concerned about what’s “proper.”
I don’t use the “I believe I can help your company grow and prosper” line. This is something that I believe Executives and Hiring Agents have learned to overlook. Don’t just give a resume. Tell the person exactly what you will do to grow their business.
I am creative. One time, I wrote a cover note that got more responses than any other cover letter. I scrambled every word of the cover letters so that the letters were not in order, minus the first letter. So, for example, “education” turned out to be “exudation.” Within 2 days of my sending, I received 3 replies. How? It was because it was unique and stood out.
I don’t write novels. My resume speaks for itself. You will bore the person who reads your cover letter if you try to write a novel.

Resume

My objective statement explains to someone what position I am applying for, and what I will do to help the company. Don’t just use the same lines that you see on the Internet. It is overblown and does not reflect your capabilities.
I prefer to use general dates over exact dates. Each position appears longer, without being lied about. It also looks less cluttered.
From most recent to earliest, my experience is listed. Too often have I seen petsitters list their first job before they were promoted to supervisor. This means that I will need to hunt for your true qualifications.
Here are the main roles that I played at each job. What does this say to people? It was a sign that someone trusted me to take on responsibility, and that I had an impact on the business. I usually list at least three roles for each.
My resume doesn’t list my GPA. It is impossible to know someone’s expectations for a specific job. My experience speaks for itself. If you have a Yale 4.0, you can list it. Yale should suffice.
My resume includes skills and qualifications that are directly relevant to the job I am applying for. That’s enough about Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This is something that every fifth grader knows. This is not a way to impress anyone.
I don’t list references on my resume. The employer can ask for references. I can alert people to the possibility that an employer may be looking for information.
Finally, I have all my I’m crossed, all my t’s crossed, and everything is organized. Everything must be in order. Consistency is not what is bold, not bold, and italics, not italics. All spaces are equal. The information is accurate and current.