An electronic resume is what most of us rely on today to initiate communication with a potential employer. It may be in the form of a Word document, PDF file, on your website, on job board websites or pasted into the email you send.

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Once your information is available in electronic form, it is easy to share that information with others and for others who receive your information to share it with people they desire. So while you need to send your resume in order to be considered for most jobs, you should also ensure your information, especially your contact information, remains safe and secure.

There are many types of scams out there today that can put your information at risk. For instance, many people may refer to websites such as Craigslist to find job opportunities. While there are many legitimate opportunities available on the site, there are also scammers who may post a job opportunity that appears to be legitimate in order to collect information on people for other uses.

If you are sending your resume electronically to a source you are not familiar with, take caution in the type of information you include.

Here are some ways to safeguard your information.

1. Do not include your mailing address.
   There is no need for a potential employer to know your actual physical address when you are only at the initial stage of applying for a job. Rather than list your physical mailing address, only indicate the city and state. As long as you include a phone number and email address, the employer will know how to contact you. The information can be supplied at a later point when you know it is a legitimate job opportunity.
2. Use a Google Voice number.
   Sign up for a free Google Voice number and you won’t have to share your home number or mobile number. There’s no cost involved to sign up for a number and you also have the convenience of having voice mails sent to you via email as a transcript and access to the audio recording electronically.
3. Audit your email address.
   Don’t be surprised by how much information one can find out about you by simply knowing your email address. If you have a primary email address you have used to sign up for social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook or Flickr, and your settings for these accounts are not set to private, people can easily access all the information you have included to these sites. For more security, use another email address on your resume that does not have a history on the Internet for others to search information on you.
4. Customize the settings on your resume on job boards.
   Most job board websites that offer resume posting allow you to customize your settings. You do not necessarily need to make your entire resume publicly available for everyone (or all employers) to view. For instance, on Monster, you may select to have your resume public, but hide your contact information. Employers may continue to view your qualifications and experience without having access to your contact information. If they have a desire to contact you, it is sent to a confidential Monster email address for you to determine if you want to respond to it.
5. Refrain from sharing information that is not needed during the application process.
   Information such as your social security number and date of birth may be needed for employment. You may also need to supply your bank account information for direct pay, but there is no reason to share this information beforehand, during the application process. If such requests are made, it’s a clear sign it may be a scam. Never share such information until employment is offered and you have determined it is a legitimate opportunity.

When preparing and sending your resume for a job opportunity to a contact or source you are unfamiliar with, there is always a risk. Once a resume is sent electronically, it can live on the Internet indefinitely. You can be at risk for identity theft if the source you are sending your resume to is illegitimate. You also do not have any control over who that person decides to forward it to or where they post it to.

Always err on the side of caution because once an electronic resume is released it is not always possible to pull back.

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Writing a resume from scratch is no easy task. Even if you are working off of a resume template, you still need to formulate how to place your experiences and accomplishments into words effectively. You also need to narrow down which type of information from your experiences are relevant and worthy of mentioning on a resume.

It may only take an employer a couple of seconds to review your resume and determine if you are a qualified candidate worthy of follow-up, which makes it even more important to fine tune your resume information so that it gives an immediate punch to get you noticed.

To help ease the process of gathering the appropriate information for your resume and formulating the content to help you stand out, here are some steps and questions to take:

1. Create an outline of your career history from past to present.

Pull together the details of your employment history for the last five to 10 years. You’ll need the name of the employer, position you held, dates of employment and a general overview of your role at the company.

2. Determine what types of experiences and strengths the job you are seeking requires.

When you know what types of experiences and skills are desired for the job you are applying for, you can customize your resume information so that it is more relevant and targeted to what potential employers may be looking for. Not all of your past experiences need to go on a resume, only what is relevant and information that will help demonstrate you qualify. Knowing this information will also help you craft the starting point for your resume where you include a “Summary of Qualifications” or similar title to that effect to inform an employer what you have to offer.

3. Develop a brand statement or value proposition.

An effective resume informs an employer what you have to offer and demonstrates your potential based on previous accomplishments and achievements. Quantify results to help demonstrate what areas you are strong at and the level of skills you have. Do not rely on simply indicating responsibilities you’ve held. That will not tell an employer how good you are at the job.

4. Evaluate what keywords you need to include.

A majority of employers today use scanning technology to help filter the most relevant resumes that come in. In order for your resume to make it to the hands of the contact who will decide who to invite for follow-up, you need to first get past its scanning technology that is tracking a set of keywords. The more relevant keywords you have that are part of its top-tier search criteria, the higher your chances your resume will be reviewed by a person. Keep the keywords in mind as you write your resume to incorporate it where possible, but in the appropriate context. The job advertisement is where you will find the most relevant keywords to include to your resume. Other sources you may rely on to find keywords include job descriptions that may appear on job boards.

Don’t be surprised by how much time it takes to write a resume. If it were an easy task, there wouldn’t be the need for professional resume writers. Take the time to create a quality backgrounder for yourself because it is your main tool to getting your foot in the door with most employers.

If you want to get a call back, you will need to make your resume relevant, targeted and punchy to capture the attention of an employer within seconds. Also be sure to give it another review and have another person review it before sending it off. One minor mistake in spelling or grammar can cost you. Today’s employers are quick to dismiss a resume. They are overloaded with applications and resumes so in reviewing resumes for qualifications, they are also looking for reasons to dismiss it.

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Have you ever noticed that the person who gets promoted is not always the most competent for the job?

Or how about the person who did all the work not being recognized as much as the person who talks about it?

Or what about the person who is career-stunted because they once said the wrong thing to the wrong person.

These are all symptoms of not managing your career.

Many hard-working people suffer in their career growth solely because they have not spent the time to identify the factors and people who most influence their career. Here are 3 simple tips to help you get going:

1. Clarify Your Job Goals

In fast-paced organizations (and who isn’t in one nowadays), it is easy to lose focus on what is really important. Make sure you have sat down with your manager and clearly identified and PRIORITIZED your goals. Make a point to regularly communicate progress.

KEY TIP: Managers hate it when you come to them with problems and no solutions, so if an obstacle comes up, make it easy on your boss by presenting a number of viable solutions and action plans.

2. Identify Your Boss’ Goals

Become a career ally to your manager by understanding how they are measured and then see how you might be able to contribute. Don’t be a brown nose, but if you know more about what their personal priorities are and can find a way to assist, you will be viewed in a new light.

3. Map Out the Key Decision-Makers and Influencers

When is the last time you clearly identified those who can affect your career? Clearly your boss, but what other people influence him and his managers?

What about the HR people who will always be involved when there are promotions under consideration?  Make it a point to build strong alliances with them so they can understand your management style.

Make sure you identify the political game-players who are focusing on building a fiefdom, because while you are working to produce results, they are strategizing as to how they can surround themselves with loyal followers and advance their career.

Then take the time to see who influences your boss, their boss, HR and your peers. Then grade yourself on a scale of 1-10 regarding your relationship with each key member. Now build a plan to get more visibility and ally yourself with those in command.

Take 1 hour of your time to map out your career strategy and you will enjoy faster career growth and security.

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Whether you are starting to write a resume on a fresh sheet of paper or building off of one that you already have, make sure the information you present is targeted and concise to attract employers’ interest.

It’s not just about how a resume looks, but the information you present that can make a resume come off as cluttered and simply too difficult to motivate someone to carefully review. You have to ask when writing a resume if the information is relevant and presented in the most concise way.

It is especially easy to clutter a resume if you are a career changer. When you are searching for a new job and decide to add your latest experiences to an existing resume, you can end up with a hodgepodge of information that doesn’t relay an effective message to potential employers. The information on your resume may have worked well for your previous career, but you really need to repurpose the information to appeal to the employers in the new career field you are looking in to.

Here are some ways to ensure your resume content is polished and clear of clutter:

1. Define the industry and career you are seeking a job in.
   People often think that if information about experience is broadened that it can come off as more relevant and increase your chances, but all that does for a resume is dilute the core and critically important information. You are better off consolidating relevant information on a resume, and if necessary, creating another version of a resume that speaks directly to the other industries and/or career desired.
2. Consolidate the information in your opening summary.
   Regardless of whether you choose to have a “Profile Summary” or “Highlights” section at the top of your resume, make sure it gives sufficient information to present your professional background, knowledge and experience without throwing out too much on the table. Also, do not waste time presenting what you desire. Instead, focus on what you have to offer. The opening summary is meant to present enough information to entice an employer to want to continue. It is not meant for you to finalize the sale in that one section, so don’t feel as though you need to present all fine details. Get this section punchy enough to give a solid representation in a few seconds of the skills and experience you have to offer.
3. Evaluate your work history.
   It is especially critical for the career changer to evaluate what information to present as work history on a resume.  Typically, work history is presented in chronological order, from the most recent to the past, but it may not be appropriate to include every single experience you have hand since high school. For career changers, keep in mind that the employer only cares about relevant experience and strengths for the job applied for. Present information that shows transferable experience and skills. It may not matter that you won 99 percent of legal cases in your career as a trial lawyer if you are now applying for a job as an emergency room nurse. Also, if you have more than 10 years of experience, focus on highlighting the most recent relevant experience. Employers care about what you have done most recently. What you did 20 years ago will bear less weight in an employer’s decision.
4. Keep only quantifiable statements.
   Present selling points that demonstrate quantifiable results. If there are statements in your resume that don’t sell or demonstrate results, they are simply wasting space. Remove it. It’s not going to bring value to an employer that reviews your resume.
5. Present essential educational and technical information/skills.
   Educational information and technical skills are important selling points on a resume for the recent graduate who does not have much else to show in terms of work experience. However, it becomes much less important to an employer for candidates with several years of professional experience.  Focus these sections of the resume only on the critical information, such as college/university attended and degree obtained. Technical information should only be included if you have functional knowledge that is unique for the job. Don’t bother wasting space noting you are proficient with Excel, PowerPoint or other basic software programs that today’s employers expect all candidates to know.
6. Eliminate old school resume rules.
   Forget about starting your resume with an “Objective” statement. Employers do not want to know about what you are interested in. They want to know what you have to offer. The old school resume may also include a fax number and a note at the end on “References available upon request.” If you still have such information on your resume, it will only make it appear cluttered and outdated.

Keep in mind that resumes typical run one to two-pages long, at most. Utilize white space to help make your resume easier on the eyes and carefully evaluate the content. Limit it to only information that will present to an employer your experiences, strengths and accomplishments that can directly apply to the job and position you desire.

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Even when you have the education and professional background to qualify for the job, don’t count on it as a sure win that you will be asked to come in for an interview. In fact, your qualifications may hinder your chances.

It’s very common in today’s market for employers to dismiss a job applicant’s application and resume because they are “overqualified.” Yes, you read correctly. It’s not a matter of being under qualified, but overqualified. The fact is today’s market has an abundant supply of highly qualified candidates but not enough jobs to go around for everyone.

More candidates are resorting to applying for positions where the level of expertise required on the job is below their previous position’s requirements. Many candidates today are also choosing to change careers, starting at an entry level, where there may be more job opportunities.

The challenge for today’s job applicants is not simply competing with so many other applicants but finding a fine balance of information to place on their resume without coming off overqualified. Employers are mostly concerned that, if you take a lesser position, you will leave once your find a position that is more commensurate with your skills.

Here are a few tips to help guide you in preparing your resume for the next job opportunity and avoid coming off overqualified and ruining your chances at the opportunity.

1. Only include relevant work experience.
   Focus on what the employer is looking for and show them you can do it. If some of your management experience is not a part of their job description, then don’t mention it. This tip is especially critical for applicants moving from one career to another.

   For instance, if you had your own mortgage or construction firm and are now just looking for a sales job, just speak to your experience driving sales.  You can also change your title from Owner (no one searches for Owners) to Sales Manager. Consider having a Career Highlights section before your professional experience that showcases your very impressive sales results before they read about your career chronology.

2. Highlight only degrees you obtained that are necessary to qualify for the job.
   Many of today’s positions require candidates to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree. If you continued to pursue education to obtain other degrees, earning you the title of Ph.D., M.D. or others, don’t be so quick to include that information on your resume. You have to ask if it is at all relevant to the job you are applying for. It’s great if you moved on to obtain your Ph.D. in neuroscience, but if the employer’s business and the job is focused on finance and accounting for toy manufacturing/distribution, your additional education will be of little relevance and may sway an employer to reconsider whether you are relevant for the position.
3. Work your cover letter to give a sufficient explanation as to why you want the job and how your experience, skills and talent make you the right fit.
   The last thing an employer wants is a new hire who took the job because he couldn’t get anything better and is just settling. Give the employer confidence that you are challenged by the opportunity and will be there a year from now. If there is the chance your resume comes off as overqualified, in addition to working the tips above, make sure to provide sufficient explanation in your cover letter. Many people are focusing more on quality of life and are willing to give up the stress and long hours of management positions, so don’t be afraid to state that. The employer needs to know that you are not simply taking the job because you can’t find anything better. They also need to be assured that you aren’t going to be quick to run off to another job as soon as the market improves or another opportunity opens up that is more in line with your level of experience from your previous position.

Your resume is a marketing tool to help get your foot in the door for an interview. Placing too much information or irrelevant information will only give the employer more reason to dismiss you. Carefully review the job posting and do your research to really understand what skills and talents are desired for the position so that you present your resume and qualifications in the best light. Not everything you’ve accomplished, regardless of how significant it is, is appropriate to include in your resume. Think to yourself about whether what you’ve presented is too much information and not enough relevance. Employers review resumes to find a reason to reject a candidate.

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Doing well in a job interview is the result of many things, ranging from the first impressions you make with your physical appearance (body language) to how well you communicate and respond to questions. There are the predictable questions, such as “What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?” and then there are the offbeat questions that may make your nerves rattle and leave you dazed as to how to respond diplomatically and professionally.

The fact is there isn’t going to be a correct answer to offbeat questions, only correct responses. Such questions are usually asked to help the employer understand how well you handle tough situations and how you think through solutions. Are you one to get rattled and breakdown in communication when stumped with an odd question or do you stay calm, cool and collected, maintaining confidence and a positive attitude?

There’s no real way to prepare for the oddball questions because they are “offbeat,” but what you can do is ensure your communication and responses to such questions leave a positive message that helps the employer develop the best possible impression of you.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain positive communication and composure during job interviews regardless of what questions are asked:

• Think positive and keep your tone and responses positive. Your mission is to make yourself desirable to the employer based on your experience, talent and skills. If you focus on what you have to offer and express confidence and a positive tone, the employer will develop a much better impression in your favor than if you touch on negative points that may make you less favorable of a candidate. Even when questions are asked about your weaknesses, your mission is to address the question directly and immediately turn it to a more positive note such as how you would work through the problem and address it.
• Don’t restate the negative. Just because an employer positions a question a specific way that may connote the negative, do not follow that lead in your response. For instance, avoid stating “My greatest weakness is….” Instead, respond by jumping right into what you have done to address the issue and how it has helped you succeed. This approach helps you avoid jumping around the question but puts the focus of the key message on an area that is an advantage for you.
• Turn to your creative side and humor. Not all questions in an interview require a serious response. Offbeat questions are often times asked by employers to test your creativity and humor.  Demonstrate your ability to think on your feet. Also find ways in which you can relate it back to the job. The important thing is to not let these types of questions stump you, and the best way to do that is to take in the question with a bit of humor and respond in the same manner.
• Never say, “I don’t know.” Such a response implies to an employer that you are unprepared and give up easily to challenges, which isn’t the ideal impression you want to make. Take a moment to process the question and analyze how you can respond back in a way to further express your character while possibly tying it back to your capabilities for the job. In such situations, it may also help to think out loud. Such an approach helps you walk the employer through your thinking process rather than have dead silence in the air for too long.

The key to doing well in a job interview as it relates to communication and your response to questions is to remain poised and self-assured. While the question may appear to be an approach by the employer to knock you off your feet, remain positive and calm in your response. Also, always give a response that ties back to how you are the most fit for the job.

So you’ve gotten through the hurdle of securing an employer’s interest with your resume, but now the real challenge begins – the interview.

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While an interview is no guarantee to a job offer, your chances at it are much improved if you properly prepare for it well ahead of time. Here is information you should have on hand before stepping through the doors of any employer to create the best possible impression.

• Understand the organization’s mission.
  When I was hiring people the first question I would ask was “What do you know about us”? If the response indicated that they did not bother to spend the time to research our firm, they were a definite Do Not Hire.

  So check out the organization’s website to get a general sense of what they are about, what products/services are offered, who its audience is, where its office locations are and who the key members of management are. Importantly, look at their latest news and press releases and see if that applies to you. Perhaps they just opened a new plant and need someone who can quickly step into an HR role and staff it. For specialized industries, you may also find it helpful to scour through industry journal and newsletters. And don’t forget to look them up on LinkedIn and even Facebook to get a sense of their messaging.

  Reading up on the company and the latest general industry news will give you a clearer picture of issues that matter, and help you to speak “smartly.” The messages and points you make during the interview will fit in line with what is relevant to the employer.

  For a great example of how powerful this small step can be, see Quick Way to Own the Interview

• Check out the Decision Maker and Interviewer
  You should always get as much information about the decision maker and interviewer through LinkedIn. It will tell you how long they’ve been there, where they came from and if you look at the groups and discussions they participate in, their areas of interest.  It will also tell you if someone else had this job and whether they left or got promoted.

  I know a sales guy who turned an interview with a sour hiring manager into an instant job offer by researching his background and discovering his long military career. So when he related his own military career to his disciplined approach to sales, he built instant rapport and differentiated himself from other candidates.

• Prepare supporting points to demonstrate how your experience, skills and strengths are relevant and will benefit the employer.
  An interview is a chance for you to learn about the opportunity as well as for the employer to further determine if you are the best candidate for the job. Start by identifying the 5 top skills that are the most important to the job and then focus on how you have demonstrated them successfully in your career.

  Some employers may ask for a rundown of your resume while others may poke at specific experiences on your resume and dig deeper for more information or examples to demonstrate your skills and success. Go over your resume and make sure you know what you will say about each experience to make yourself shine.  Be aware of what you have written on your resume so that your talking points match up and enhance the messages you’ve projected from the resume. Be ready to provide case examples to help demonstrate specific points and achievements.

• Be prepared with questions for the employer.
  Each interview takes on a different format, but somewhere along the way an employer will likely ask if you have any questions. Even if the interview was packed with information, always have questions prepared to ask the employer that have not been touched on or that you can benefit from by having more information. Asking questions expresses to an employer that you are serious and sincerely interested in the company and position.

  Asking the “right” questions can also help solidify a positive impression. For instance, if you have done the proper research on the company before the interview, you may have knowledge of developments happening at the company or within the industry that may have an impact on the job you apply for. Asking questions that express you are thinking ahead about the job and how certain developments may impact the business demonstrates to an employer that you are a “smart” candidate. You are already thinking like you belong in the position and looking ahead at how to address possible challenges. These types of questions can also help the employer see how you fit right in.  Also see The Most Important Question to Ask in an Interview.

• List of references.
  Many employers ask candidates to complete an application form upon arrival. Applications often ask you to list references. Come prepared with two to three contacts you have recently been in contact with who are aware of your job search and who can provide positive feedback. You will need the references’ business information (company, title, phone number and email address).

  Many employers do not resort to contacting references until they have come down to one or two candidates to choose from. Make sure you have properly obtained permission from your contacts to list their information as your reference. They should also be briefed on the position you are applying for so that they are well informed should the employer take action to contact them.

Preparing for an interview is about having the right state of mind, but there are also other common things you must have prepared that may be overlooked. Make sure you have extra copies of your resume and pen and paper to take down important notes that allow you to personalize the thank you follow-up note after the interview. For those applying for a position such as art or writing, make sure to have a portfolio of your work to leave behind or to show to the employer.

Lastly, know who you will be meeting with. In addition, account early for how to get to the address and how much time it will take you. Don’t sabotage all the time and effort you put in to preparing for the interview by arriving late to an appointment. Small issues like these can make an immediate negative impression.

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Employers looking to fill a retail manager position will seek a candidate with experience, skills, and success in areas related to operations, employee management/training, costs control, customer relations, merchandising and marketing.  To craft a resume with impact for retail management, you have to demonstrate results. It is not enough to simply outline responsibilities you’ve held. You need to highlight specific accomplishments and/or contributions that directly impacted the success and profitability of a business.

Some specific skills or strengths to highlight on your resume that will help to demonstrate success in retail management include:

• Customer relations
  One of the more important aspects to the job of a retail manager is understanding and knowing what your customers need and want. The more you understand these requirements, the higher your chances of success in achieving customer satisfaction.

  One way to demonstrate success in this area on your resume is by indicating specific actions that led to a high-rate of repeat and referral customers.  Indicate on your resume relevant successes such as securing a 90% customer loyalty rate. Also mention if you launched initiatives such as a Loyalty Program, customer promotions, newsletters or social media campaigns (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and what kind of outcomes they produced. These types of results help demonstrate that you know what it takes to gain a loyal following.

• Marketing and Merchandising
  Retail managers who know how to market and merchandise the store’s products can see significant growth in sales.

  Success can be demonstrated in this area in many ways. Show how you measured sales trends and inventory levels and translated this into effective merchandising strategies. Perhaps you changed the layout of the store, pushing the women’s merchandise closer to the entrance of the storefront to help draw more customers from a targeted client segment or reduce inventory for seasonal items. Or, you developed a marketing campaign that strengthened the store’s brand and focus on shoes that generated a 25% increase of sales in that department within 3 months.

• Inventory Control
  Holding inventory that does not move, being out of stock for wanted items, or losing inventory due to theft are some of the worst things that can happen in a retail environment. So show your ability to control your inventory levels.

  Did you save money by reducing inventory levels? Did you reduce out-of-stock conditions? Did you launch a theft-control program?  Quantify the results of these programs to show how you are managing the product mix in the store.

• Employee management and training
  Retail managers are not always at the front line of business, which is why one’s ability to apply effective employee management and training for other employees is critical for a retail store to operate successfully.

  Demonstrate success in this area on your resume by indicating, for instance, how a particular training program you developed increased customer service and sales levels and improved staff retention. Perhaps you provided training to employees that helped them find different ways to encourage a shopper to buy more. If a customer is shopping for a pair of jeans, the cashier and sales employees are trained to also recommend belts that go well with the jeans, resulting in additional sales.

• Awards and Recognition
  Awards and recognition for retail management are particularly common with chain stores. Highlight such recognition on your resume to support your other points.

  The best indicator is how you are ranked against your peers. Perhaps your store has a track record of being the top-grossing sales store quarter after quarter or you’ve been named “Store Manager of the Year.” These types of highlights on your resume will help demonstrate to employers your effectiveness and success in retail management.

When detailing successes and accomplishments on your resume, always incorporate information to give perspective on the relevance of your experience to the job applied for. Detail the size of the store, number of employees and departments involved to retail management. What type of customer base did you handle?

Pull all the right information together and you will have a very compelling resume.

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Whether you are putting together your resume from scratch, editing an existing version or seeking the help of a professional resume writer and giving it a final review, there are simple and quick fixes to apply to give your resume an improved quality. Remember that employers will only give a resume a brief glance so make sure you follow these rules.

1. Resume Length
   The notion of a 1-page resume is a myth, and while 1 page is appropriate for entry-level positions, most resumes are getting longer as employers are getting more candidates than before and want to see real details to be able to qualify you.
   
   I used to work with one of the best advertising copywriters in the world who would get $114,000 for a day’s work (his copy sold that much more products) and what he told me is absolutely true for resumes: your message must be compelling and simple to read. That means avoid having a 1-page resume that is dense and hard to read or a 2-page resume that does not showcase your skills.

   If you have over 10 years of experience, you should probably have a 2-page resume and it is very common for executives to have 3-page resumes.

2. Make your resume legible
   To meet the “simple to read” test, a resume needs to be balanced with quality content and offer a welcoming appearance. No one enjoys reading blocks of heavy text. Make it easy on the reader’s eyes.

   Use paragraphs for roles and responsibilities and bullets for accomplishments so they are easy to find. Use white space to help place content into consumable formats and to make your resume more inviting to read. Creating relevant headlines for the different sections of your resume and using features, such as bold and italics, to emphasize words will also help.

3. Review and revise keywords
   If you haven’t thought about incorporating keywords into your resume, it’s time to do so. More and more employers today are resorting to scanning technology to help filter the most relevant resumes for initial review. Few organizations have the time and resources to manually review each of the hundreds (perhaps, thousands) of resumes received each day. If your resume does not contain the appropriate keywords, it’s not likely that you will make the mark for consideration.

   At the same time, make sure the keywords you include are used in context and are the most relevant. For instance, there are variations to words. While you may be using a keyword that the employer is also calling out with the scanning technology, you have to ask yourself whether there is a variation that you need to consider to bolster your presence. Be careful with abbreviations screeners may not be familiar with so spell them out.

4. Check for consistency.
   A consistent format can make your resume more polished. For instance, if you lead your work experience information with the name of your former employer, followed by the title held and dates you were employed, you need to continue with that format throughout your resume. Inconsistencies can make your resume appear clumsy.

   Also watch out for the terminology and spelling of words. If you are a PR professional, you may often use the term “press release” or “news release.” Select one and stick with it throughout your resume. Also, words such as “health care” and “healthcare” are both correct, but it should be consistent on your resume.

5. Get a second pair of eyes.
   You can never go wrong with reviewing your resume another round for errors. Typos are a huge turn off for many employers. Typos leave one with a sense of lack of professionalism. Review your resume from top to bottom one additional round before submitting it. Additionally, be careful of common errors around the use of certain words such as “whether” and “weather” or “affect” and “effect” as to whether you have chosen the correct word. It’s best to get a second pair of eyes as the reviewer will have a fresh perspective and catch problem areas that you may completely glaze over given you’ve been working on it for a lengthy time.

These simple and quick fixes can make a difference between your resume making the cut, or falling into the “trash” or “delete” pile. These are simple adjustments and changes you can make to your resume to help increase its success and come across as a polished professional before you step through the doors for that face-to-face meeting.

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A sales professional’s resume needs to succinctly demonstrate achievements and results that immediately state to employers: “I can beat your goals.”

Sales is very measurable and your resume must highlight both your quantifiable accomplishments as well as certain soft skills.

There are different metrics that you can use to quantify results and demonstrate sales success on a resume to impress employers. Consider the following:

• Meet and/or Exceed Sales Quota
  Professionals in a sales position are given a quota to meet. Demonstrate on your resume your ability to meet your sales quota consistently, or even go beyond it, by providing the percentage of your achievements within the most recent years. If you have a strong track record, you will shine.

  Many sales resumes go wrong by stating such things as “grew business $250K over previous year”. Very nice, but is this good or bad, meaning how did this compare against your goal? Better to say “Delivered 121% of quota”. You may want to add “by growing business $250K over previous year” but remember that in some companies, $250K may not be considered very much.

• Your Rank Against Your Peers
  Companies want to hire top performers so demonstrate that you are one by indicating your rank: “Consistently ranked in the Top 5 out of 150 peers nationwide”. You can also put in percentages: “Ranked in Top 10%”.
• Drive New Business
  There are other ways to make your sales resume stand out and this includes your ability to drive new business and increase the customer base. Demonstrate on your resume your ability to deliver new accounts by quantifying how much new business you brought in and how this compared to others in the company. For instance, “increased client base by 45% versus a company average of 15%”.
• Strong Customer Retention and Account Penetration
  Getting a big customer is great and you show how you were able to drive greater year-over year sales by expanding the company’s presence into other areas of the account. Also highlight your strong account management skills by indicating your retention rate. Use phrases like “Increased sales at existing customers by over 15% each year and earned a 100% retention rate”. Even better if you can add what the average retention rate is for others in the company.
• Closing Rate
  Employers value sales professionals who can close deals. Again try to compare yourself against your peers by stating “Noted for 72% closing rate versus company average of 45%”.
• Awards
  If you have been ranked and awarded for your effectiveness and success on the job, include it as a highlight on your resume. It can help further support the points you make to demonstrate you are a standout sales professional.
• Training and Certifications
  Informing an employer that you have received up-to-date training or have been certified can be another impressive mark on the resume. It reinforces your personal character and shows how you continue to seek education and knowledge to improve yourself and your effectiveness in your career. Also highlight if you were selected to train others in your personal sales practices.
• Highlight Your Relationships
  If you have built loyal relationships with companies that the employer would like to get into, then make sure you stress this. This shows that you can gain an introduction to key accounts much faster than other sales reps, so don’t forget to show your experience in dealing with the type of customer or client base the employer handles. Whether your experience is with start-ups, companies that are overseas or large corporations, plug these relevant details in with your quantified results to make an even more impressive mark.

Your resume can be viewed as a direct reflection of your sales abilities. Market yourself effectively on the resume by demonstrating results in all aspects of the sales profession to show you have contributed to the success of revenue growth for your former employers.