Q: How is a resume read? How would a prospective employer really know anything about me based on a resume?

A: You're probably going to put a lot of time and energy into your resume and that's very important. You may be thinking, "How does an employer learn anything about me from this piece of paper?" The employer has certain skills and characteristics that they need to have in their firm or for a particular kind of job. If your resume sends the message, "I have these skills and characteristics," it's worth the time for the employer to interview you. If your resume does not send that message, you probably won't get the interview.

Q: A resume is a work history, right?

A: Some people make the mistake of thinking that a resume is a work history. It's not. It's a presentation of the "professional you" on paper. The importance of the work experience component on the resume is to put your skills and characteristics in a context which is understandable and believable to the employer.

Q: How can I decide what belongs on my resume and what doesn't?

A: There are two rules of thumb for deciding what belongs on your resume. The most important is whatever you put on your resume should give the employer a reason to interview you. It should present a characteristic or a skill the employers needs in their business or for a particular job. The second rule of thumb is common sense. Certain facts have to be on your resume in order to know that it came from you. So, of course, you want to have your name, address and a phone number.

Q: How can I make my resume really stand out against the competition?

A: People put so much effort into their resume sometimes they ask, "How can I make it stand out against the competition?" That's an understandable concern, but it's misplaced. Your goal is to be interviewed, not to be remembered. You could cut your resume in the shape of a paper doll and it would stand out but it wouldn't get you the interview. What will get you the interview? The employer has to make a business decision - is it worth their time to interview you? Do you have the skills and characteristics they need in their company or for a particular job? Since most applicants' resumes don't send that message, yours will stand out because it addresses the employer's need.

Q: What resume format is best for me?

A: Many people wonder what would be the best format for their resume. Should it be chronological? Should it be functional?

The most important rule of thumb is that your resume be logical, not necessarily Chronological. What you want to do is put the most interesting and compelling facts about you first on your resume. If those facts are shown in your current job you probably want to use a Chronological format. If not, you may want to use a Functional format.

A second thing to remember is that your resume must generate interest in you and not suspicion or doubt. Make sure that the employer can follow the organization behind your resume, so that it can be read and believed.

Q: What are the biggest blunders people make on resumes and how can I avoid them?

A: Let's talk about some of the blunders people can make on their resume and how to avoid them. One of the worst blunders is a resume which seems to lack of focus. One way to address this is by having an objective or a summary statement at the very beginning of the resume. That'll give you a roadmap for writing the resume and the employer a roadmap for reading it.

Secondly, some resumes are very poorly organized. If you were to say, "What holds this resume together?" you wouldn't be able to find an answer. You can avoid that by having some logical principle supporting the structure of your resume.

Third, some resumes are very dull - they sound like job descriptions. Would you be interested in somebody's job description if you had 100 resumes in a pile? Probably not. You can avoid that blunder by having a focused message which you carry out using action words throughout your resume.

A fourth blunder is making spelling errors. Even one error could knock you out. Make sure you proofread. Proofread and have someone else proofread your resume before you submit it to an employer.

In an attempt to be different, variations from conventional format can come off as too creative or ironic. It's very often read as simply being in poor taste. You're best off using a conventional format and addressing your skill set to the business needs of your prospective employer.

Q: What can I do if my resume doesn't seem to be working?

A: You've put a lot of energy and thought into your resume, but it doesn't seem to be working. What can you do? One thing you can ask yourself is, "Am I sending it to the right people? Is it the right person in the firm? Are they a hiring manager? Am I being realistic about the kind of job I should be looking for?"

Secondly, look at the message of your resume. If someone who didn't know you read your resume, what would they say about you after a 30 second glance? One way you can test that is to have a stranger read your resume and ask that person, "Just based on what you've read about me, what can you tell about my character and my accomplishments?"

Q: How has technology changed the way a resume may be written, read and reviewed?

A: Don't throw that resume away, you're going to need it. But you may need a second kind of resume, as well. Many firms today, and most databases scan resumes electronically. The scanner is programmed to look for nouns instead of verbs. What does this mean to you? It's a good idea to reformat your resume. At the very top put two or three lines of key nouns, which indicate your skills and accomplishments - details that the employer should know about you.

In the rest of your resume, pepper the area with synonyms for those nouns. These provide additional words for the programmed electronic scanner to target. This system is an advantage to you because it enables an employer to access your resume more quickly and more frequently.