Five ways you can improve your resume right now

PRIME – March 2014 By Robin Ryan Career counselor, author of "Winning Resumes" According to a national survey of human resources personnel and hiring managers, your resume gets a 15 second glance. Just 15 seconds! In today's competitive job market, your resume has to be a door opener. Make it stand out Here are five important techniques to use to make your resume get noticed. Emphasize results. Employers stress that demonstrating the results you achieved matters the most in getting noticed. Lace your resume with the accomplishments you achieved in past positions. Show the impact you had and your productivity by including details concerning money earned or time or dollars saved. Use numbers to reflect, how much, how many, and percentage of gain or reduction. Use keywords. Many employers sort resumes electronically, so resume selection is dependent on the keywords contained in your resume. Make a list of the "buzz words" connected to perform your type of job. Look through employers' job ads to uncover the major ones. Incorporate these keywords into the sentences describing your previous work experience. Target the resume. Be specific and clearly show you meet the requirements of the job you are applying to. Employers search quickly and skim to see you can do a certain job – and they will trash any resume that isn't geared to that position. (Tip: you may need to have more than one resume if you target different positions – i.e. one for Project Manager, another resume when you apply for Systems Analyst). Limit resume to two pages. Employers are primarily interested in the work you've done in the last five to seven years, no matter what level the position is. State results and say exactly what you mean, using the smallest number of words to make the point. Be a skillful editor. Delete anything not relevant or helpful to securing that particular job. Use action verbs. Never use "I" on the resume. Start each sentence with a descriptive action verb – such as directed, organized, established, created, planned, etc. Short impact sentences demonstrating what you have done gather more attention. Proofread carefully before you hit send. The number one complaint employers have is about spelling errors and typos. Career Counselor Robin Ryan provides individual job search coaching services to clients nationwide. The bestselling author of "Over 40 & You're Hired; Winning Resumes"; "Winning Cover Letters"; and" 60 Seconds & You're Hired!"; Robin Ryan has appeared on more than 1,500 TV and radio shows including: Oprah, Dr. Phil, Fox News, and CNUT . For more career advice, visit Ryan's website at www.robinryan.com. Individuals can also contact Ryan about her client services by email at Robin@RobinRyan.com. © Copyright 2013 Robin Ryan. All rights reserved.