If you don’t do your own nails, cut your own hair or give yourself root canals, why would you write your own resume when it’s the most crucial document of your career? If you still think the resume you wrote yourself will get you into the job market, think again. People tend to be modest when it comes to listing their achievements and sometimes they even leave out the most important highlights because they are being too careful. That’s why you need a professional writer to weave through your job history and highlight the key attributes that will get you hired.

Here are some reasons you should consider getting a professional resume:

1. Look better than ever. I assure you that when you get your resume professionally done, it will look completely different. From the format to the font, everything will be upgraded and you will never have to pull your hair out just trying to arrange it. More importantly, it will reflect your own personal style and be customized to your specific preferences.

2. Have industry keywords to match your job market. Your resume should basically be a marketing document or a sales pitch that gets you in the door of potential hiring managers. Let someone you don’t know look at your resume with fresh eyes so they can give you honest feedback. If they can spot major issues, then they can easily fix them and match you with the best writer to evaluate your career experience and highlight your key achievements.

3. Get up to speed with current industry standards. You can craft your resume from scratch, but it will always be at a basic level instead of a professional advanced level. Many people have the same experience level as one another, but it’s in how they present their job background on paper (e.g. formatting, style, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.) that gets them noticed from other competing candidates. A professional resume may cost around $400, but the benefit is priceless, especially if it will give you a dream job in your industry of choice.

4. Get a better response rate. The key to job search success is how you market yourself to potential employers. If you can’t convince the hiring manager that you’re the best fit for a job, then you need a resume that targets the specific industry requirements. Landing a job is 70% based on presentation and only 30% on your skills and abilities, so having the right attributes will significantly increase your marketability as a potential employee. It’s not about how qualified you are for the job but how you sell yourself that matters.

5. Capture all career highlights and accomplishments. If you want to prove your work ability as a candidate, get your resume written by certified industry professionals because these experts know what employers are looking for. They can dig into your employment history to create a resume that highlights your specific achievements and that draws less attention to any employment gaps or poor academic records you may have. Recruiters scan thousands of resumes per day, so you have to make a strong first impression to hook them or else they’ll just give the job to another potential candidate.

Writing a good resume is not easy, especially if you want it to speak to the potential manager on a professional level. However, with a great resume writing service, you can succeed in attaining that job you want and moving further up the social ladder. Don’t let the fear of spending a few hundred dollars scare you away from getting your resume professionally done because it will ultimately help you in your job search. A professional resume is much more compelling than a homemade resume because it gets more attention and captures more interest. If you want to break into the job market today, get your resume professionally done as your first step to success.

Here’re 10 ways you can use LinkedIn to find a job:

1. Get the word out – Let people know that you’re looking for a job by updating your status. This tells your network of connections that you’re interested in a new position. Because a job search requires large notifications, the more people know about your job hunt, the more likely you’ll get an offer. Even if you don’t find a job, you can still rely on your pool of networks to help you find the right connections.

2. Get recommendations from your colleagues – LinkedIn is a great resource to share your references live on the Internet. You can ask for some testimonials from your former manager and post them on your LinkedIn page. This will prove your credibility as an employee and get others to notice your key accomplishments at the companies you’ve worked for. A strong recommendation from your manager highlights your strengths and shows your value to the potential hiring staff.

3. Find out where people with your background are working – Search for companies in your industry and find out which people are working there. You can even do an advanced search to see if anybody you know or who is from your area works for those companies. If there are, this is a good opportunity for you to connect with them and ask them if their company is recruiting new members.

4. Find out where people at a company came from – LinkedIn offers a special tool that allows you to see the career paths of individuals who’ve worked for a particular company. It’s called “Company Profiles” and it’s a very useful application to find out what kind of experience a company is looking for in new hires.

5. Find out where people at a company go next – LinkedIn’s “Company Profiles” tool also lets you see where people at a certain company go next after leaving the company to do something else. You can track down exactly where employees go after working for one company and find out where other people go from other companies in your sector. This could help you decide which places to work for and which to avoid.

6. Check to see if a company is hiring – You can optimize your job search by going to the company pages on LinkedIn and accessing the “New Hires” section. It lists all the people who’ve joined a company and if you’re really curious, you can ask these new employees how they managed to get their first job. Don’t be afraid to do a bit of detective work to learn the backgrounds of these people that made them so attractive to the manager.

7. Contact the hiring manager – I know this can be daunting, but you have to at least try it in order to get your foot through the door. Not only does LinkedIn provide the option of searching for any job you want, you can see exactly who posted the job. Pay close attention to the ones who live no more than two degrees away from you. You may even know the person who posted the job! It can’t get any better than that. Another way to find companies you have ties to is to use the “Companies in your Network” section on LinkedIn’s job search page.

8. Find the right HR person – Probably the best way to get hired is to find the hiring manager. But if this is not possible, you can always use LinkedIn to find someone inside the company and ask them to deliver your executive resume to the right hiring manager or HR department. When someone receives a resume from a co-worker, even if they don’t know him or her, they almost always pay attention to it.

9. Find out the secret job requirements – It’s hard for people to apply for a job when they don’t know the exact job requirements of a particular job. Job postings rarely list all the skills a hiring manager is seeking in a new employee. Find a connection within a company who can get you the inside scoop on what is required of a new hire for a particular job. You can do this by searching for the company name and looking up the people in your network who connect you to that company. If you don’t have an inside connection, just view the profiles of the people who work for that company to get an idea of their specific background and skills.

10. Find startup companies to join – If worse comes to worse and you can’t find anywhere to work for, find some startup companies you can join. You should definitely try working for a new company especially if you’re just starting out in your job search. This is a great opportunity for new graduates to gain some experience before they jump into the big market. Use LinkedIn’s advanced search engine and enter keywords like “startup” in the company field. You can also narrow your job search by industry (e.g. startup in Web 2.0, wireless or biotech sectors). Think about it: If large companies don’t offer you any job search security, you might as well consider working for a startup company instead.

11. Build your network before you need it – One last important tip is to build a strong group of connections. No matter where you are in your career search, it’s always a good idea to build a strong network to have some job security in case the economy is down. Remember that the key ingredient to any job search is “schmoozing” and it’s filled with counter-intuitiveness. This means you should add people who know you and not people you only know.

Most people use LinkedIn to find a job or to market themselves for future employment. If you can’t make yourself seen or heard, how can expect people to hire you? In the modern digital age, there’s no better way to sell yourself than to optimize your LinkedIn profile. This way, employers can get access to your account and send you notifications or offers right away. If your experiences and skills match a job opening a company has available, you may even get an interview opportunity when you least expect it! Before you know you it, you could be the CEO of a large national company simply because you took the time to network and build your profile on LinkedIn.

People spend thousands of hours trying to find a job through job boards and job postings. Why should you do the same? Diversify your options and find a new and exciting way to look for jobs through LinkedIn. Everyone is using it and so should you!

There’s a lot of saturation in the job market these days. The attention span of hiring managers has dropped from 20 seconds to around 9 seconds. As such it’s increasingly harder to get their attention – in a good way, that is.

Acquiring the services of a professional career strategist or a dedicated resume writer might be the answer. They can give you an objective analysis of your resume and how it stands out, and they know how to best position yourself to get further along in the hiring process.

Nowadays, there are plenty of professional services out there to serve the struggling and the gainfully employed career hunter. Here are some of them:

• Professional resume writing

We all know they’re the make or break portion of the application process. They need to market yourself; they need to highlight what you can bring to the table; and they need to do this in one to three pages. But a professional resume writer should be your first call. If you can – DON’T write your own resume from scratch. It’s very difficult to stay objective when you write your professional bio (and resume standards have evolved more then you might think). Even more, there are resume writers who specialize in almost every industry. They know and understand the buzzwords, terminologies, jargon and key words used. They will help you tailor your resume to the specific industry or position you’re pursuing.

• Cover letter prep

While cover letters may be not always be essential, it’s still important to keep them in your arsenal as an accompaniment to your resume. They need to be personalized, simple and compelling. Professional resume writers will help you write a top-quality cover letter that serves to introduce yourself through a value proposition to the hiring authority.

• Resume distribution (Tapping into the hidden job market)

What good is it helping you fix your car and not being able to see you take it for a spin? Not only can you get help crafting your resume, you can also get help distributing it as well. Agency and third party recruiters can also make sure your resume gets sent to specific and carefully selected organizations within your industry and geographic location.

• Personal Branding

Having trouble selling yourself? You’re not alone. Many job applicants have trouble with marketing themselves. It’s not in our nature to self promote. We are often too modest when it comes to our achievements. Overselling yourself can also be a problem. A professional career expert can help you identify key leadership traits, transferable skills and innate talents that you can showcase and bring to the table to help you stand out from your competition.

• LinkedIn profile optimization

LinkedIn is like Facebook, but for professionals only. That’s how we describe it to our clients. This popular professional (and sometimes social) networking tool has become a significant part of a job search strategy in 2011. So, it’s important to optimize your profile as much as you can in order to build your network and sell yourself within the network. LinkedIn profile writing is an art (and part science) – just remember not to over-brand yourself.

• Interview coaching

The resume is only part one of the process. If you’ve enticed them enough, you’ll earn a face-to-face – or phone – interview. And there’s a difference between reading about someone on a piece of paper and meeting them for the first time. Talking to an interview coach can allow you to anticipate questions, plan on how to answer them, and think about what to wear, as well as your etiquette and body language techniques. By working with a coach, you can get ready to meet with a company for a one-on-one interview, panel interview and behavioural interview

Keep in mind you want to do to the best you can to stand out in your industry. From writing your resume to developing your LinkedIn profile to going in for an interview, it’s all one big process. Everything counts and getting professional career help will give you an unfair advantage over other candidates applying for your next career opportunity.

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So, to further help you write a top-notch marketing document, we’ve decided to include a few things of what you should think twice about before including:

• Your grades or GPA.

This is your personal preference. But there are a few factors to consider when deciding whether you want to include your grades. If you’ve been out of school for a while, then the short answer is no, you shouldn’t. Especially if you’re an experienced professional, whatever grades you got in university or colleges becomes a whole lot less significant.

And if you’re fresh out of school, use discretion. We recommend including your grades if your GPA is anything more than 3.8. If not, we suggest you lose them.

• Personal information about yourself.

This may be iffy as well. If you have any extracurricular hobbies that relate to the position at hand, or even if you’ve volunteered, then it’s a good option to include them. It shows you’ve been a busy little bee. But the line has to be drawn somewhere. If you’re an avid hunter, incorporating your hunting hobby may not be a good idea. And so, try not to include sensitive information or hobbies that have no relevance to the job. Including additional information such as your birthday, looks, or marital status may also be pushing it.

• Don’t include every job you’ve ever had.

Recruiters have seen this before. It can make your resume long and droning. Keep in mind hiring managers usually merely glance through them, since they have stacks and stacks of resumes to read. So, instead, focus on your work experience that best relates to your field and the position you’re applying for. And try to go back only 10 to 12 years in your work history at the most. Optimize your resume to the position of which you’re applying to.

• Your salary expectations.

It may not be a good idea to include your salary expectations – or salary history – in your resume or cover letter. This might give off the impression that you’re only willing to work under a specific compensation. However, in some job postings, employers do indeed ask you for your salary expectations. If that’s the case, we recommend you to include a salary range depending on your experience.

Above all, keep in mind that resumes are supposed to be glimpses into your professional character. So, try to omit any information you deem unnecessary. Keep it simple and clean.

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In terms of self-marketing, you should apply a similar approach to your own job search strategy. I’m not saying to overdo it and have focus groups to evaluate your brand. I’m merely saying to make a self-inventory of how you can add value to the world.

In this case, you’re a pair of Nike’s Air Max running shoes, a brand new Adidas track suit or a Big Mac – or rather, your technical and functional skills are. And you have to figure out how best to pitch this tasty product to customers – hiring managers and employers. Do what you can to make yourself remain memorable among the gatekeepers, which include recruiters and HR professionals, and appeal to the final hiring authorities.

Here are some tips to help you sell yourself and further open up new opportunities:

• Put yourself in the employer’s shoes.

When it comes to marketing, it always helps to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Think to yourself how the customer – in this case, potential employers – can best utilize you, the product, for their own personal gain. More specifically, think about what skills or qualifications the hiring authority is seeking out. What are they looking for while reading through resumes? It’s important to go through the job description and read between the lines. Find out who you’d be reporting to at the company and why the position is open. Do they have an immediate need for someone or are they taking their time in going through their options? Taking into consideration the employer’s wants and needs will certainly affect how you market yourself to them going forward.

• Have a specific marketing strategy.

Once you’ve thought of the employer’s needs, it’s essential to have a strategy of how you’re going to promote yourself. In other words, plan out what you can offer the hiring manager that no one else can. Ask yourself, “What is the differentiating factor about me from the other hundred or so candidates vying for the position?” Having a clear idea on how to effectively market yourself will significantly enhance your job search strategy results.

• Believe in the product you’re selling.

No matter what you’re selling, confidence is key. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else? So remember to believe in yourself! Don’t sound arrogant, but try not to be too modest when selling your contributions and major achievements. Strike a balance between selling and overselling. Be humble but tenacious!

• Use attractive packaging.

Let’s go back to McDonald’s – unfortunately, only figuratively. How many times have you seen an ad for a Big Mac or McChicken, and wanted one right then and there? Even the Filet O’Fish looks good. I’ve only had one once, but every time I see an ad for it, I could go for another. Part of selling a product is making it look visually attractive to customers. The same goes for your job search strategy. Highlight your track record on paper. And, in the interview, remember to dress to impress, look calm and present yourself with confidence. Make yourself appealing to the hiring authority at every level.

Keep in mind that an effective self-marketing strategy is important when it comes to job hunting. It’s essential to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask yourself what the customer’s needs are. And then, take the next step and tailor your own skills to reference the needs or the organization of which you’re applying to.

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We all want to showcase our best qualities on our resume but it takes a lot of hair-pulling to get it right.

Try to captivate employers with an interesting value proposition about yourself, your top skills and professional work experience. You can include your target opportunity as well as major achievements as well as your top professional skills. Innate talents are also recommended.

To further capture the essence of your personality with your resume, consider the following tips:

• Revise the layout and style of your resume – Use bullet forms, bolding, italics and even text boxes to make your resume visually appealing. I suggest choosing among three basic resume styles: chronological, which simply lists your work experience in order, functional, which emphasizes your abilities and functions more, and a hybrid combination of the two.

• Review the order of your resume’s content – Your resume is a story – your story. As such, you want to begin with your most recent experiences and any significant contributions to recent employers. Make sure employers don’t have to go back three pages to see your most recent or most significant activity.

• Use a thesaurus and dictionary to increase your vocabulary – Try not to be repetitive. Use a variety of verbs and adjectives when describing your goals and experiences. It’ll spice up your resume with more personality. It would also help to use action verbs. Make your resume come alive with words like “performed,” “led,” “established,” or generated” to describe specific achievements in your career.

• Embellish some information, but never lie – One of the biggest resume mistakes seen by recruiters and HR professionals is that job-seekers often undersell their skills and achievements. Highlight your experiences creatively, and don’t be afraid to self-promote and embellish them a little bit.

• Add your certifications and awards to your education – Instead of merely listing your degrees, include any certificates or licenses you’ve gotten as well. This way, you have more credentials to showcase. Also, put in any volunteer groups you’ve been a part of.

• Link your blog to your resume and portfolio – The web is a great way to further market yourself. So, include a hyperlink to your blog, showcasing your writing skills and knowledge about issues relevant to your industry.

• Attach your LinkedIn public profile – We recommend you put it in the header of your resume, underneath your email address. It will make it much easier for hiring managers to get you on their radar.

• Include your personal talents and skills – If you have any extracurricular talents like drawing, piano or martial arts, don’t be afraid to put them in your resume to expand on your skills. But, use judgment on whether they relate to the job for which you’re applying.

While writing your resume, keep in mind that the key is simplicity. Hiring managers don’t want your whole life story. They merely want a glimpse of you. Try to give them that in a powerful and meaningful way. Resumes are marketing tools, with the product you’re trying to sell being your credentials, work ethic and track record of success.

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The job search market is a very competitive environment where only the most unique individuals stand out. If you’re still using the same resume you used three years ago to apply for jobs in 2011, you’re in big trouble. No wonder you’re not getting any phone calls to interview. So how do you keep your resume fresh and give it that much needed face-lift of sorts to attract more attention? Here are a few tips you can use to give your resume a new look:

• Replace your objective statement with a value proposition.

As the times change, resume writing styles change. What once was the objective statement is now considered obsolete. Since they don’t exist anymore, you should create a value proposition. Try to look for the current terminologies used in your area of specialization to come up with an attention-grabbing branding statement. Your unique value proposition should communicate your career goals to the reader. Employers can’t resist calling candidates who can articulate real value in a short paragraph.

• Review old entries in your resume.

There are entries in your resume that may not be relevant anymore so you should remove these. For example, outdated technical skills or even old jobs from a few decades ago need to be removed and replaced with newer and more relevant entries. Also, don’t go past 10 years of experience unless it’s relevant for your targeted job.

• Add new skills, accomplishments, certifications, job responsibilities and positions you’ve acquired.

Make a list of all the significant changes that have happened in your professional career during the past year. Pick items that are significant and important to further your professional goals and include them in your resume. Even if you are still in the same position as last year, I’m sure you’ve acquired some new skills or accountabilitess so make sure you include these.

• Use updated keywords.

Keywords are like triggers for hiring managers and prospective employers to read your resume and consider you for the position. Different areas of specialization have different sets of keywords and terminologies. It is your responsibility to be informed of the latest keywords used in your industry and to use these keywords when you update your resume. Make sure you precisely incorporate these into your resume. Use a thesaurus to add synonyms and antonyms if you can’t come up with the right word.

• Tweak your resume format.

If you feel that the format of your resume is a little outdated, you might want to tweak it. As per experience, you don’t have to necessarily change the whole format but you can make some alterations to better present the resume’s information. The most important and relevant information is found in the top one-third of the first page and in the bottom one-third of the last page.

• Proofread your resume: Use spell-check (F7 key)

The first time you wrote your resume, you have been advised to proofread it. Once again, after you have made all the necessary corrections and did all the revisions and updates, you still need to proofread it again. You might be surprised to see that you’ve missed some errors the first time you proofread your resume. To make sure you did not skip any entries and you’ve covered all the areas that need editing, you may have to check your resume once, twice or even three times. Always remember that even spelling and typographical errors can greatly influence the decision of the hiring manager to consider scheduling you for an interview.

An updated resume will not only give you the edge over other applicants but it also focuses your perspective on the areas you have excelled and those that need to be improved. You never know when opportunities come knocking at your door so it pays to be ready always.

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Instead of feeling crushed by the negative experience, Earl began updating his portfolio, which included getting his cover letter and resume done professionally. He decided to build a blog, customized it to his personality and posted his resume, cover letter, and samples of his work on his blog. Earl knew building a blog is one thing, “but getting people to read it is another.”

Earl began searching his favorite social media sites for groups, fan pages, and notable people in his industry. He approached social media as he would an interaction at a coffee shop – a polite introduction, honest and respectful conversation, and above all authenticity. By researching people’s online profiles, Earl felt encouraged by the fact that even the top CEOs once started further down on the ladder.

E‌arl followed not just CEOs, but also the people the CEOs followed. This at times ended up being staff members and crew, who gave very helpful advice to everyone about making it in the industry. Earl took their advice, and every month updated his blog with a new project he had started. With multiple projects on the go, Earl was updating every day. Thanks to his good sense of blog organization, he kept the projects grouped together.

Earl also changed the way he used Facebook and Twitter. Earl knew potential employers were watching. He changed his online profile to reflect a more professional look. Earl updated his Facebook and Twitter status whenever he posted to his blog. He would receive re-tweets and shared links galore. Earl enjoyed being engaged with this online community.

What Earl didn’t realize just yet was the magnitude of his network. With his blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts, he had made quality connections with people in his industry and one day caught the eye of a recruiter at Google. Referred by Earl’s friend from school, Marcus, the recruiter called and requested to meet Earl over coffee to discuss his blog. Earl thought he was going to meet a student or a teacher from his school to discuss his projects.

The coffee date was more formal then Earl had expected. He was asked a wide variety of questions about his projects and career goals. Earl answered all questions in a definitive manner and spoke honestly. If something did not go right, he admitted to it and explained the solution that he was working on to fix the problem. Earl was genuinely surprised when the “student” offered him valuable solutions to some of the challenges. However, the true shock came when Earl learned that his new friend represented Google, and he had just passed his first interview. Earl was then invited for a follow up interview.

Why was Earl shocked when he found himself in a job interview with Google?

Earl did not directly follow this person on Twitter nor did he know he existed in the capacity of a recruiter. However Earl’s friend Marcus retweeted Earl’s work constantly, and it so happened that the recruiter followed Marcus on Twitter.

Earl arrived early to the second interview and was promptly taken to meet the project manager Eric. Eric liked to hold his interviews over games of chance in order to gauge a person’s character and interpersonal skills. Much like the recruiter, Eric submitted to Earl a series of problems and asked him how he would go on to build solutions.

Earl felt lost as he had never been in what was an informal interview with behavioral questions. At first, he felt unsure, but managed to calm down quickly as was instructed by his interview coach in interview review exercises. Eric was impressed by Earl’s composure and integrity and asked Earl to follow him to a conference room. Inside the conference room was a large screen displaying a Google executive.

Earl described what followed as surreal. He was asked one technical question to which he knew the answer. However, then the big wig floored him with a question he did not expect, “Who would win in a fight: Han Solo or Indiana Jones?” Earl was taken back and answered honestly, he did not know. The big wig smiled and asked Earl to turn to Eric. Eric presented Earl with Non-Disclosure Agreements and an offer of employment.

What happened to Earl can certainly happen to you. 85% percent of Fortune 500 companies have Twitter accounts and update them daily. That is double from 2009. While LinkedIn is a newer company in comparison to the big job boards, its close to 100 million members are there to do business and that business includes hiring top talent.

It’s easy to forget but in the 21st Century, old fashioned courtesy and manners still play a pivotal role in how you are viewed in the eyes of potential employers. Earl had friends review his work, his updates, and especially his resume and cover letter. A good rule of thumb for him was to update his resume quarterly, and update his blog and Twitter accounts daily. He also posed questions every other day to Facebook and Linkedin groups. While it may seem like all Earl did was surf the net, the truth is that he spent about three hours a day implementing a unique career strategy, which eventually paid off.

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A hiring manager doesn’t necessarily “read” your resume from top to bottom. Recruiters will sometimes even read your resume from last page to first page to assess your career trajectory. For the very reason that he or she encounters hundreds of resumes in a single day, the hiring manager already knows what’s wrong with your document with just a single glimpse. What makes for an attention-worthy resume? Do you know what the frequent pitfalls in resume writing are? The following are some resume errors that you shouldn’t commit.

Some of the weak points you should double check:

1. Obsolete objective statement.

It’s sad to say that objective statements don’t cut it these days. They just don’t exist anymore. While it is good to know what your job objectives are, the employer is most interested in what you can bring to their company. Remember, do not ask what the company can do for you, but the other way around. The employer is looking for someone who has the dedication to be accountable.

2. Order of information presented.

If you have more than 2 years of professional experience your education section should be placed at the bottom part of the resume since that is not as relevant as your work history. In cases where you just graduated recently and still have no adequate job experiences, the education section serves as a substitute for work experience.

3. Text emphasis used.

If you’re going to use emphasis in your resume, be sure to use only bold fonts and minimize its usage. It’s never advisable to use a lot of text emphasis and usually, italics is not used. Be sure that the font size and type you’re using are also the standard ones.

4. Type of personal information to include.

If you have certain hobbies, there is no need to include them in your resume since the hiring manager is not and will never be interested with what you do with your free time. In cases where you have hobbies that may significantly contribute to your being hired for the position, you can then include it.

5. Professional experience presentation.

It is your responsibility to engage the employer and convince them that you are the best candidate for an opportunity. Instead of presenting the common responsibilities you have handled in previous companies, you should present your achievements for better results. One best way to impress the employer is to use figures and to present your biggest contributions. The presentation of the resume should also count. As much as possible, make it readable for the employer. Use 3-5 bullet points to distinguish items in a list more easily. The most important part of your resume is the top 1/3^rd and the bottom 1/3^rd – make those the most compelling.

If you’re still wondering about the true purpose of your resume, yes, it’s all about impressing the employer and it always will be. If you want to get that call you’ve been waiting for, stop thinking about anything else and focus on this one purpose.

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You might have a social network more sinuous than a spider’s web and an online presence that would impress Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

But when it comes to landing a job, the old-fashioned resume still trumps all.

That’s the opinion of three experts in the recruitment and job-seeking field nationwide. “Until we come up with a way where we can send a hologram of a person,” says Amos Tayts, a Toronto-based former recruiter with offices across Canada and the U.S. helping people looking for work, “the resume is the only way that people will know who you are, and what you bring to the table.”

Although there is industry talk of a ’resume 2.0’ comprising video profiles in which candidates speak about their impact on increasing sales at a company or reducing costs, for instance, the familiar resume is still expected by anyone hiring or recruiters.

“It’s the standby — like the old pair of jeans that people are comfortable with,” says Jeff Aplin, who recruits out of Calgary. He says the importance of a resume cannot be overstated. “It means everything to get to the next step, such as the phone or face-to-face interview.”

Vancouver-based executive search consultant Shaun Carpenter brands a resume the “quintessential jumping-off point.” He says there was speculation it might become redundant with the rise of online sites such as LinkedIn, which lists your career and recommendations among numerous features. “But I don’t believe it will,” adds the associate partner at Pinton Forrest & Madden. “There’s a holistic approach to getting a job. In terms of social media and resumes, one goes with another. The network helps to get your resume seen by the right people, but a resume is still the key starting point.”

Carpenter says most employers want to see no more than two pages, and all want to see them tailored to their corporation and culture. He advises thinking in terms of a full day’s worth of research: Look at everything online on the potential employer and download its financial reports and any news stories about the company.

Those hiring want to see that candidates recognize what the organization is currently going through and the significance of its business. “The resume needs to really prove that you understand what you are looking at and be speaking to the cogent points that are identified in an advertisement,” says Carpenter. “Pull out points and address issues. It really has to be customized — use your knowledge, intuition and research ability — and avoid using formulaic vocabulary, such as ‘team player’ or ‘highly motivated.’ These will not cut it.”

When describing the assets you bring to a job, make sure it is backed up by your working life. “You want to highlight different dimensions of your experience to be congruent with that organization and that specific job,” says Aplin, the COO at David Aplin Recruiting. “Ensure there are no empty words.”

A resume can be a way to show your personality, he suggests. Include a few aspects that are unique to you such as a health or community initiative with which you were involved, for example, if appropriate to the job. “If a typical HR person is filtering through a high volume of resumes, you might be able to add colour or zing to your resume to make it more interesting to read,” he says.

In explaining your career, adds Carpenter, never put the onus on the reader to do further research. “I can’t stand when I get a resume and they have the company name but nothing about size, scope, nature of business, reporting structure, revenue,” he says. “You should be able to look at the resume and get all the information you need to make a decision.”

Employers find it hard to resist “compelling” resumes, according to Tayts. “In order to stand out and get to the top 10 per cent of the talent pool, you need to have a resume that is able to articulate value very quickly,” says the founder of ResumeTarget Inc. He estimates it takes around nine seconds for a hiring manager to propel the applicant to the next stage.

Enlisting professional advice in writing your resume is often the best approach, according to Aplin. “It’s a good thing to polish or make the writing more attractive or engaging,” he says. Carpenter, however, stresses the need for resumes to remain personal to the applicant. “I don’t want resumes to look like they have all been written the same way,” he says, adding: “If you believe this is your dream job, you should be putting in a lot of effort.”