by Sharona B

Created on: May 17, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2008

How do you convince a potential employer in around 30 seconds that you deserve an interview?

The tips below will ensure that you put together a resume that you are proud of and that will effectively promote you to employers.

When writing your resume, think of the poor Recruitment Manager who has to wade through hundreds of resumes for each vacancy. Produce a simple, succinct resume of two to three pages.

For readability and ease of photocopying use a clear black type and good quality white paper.

There are two types of resume; functional and chronological. Chronological format is most popular with employers and lists details in date order. Functional format should only be used for those who have changed trades and need to group their work history by function.

Five mistakes to avoid when compiling your resume:

i) Spelling mistakes are incredibly common and are an immediate turn off to employers. Check your document carefully for errors.

ii) Don't be boring! So many resumes use bland language. Use powerful verbs, nouns and adjectives. If you are not sure how to give your resume more 'punch', look up 'power verbs' on a search engine and replace some of your predictable language with better alternatives.

iii) Have more than one resume; change it for each job you apply for, focusing specifically on the skills and experience that it requires.

iv) Use all the information that has been provided to your advantage. Job adverts, job descriptions and person specifications are the employer's way of telling you exactly the type of person they want. Refer to these as you write your resume.

v) Avoid include fancy graphics or illustrations. Just keep it plain and simple.

All resumes should start with your personal information. List your full name and title, address and your contact details; home telephone, fax and cellphone number, plus email address.

Include an overview paragraph which outlines your unique selling points. You could title this, 'Professional Profile' or 'Personal Summary'.

Keep this part of your resume skills focused and outline your accomplishments. Think back to that Recruitment Manager with 200 resumes to read. This may be the only section of your resume which is fully read by the employer; it needs to be strong to convince them to read the full document.

Your work experience should be listed in chronological order (most current first) with the job title, employers name plus dates of employment. Below this write a maximum of 5 bullet points highlighting your

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