by Josh Hatcher

Created on: February 16, 2007   Last Updated: July 22, 2010

I have been unemployed several times. Unemployment gave me a crash course in resume writing. I landed many great job interviews, and several great jobs from the resume alone. If we use the fishing metaphor, your resume is your bait, and your interview is your hook. The interview is important, but it doesn't do you any good unless you can get them to bite the worm.

Here are a few tips for making your resume more attractive.

1. Paper
Use a paper with a light texture, so that it feels different to the touch. Some employers literally handle thousands of resumes a day, and anything that helps make your stand out is a great idea.

Do: Use a color other than plain white. A light blue or light green can make your resume pop out of the pile.

Don't: Use a color that is too bright, or two dark. Neither of them photocopy well, and fluorescent colors look unprofessional.

2. Keep it Simple
Your resume should consist of two pages. The resume itself, and the cover letter. If your resume information does not fit all on one page, than it's time to cut items. Those items that you cut, you can write into your cover letter, or you can bring them up at the interview.

Leave plenty of margin space for the employer to take notes.

Do: Pick the jobs at which you performed the best, and are the most relevant to the job you are seeking.

Don't: List every job you've ever worked, or jobs that will give you a poor reference.

3. Break the Rules
Resumes usually contain employment dates, and graduation dates.
But what if you didn't graduate college, but you can do the job?

Do: Tell the truth, or you will lose your job later.

Don't: Give more information than necessary. If you didn't graduate college, include the name of the school, your course of study. To make sure you are above board, mention in your cover letter that you were not able to finish school, but you have enough experience to do the job.

4. Customize
Every job is different, and you should tailor make each resume and cover letter specifically for each job for which you apply. It's a lot of work, but different employers are looking for different things in a job candidate. Carefully read the published job description, and highlight your qualifications in your resume.

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