Getting your foot in the door to meet with an employer depends on how well you present yourself in your resume. Keep the following points in mind:

• Target your resume to the position. Read the job posting carefully, then read it again. Clearly address the listed duties and requirements under a Profile or Qualifications heading.
• Do not bury your skills in your resume. Place them front and centre. Employers do not have a lot of time, so it is important that you grab their attention quickly.
• NEVER lie or overstate your qualifications. For example, if you are 2 credits short of your diploma, do not say that you have completed it. This can save you much embarrassment and trouble later on if you are found out.
• Look professional – use black ink on white paper.  Don’t staple your resume. Use a paper clip as it allows for easy copying.
• Use the internet to research the employer. Working in a skill or attribute that indicates you are aware of, and can contribute to, the employer’s mission statement or values will go a long way in making a favourable impression.
• If you have posted your resume online, update it from time to time. Even if you hit edit and don’t make any changes, this can prompt many online sites to re-circulate your resume, exposing it to even more employers.
• Be sure that you read your resume over carefully so that you can speak confidently about the information it contains
• Proof, re-proof and then proof again. Do not rely only on Spell Check as things do get by. Have other people look at it for you. Many employers are put off by bad spelling and this can cause them to wonder if all of your work output contains mistakes.
• Verb tense is important. If you are currently working, use present tense. Use an adjective to describe your duty “safely operated a forklift”.
• Don’t waste words as they clutter a resume. Using bullets makes your resume professional looking and easy to read.

Remember, your resume is your first contact with an employer, so you want your calling card to make a good impression.