Six Tips to Optimize Your Resume

1. Renew Often.
   If you are using an online resume service such as Monster or eExperience it is important to keep it up to speed by proofreading and refreshing every month or so. One of the most popular ways hiring managers search or store resumes resumes is by the date they were posted. Keep your resume updated by renewing it at least once every 30 days. Having outdated information can be erroneous or obsolete in terms of relevance for a position being applied for.
2. Target Your Resume.
   When a resume is received by a hiring manager if the resume is vague or lacking in direct focus it will be at a disadvantage. It is important to "speak" the language of the organization and industry in the text and descriptions. You want to make sure you are speaking TO the potential employer and connecting your past with their goals and mission. Some resumes by necessity will need an objective or a "headline statement." This is basically a one sentence statement making your intentions evident. Typically this can be done when a resume is asked for exclusive of a cover letter.
3. Maximize Your Keywords.
   One of the best ways to increase the number of hits your resume receives is to include an abundance of industry keywords. Do some research on keywords that might be used to find someone with your talents. Search jobs on Monster or some other search engine or job posting board to get an idea of what credentials hiring managers value. Then look for places in your resume where you could incorporate these keywords. The Skills section is a great place to include keywords that don't appear elsewhere in the document.
4. Show that You Care About a potential Employers' Needs.
   If you have outlined your wants and needs, revise your objective to show the benefits you offer potential employers. Speak in the language that makes it very evident to your potential employer that you understand where THEY are coming from and what is important in their world. Make it known you understand their challenges and what they do for a business and/or service.
5. Proofread.
   Employers are immediately turned off by resumes with typos. Many employers will discard a resume that contains even one error, so thoroughly proofread your resume. Email it to yourself and open the file in a program with good spell-check capabilities. Then show your resume to a writer, teacher or colleague with excellent proofreading skills to make sure it is perfect. Show it to anyone that can distance themselves and will be able to pick up on an error that may be obvious to a new reader, but "hidden" to you as you have been writing the document and have read right over it many times.
6. Invest in Your Resume.
   Yes, spending a little money on your resume can improve it. Make sure it is sent through a laser printer and on a quality resume paper (available at most stationary or College stores). Remember that anywhere in the process you may try to cut a corner, the next applicant may have not and then they are at an advantage and no matter how you try to get around the fact, this is a VERY competitive process.