These are just a few questions you should be asking yourself right now to help yourself land that new job. Keeping your resume current is a key to job search success. So is making sure your resume tells the complete story about you and your skills. The following resume tips provide some guidance for ways to keep your resume current and accurate, and for helping you get interviews.

Position Title
Your position title is the number-one area where you and your resume can go wrong. When hiring managers and Human Resources staff are reviewing resumes, they are typically looking for specific skills and experience. The position titles you display on your resume will either help you get an interview or eliminate you from consideration.

Make sure that your position titles listed on your resume are accurate and best reflect the actual work you perform. Think like an HR person when you add current or previous position titles to your resume. For instance, if you are a Mechanical Engineer, make sure your resume clearly says you are a Mechanical Engineer. Even if your current job title is Mechanical Design Team Leader, make sure you include Mechanical Engineer somewhere near your title on your resume.

Update your Resume
Keep your resume current at all times. When you get a promotion, update your resume even if you aren't looking for a job right now.

If you are actively seeking employment, your resume should accurately reflect your most recent employment, responsibilities, and skills developed. It is generally a good practice to update and customize your resume for each type of position you apply for. This allows you to focus your resume specifically on the skills and experience the employer is seeking.

Career Objective
The traditional Career Objective portion of resumes is undergoing a pretty radical change. Modern resumes do not always include a career objective. Instead, modern resumes contain a summary of experience or an explanation of skills. As an example, your old career objective may have looked something like this: Seeking a progressive company where I can utilize my education and experience to further company goals while continuing to learn. In a modern resume this would be replaced with a summary of experience that might read like this: A highly motivated outside salesperson with seven years experience in the machine tools and robotic manufacturing industries. As you can see, the summary of experience method more clearly illustrates who you are and the skills you offer to prospective employers.

Keywords
Many companies use computer technology and online employment applications to assist them with their hiring process. Most of these systems rely heavily on screening employment applications and resumes based on keywords. Make sure that your resume contains the keywords that prospective employers are looking for. For instance, if you are a Graphic Designer, your resume should include keywords like design graphics, digital artwork, logo creation, etc. Another example is for a computer programmer. Keywords should include programming languages like ASP, .Net, C++, as well as programming terminology like object-oriented, software engineering, etc.

No matter what position you are seeking, your resume should include the most important words and phrases related to your job. These keywords are important in your resume and will help your resume to pass through the electronic screening process.

Shoot Straight
Honesty and truthfulness are extremely important elements of your resume. Your resume should only include skills and experiences that you actually have. A resume is a sales tool designed to get you in the door of prospective employers and should be constructed to highlight your skills. However, embellishing a resume to include things you have not done, did not complete, or have no experience with is a bad practice.

More and more companies are implementing background checking and resume verification in their hiring process. The practice of embellishing a resume to help get an interview and get hired is not acceptable. The majority of companies have some type of immediate dismissal policy if your resume is found to have untrue items in it. To avoid any questions about your character and your skills, your resume should always be a true reflection of your skills and experiences.

Ultimately, your resume is just a brief commercial advertising your education, skills, and experience to potential employers. It should be designed to help you secure interviews and to make you stand out from the crowd of other people seeking the same job you are. By following the tips outlined above, your resume will help you find and land the new job you are looking for.

By: Jeff Farmer, MA, NCCC
©Christian Employment Resource, 2010