When I work with clients looking to improve their interviewing skills, they are surprised when I mention that the interview process begins with the resume. Of course it does. Why is the resume so important? It’s a major element of the job search because without an effective resume, there’s no reason to worry about interviewing. But really, it is much more than that.

Of course, the resume is a document that summarizes your expertise, professional experience, accomplishments and educational background. In addition, it is a marketing piece. The resume has to be high impact enough to quickly attract the employer’s attention. And, it has to be high quality enough to put you at the top of the candidate list.

Let’s say there are ten applicants in contention for a general management position. Just by looking at your resume, the hiring manager has made a mental note of the candidates s/he considers the best. What that means to you is that your resume may be positioning you on the top of the stack or at the bottom. Of course the danger of being at the bottom of the stack is that you won’t get a call. The other danger is that you will get a call but you won’t be considered as a serious contender. That means you have to work your way to the top by being brilliant in the interview. If you’re working from the top, you have a greater advantage – obviously.

It is a truly competitive world now – the economy has added many more job seekers to the equation. And, the economic market also helped to make the world even smaller as many more job seekers are willing to relocate. Your competition now is greater than ever.

What that means to you is that your job of representing yourself on paper and in less than 30 seconds or less just got tougher. Those one or two pieces of paper are a very serious element in the entire interview and job search process.

So what can you do to make the document more effective? Remember that your resume serves as an essential tool that must attract employer attention.
With a high impact resume, you will be able to:

• Stand out from other candidates by highlighting your abilities.
• Sell yourself on paper quickly and effectively.
• Demonstrate how you are going to meet the employer’s needs.

If are thinking about writing your own resume, that means that you will have to invest some time in the resume writing process. Do some research on the job because you will want to tailor your resume to the position for which you apply.

Take a look at the document’s appearance.

• Does it look polished and professional?
• Does it clearly demonstrate your level of potential – most peoples’ resumes don’t.
• Does the resume show that you are a high profile candidate when compared with the rest of the applicants?
Consider the content when compared to other high potential candidates:
• It has to stand up to the test.
• It should capture the reader’s attention.
• It has to compel the employer to keep on reading. Does it?

Do you see how important the resume is to the interview process? The key to a great resume is that it will make a quick positive impression. If you are able to write a resume that does that, you’re on the right track. A well written resume can make the difference between thousands of dollars in salary, being stuck where you’re at or interviewing for the job of your dreams.