There are three reasons that someone will hire you: Because you've proven you can perform some particular function (develop software, support users, manage, do quality assurance); you have specific technical expertise; and you have "human interface" skills. Getting along with the rest of the group is as important as your technical skills.

If you cannot quickly, and I mean within three seconds, grab and maintain the attention of the human resources or IS hiring manager, you are not going to get an interview.

The only purpose of a resume is to secure an interview. It is the only opportunity you will have to make contact with a potential employer who wants to pay you money to accomplish a specific task.

There's no special magic to packaging yourself. It's simple marketing logic. A well-positioned resume directed to the right people significantly enhances job search success.

When possible send your resume and cover letter directly to an IS manager, rather than to the human resources department. Most IS directors can easily be identified at the local library's reference desk.

With distinctive proficiencies in mind, you must focus the resume to increase its effectiveness. That is, tailor it for each opportunity. As arduous as that may seem, it really is quite simple if you organize your resume properly in the first place.

Keep several versions with optional skills and summary sections. Remember, the reader is seeing an average of 50 resumes at once and is looking for reasons to eliminate yours.

Below is a brief description the sections that should be included in your resume. Remember, the reader's eye goes from top to bottom and left to right.


THE SUMMARY

The summary section is a quick and easy way to spark the reader's interest and make them want to go further. Whether you discover a job lead through the newspaper, a friend, or a recruiter, get a written or verbal job description. Then customize your summary section to that description.

This simple step will significantly increase your chances of landing an interview. Include your major marketable strengths and preferences, including your product/application knowledge.


OBJECTIVE

Use of the objective is completely a matter of taste. I prefer instead a title after the applicant's name. This should either be the title of the job as advertised or the title you really want -- "project manager," for instance, even though your current title may be "team leader."

Each company has their own way of delineating job titles, so try to use industry-standard titles, such as software engineer, quality assurance analyst, technical writer, technical support analyst, or (certified) netware engineer. Whatever you do, be clear about the job you want because resumes with vague objectives get put in the "maybe later" pile.


TECHNICAL SKILLS

You can design this section in any logical manner, as long as your most marketable or most recent skills are first.

One common technique is to divide your skills into sections, such as software/languages, hardware, and operating systems. Re-order each section based on the needs of the particular job lead. For example, if you're applying for a Visual Basic with Oracle software engineer position, put your Visual Basic and Oracle skills first. If you love working with C++, put it first.

Don't include every language you ever learned. Include only relevant, marketable skills, talents, and strengths. If you are a network engineer or an operator, each and every version of Windows NT is relevant. Otherwise, it is not.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND EXPERIENCE

Now that you have the reader's attention, keep them interested. Your detailed list of accomplishments should be expressed in quantifiable results in order to demonstrate credibility. For example, "completed all projects on time and under budget" or "won team award for outstanding achievement."

Start sentences with powerful action verbs: "designed," "developed," "wrote," "tested," "managed," "saved." Giving tangible examples that measure your accomplishments eliminates the impression that you're just bragging.

As you probably know there are two basic types of resumes, chronological and functional. There are valid pros and cons to each.

Most people use functional resumes when they are refocusing their careers. It can be used effectively to move your most impressive accomplishment to the top position, the part most likely to be read carefully. Organize your experience into specific job skills, such as management, development, writing, support or sales. Include a reverse chronological list of jobs, perhaps even tying each paragraph to a particular job.

The chronological resume is desirable because most employers want to see a flow of dates. They want to know what your main technical strength is, the types of projects and applications you have worked on and what you have achieved. Don't list every project you were ever assigned unless you are very new to the field. If you have extensive experience, leave out repetitions and summarize very old jobs or prior careers.


EDUCATION AND TRAINING

List your degree or degree candidacy, both bachelor's and master's. Many companies today still prefer degreed employees. Include any honors or awards earned, such as "Graduated with honors" or "GPA 4.0." It's a different way of saying, "I'm a hard worker."

Include recent training courses, such as "Project Management for the 90s" or "Java Programming" or "How to Connect the Web Page to a Database."

Before mailing your resume, sleep on it. When you pick it up the next morning, think of the reader and ask yourself these three questions. Is my resume pleasing to the eye? Does it emphasize my pertinent skills? Does it present the benefits of hiring me?