Four Things to Look for Before Publishing Your Resumes

The job market is tough and it's getting tougher. Your résumé is your No. 1 marketing tool and it may not be doing its job -- getting you an interview.

One reason may be a lack of time. With the increased competition for jobs and more applicants, employers don't spend a lot of time reading any one résumé. It's been estimated that today's résumé is only getting about 20 seconds of "eyeball time." That's not much time to score. In fact, most applications will get quickly screened out and dumped on the reject pile.

Another reason? Lack of interest. Most résumés today lack a sense of urgency. They don't answer the all-important question: "What's in it for the employer?"

Here are four things you need power up your résumé for today's more competitive job search arena to overcome these dilemmas:

1. Focused objective

Does your résumé have a clear, focused objective? Does it identify one clear job title that you are seeking? Leave out all that nonsense about "challenging opportunity with a dynamic company." Remember, it's not about you.

Try this: Under the objective heading, lead off with a clear phrase indicating the job title you are seeking. For example, write "Chief Financial Officer" -- nothing more is needed.

2. Keyword section

Everyone pays lip service to this, but few act on it. If you don't, you're missing the boat in two major ways:

Your résumé needs to get flagged by a computer. To strengthen your odds, you need every potential keyword working for you. And not just your skill sets, either. Make sure to add all your industry buzzwords as well as your biggest soft skills. Did you know that some of the highest searched keywords today include terms we often overlook? These include "problem-solving," "leadership" and "oral and written communication."

You must appeal to the person who reads your résumé. A reader will scan a great keyword summary section within the first 20 seconds of looking at your résumé. When added to your personal...