There’s a mound of 100 resumes sitting in the Human Resources Office. What's the difference that pushes a selected resume to the top of the pile and finally into the interviewing procedure? That's a good question. With so many folks applying for a similar position, making a great resume can feel very challenging. So how does one make your resume really stand out?

Start by making yourself a real person. Call about an opening beforehand and have 2 of tough questions readied. Chatting to the recruiter and showing active interest is a good way for people to recollect you when they open the mail. Just remember to call at a point when things should be comparatively calm – i.e. Not first thing on Monday, nor late afternoon on Fri.. E-mail works in a similar way. You do not need your message sitting in the middle of lots of other messages and just getting lost in the fray.

If you do get to talk with a live person (or get a return e-mail) make sure you keep the name of the responder handy. Use the name of the person in your cover letter (‘I received info from X and wanted to follow up with my qualifications, for example’). Whatever you do ensure you spell the name in the right way.

Re sprucing up your resume, make sure its relevant to the job for which you are applying. Edit the language to match the industry. Just sending out the standard copy won't cut it these days. Keep the format clean and consistent. Begin with some form of keynotes that are really catch and provide a quick-read profile that keeps folks reading! Avoid clich’s and buzzwords.

Order your resume in such a way that it keeps the most vital information about each job first – especially those tasks relevant to this position. Recruiters scan resumes for the most relevant ability sets and experience, so put your best foot forward.

Toward the end of your resume it’s fantasically acceptable to add hobbies. This is part of what makes you different to other applicants. Focus on those things that stick out from the gang like bunji jumping and bodyboarding.

Last though not least when you learn of an opening that actually is appealing to you, don't delay! Remember that you have lots of competition. The sooner you get your resume in, the sooner a recruiter sees it. Promptness matters.

Pat Cann is the owner of MyVerifax.com, a website that offers information about improving your resume’.