To avoid a mediocre product from the get-go, it is important to keep up with current trends. Quality resumes have objective statements that contain information about your accomplishments, rather than a stock list of responsibilities.

Standing out requires highlighting your personal brand, skills, and your accomplishments. Having your resume formatted properly for tracking systemsis also important.

Before writing your resume, try drafting a background document containing a list of information you want to include in your resume. Know how to prioritize and create headings for each topic section such as:

• Professional Experience
• Skills
• Education
• Certifications & Training
• Volunteering
• Community Archives

Each bullet point should highlight what you have accomplished.Consider how you’ll share your experiences regarding your accomplishments during the interview.

When drafting a resume, don’t think about the number of pages initially. Pour out your story and edit afterwards according to relevance to the job description.

After creating a draft, ask yourself these questions in order to have a concrete idea of what to include in your resume:

1. How do your current or most recent boss and colleagues perceive you?
2. Have you ever done something for your boss or colleagues to make their lives easier?
3. How did you find out about this job? What does the company do? Who patronizes its products or services?
4. What are your major responsibilities? Upon accomplishing them, what have been the biggest challenges you faced to date? What steps did you have to go through in order to achieve them? How did the results turn out?
5. How do your accomplishments in this role rate against others in the industry?
6. What are you most proud to have accomplished in this role?
7. What did your employer gain upon hiring you?
8. Did you set up a process or a model for others to emulate in other locations or companies?
9. How have you increased productivity and saved your employer time?
10. Have you done something in the past to increase sales or revenue for the employer? How did you do it and what tools and skills did you utilize?
11. Have you tried decreasing costs or expenses for your employer? How did you go about it? What tools and skills did you utilize?
12. What is your reputation among your vendors, customers and clients? What makes them think you have that kind of image?

After pondering these questions, it is possible that your resume will be several pages long. From this, focus on the main substance and ideas.

Keep in mind that your recruiters are not that concerned about your former job descriptions. Focus more on how you have fulfilled your responsibilities along the way to make you stand out among the competition. Remember the STAR format as you revise:Situation, Task, Action and Results.