Laura DeCarlo

The formatting, content, and presentation of a creative resume can give you an edge during a job search. Desktop publishing and design software, first made widespread in the 1980s, has enabled some people to elevate the marketing and advertising strategy in their resumes.Anyone can use some creativity in a resume to help it stand out in a stack of plain resumes.

How much are you worth to employers? Your resume inspires an employer's first best guess, so you want to ensure that it’s a compelling portrait of how your strengths and skills benefit the enterprise that you’re hoping will write your next paycheck.One key element that comes into play is how you present information in your resume.

Today's employers are inundated by resume submissions in a world where multitasking and information overload are already the norm. If you try to use a Core, one-size-fits-all, resume, your resume will end up in a black hole.Even though the computer age is upon us, fully customizing a resume remains a time-suck in busy lives — like preparing a five-course meal from scratch.

Only the luckiest job seekers have a straight-line career path upward. The rest of us have steps back (whether by choice or by force), and some of us change jobs like the British royals change hats.Employers can detect demotions or backward job steps with just a glance, and they often frown on them — or at the very least, wonder what happened.

Your resume is you in paper (or electronic) form. It’s the first glimpse employers get of the value you can bring to their company. Your resume should tell a compelling story of who you are and what you can do, especially in a tough economic environment or when you’re moving from one career to another. Show your skills by creating a focused resume that shows point for point how you fit into the company’s big picture.

Experience — for the traditional professional — includes your professional experience or work history presented in reverse chronological order (also known as RC) on your resume. This section is critical because it’s where you provide the proof to support your objective header, summary, and keyword sections. This is where the employer looks for these details, but this is also where you can easily lose that attention.

When you’ve just walked the cap-and-gown line, you can sidestep “no experience” potholes by impressing employers with your vim and vigor, accomplishments, and up-to-date knowledge. Here’s a primer on putting together a resume for a recent graduate that can help you break into your desired field. Check out award-winning new graduate resumes created by professional resume writers at CareerDirectors under the Find a Career Pro navigation button.

A well-crafted resume contains only the information that proves you’re a qualified candidate. Eliminate resume clutter by removing useless information that potential employers often view as filler and a waste of their time. Here’s a short list of the worst offenders: “References available on request.” Listing the actual references on your resume is even worse.