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At the risk of sounding too elementary, the resume is the first communication you make to an employer in regard to your employment history and professional skills. It should be accompanied by a cover letter and written to target the needs of the particular position you are applying for.

That means of course that you must thoroughly understand the position's requirements and then incorporate those requirements and how you can fulfill them into the cover letter and the resume.

Put another way your resume does not have a personality and can't speak, therefore it must be written to lend itself directly to the needs of the employer. The resume is only used to move you into the next step in the interview process which is the telephone or physical interview.

This cannot be emphasized enough. I often tell my clients that the purpose of a resume is not to get you a job but to get you an interview. Get that subtle distinction firmly planted in your mind. Do not construct your resume until you have specific information for the particular position you want to apply for.

It is a fact that all too often the resume is made well in advance of becoming familiar with the specific position requirements. When this is done you are never really sure if you are matching skills to the needs of the particular position you are applying for. This leaves many things to chance. It's not one-size-fits-all. Resumes have to be tailored to the requirements of the specific job you are targeting.

So your resume submission process is to have the outline of your resume constructed and then insert as many of the position requirements as you can and how you fulfill them. If it winds up that you have more than one resume, make sure that you remember what copy you sent where and make sure you bring that copy with you when you meet the employer.

So you should have more than one copy of your resume on file matched with the employer that got resume. Is a process like this a lot of work? Yes, it is. But this process increases your chances of getting an interview. Remember that the purpose of a resume is not to get a job but to get an interview!

My last tip on the resume has nothing to do with the resume itself. It has to do with the intimidating subject of follow-up. If you send your resume and do not receive a reply or the reply is unsatisfactory, I urge you to follow-up. I know you are not going to want to hear this but I am also going to urge you to be a little bold. And a little creative.

Even if you receive a "don't call us, we'll call you" letter, wait some time and then follow-up with the contact person either by e-mail or phone. Just make up some excuse why you have to call or e-mail them back and do it. Getting an interview is a sales game and, therefore, a numbers game. When you follow-up your chances of success do, in fact, go up.

In closing, and at the risk of repeating myself, please remember that the purpose of a resume is not to get a job but to get an interview. Is the process outlined above more work than just sending a generic resume to every position? Yes. Remember, you improve your chances by separating yourself from the mediocre. If you keep that main idea in mind at all times your resume will improve because it will be more individualized for the position. And if your follow-up is mildly assertive and you actually do it, you will increase your chances of getting an interview.

Martin B. O'Brien is a former recruiter with over twenty years of experience. He shows job seekers how to utilize marketing concepts and strategies so they can stand out from the sea of competition they are up against. His latest free report "The Marketing Bullets Resume Strategy" can be obtained at his website http://www.askmrjobhunter.com.