This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Karen Swim, a professional resume writer, about the importance of marketing yourself with your resume. She shared with me invaluable dos and don’ts to remember when writing and distributing that one critical document which can determine whether or not you get a job. I gleaned so much good, solid information from her that this article doesn’t begin to cover it all. Instead, it will be the first of several informative articles to come.

Many of us in both the freelancing world and corporate job market are very familiar with the online resources available to procure employment. Job boards, networking sites and newsletters are chock full of leads for potential jobs. It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking for a contract-based freelance assignment or a job that will see you through to retirement, the process is the same: You create a resume, you find compelling job leads, and then you “sell” your ability to rock the job.

When utilizing the internet in your job search, you need to remember one vital component: Online networking and contact does NOT replace human interaction. You still have to go out and walk the pavement and have face-to-face contact. Sitting at a computer, sending out countless resumes and emails is a surefire way to plummet into a job seeking depression. Job sites generally have a fairly long wait time between applying and hearing a response. If you have the perfect key words strategically embedded into your resume (which a professional resume preparer such as Karen can help you with, by the way), you can expect to hear back within an average of two weeks; and over the holidays, the wait may be a bit longer. If you haven’t heard anything back a month after sending, odds are that resume is not going to get any results.

Be proactive in your job search. When you make your initial contact, whether over the internet or in person, let them know you will be following up within a certain timeframe, and then be sure to do just that. Give it a few days and then send an email verifying the first was received. If you still do not receive a response, move on. If you choose to follow up with a telephone call, never leave more than one message. Hey, it’s not that different from when you were trying to go out with someone in college. You want to give them a few opportunities to talk. Then you get the hint and move on. You DON’T want to creep them out with your desperation!

Make sure your resume will fall into the right hands. Do your homework and know who it is that is involved in the hiring process. LinkedIn is a fine tool to broaden your spectrum of company contacts. Be specific in the subject line and if you are certain of the individual doing the hiring, use their name in the subject line, too. Seeing their own name will prompt them to click on it to open, and – BAM – your resume has been seen! If you do not know the name of a specific person, make sure the subject line is relevant, precise, and that it accurately represents the contents of the email. Focus on the position you are applying for. In the body of the email, put the resume contents or offer to send an attachment. People are protective of their computers and have become very cautious of opening attachments. A helpful, easy-to-use tool is visualCV.com. It is a media format that you can send as a link to your online resume.

Take time to work on your opening statement for your resume. Remember to stay true to your profession and pepper bits of your personality into the statement, if it is applicable (and appropriate). This opening statement may be slightly different for each potential employer you share it with. Creativity in what you write is more acceptable in some fields than it is in others. You want to get their attention and stir their interest. Make them want to read your resume from start to finish. (Case in point: When I first got out of college I knew that I needed to stand out from the millions of other recent grads. So I found a one-panel cartoon that accurately described my competitive differentiator, then I contacted the cartoon’s creator to get permission to use his cartoon as my cover page. It worked and I got a ton of job offers and my pick of jobs). Generally, 15 seconds are spent on a quick scan of a resume so you want to make sure that first section includes prominent key words and eye catching points. This is your personal branding moment. Target the position and the person reviewing your resume.

Include your contact information. A reliable phone number and your email are sufficient. Do not give your home address; many companies utilize your zip code for salary profiling, and you don’t want to be rejected for a job because you live in “that” section of town. Under any circumstance, do NOT ever, ever use your current employer’s email or contact number as your contact info. This shows poor professionalism and most certainly sends out a bad vibe. There are enough free email sites out there that having your own personal mailbox should be easy enough. Use an email address with your name instead of guitarrockstar@yahoo.com or I_love_edward_cullen@gmail.com.

When distributing copies of your resume, either through the mail or in person, make sure it is on good quality paper, that all pages and envelopes match, and that you have multiple copies available. No folder or protective cover is necessary as long as it is presented in a professional looking manner. A helpful tip from Karen was to send your resume via FedEx. This ensures that someone — a real live person — has to sign for it and it won’t end up in a pile on someone’s desk. And, it shows initiative and ventures a little bit outside the box. In today’s job market, competition is brutal and you have to make some adjustments to stand out.

Before sharing your resume with anyone, proof it. Print it out and read it. Have someone else read it. Then have another someone else read it. The more eyes you have checking it out, the better. Make sure the grammar is correct and there aren’t any typos; after all, your future employer is hiring you to represent them to others so they want you to appear competent. Your layout should be clean and uncluttered with only the relevant information that pertains to the specific job which you are applying. If you have a 20 year work history in various fields, scale your work history to those that fall into the appropriate category. Make sure the information you provide is accurate and to the point. Remember, relevant to the specific job to which you are applying. Your previous experience flipping burgers at McDonald’s is interesting, but less critical for that rocket scientist position you’re hoping to get at NASA.

I really enjoyed my conversation with Karen. Next week I will share more of our talk, including specific guidance for fine tuning your resume and creating a masterpiece sure to grab an employer’s eye.

We would love to hear your comments and questions from the articles in this series. What’s worked for you? What hasn’t worked?

Karen D. Swim is the President and CEO of Words For Hire, and author of How to Write Your Own Killer Resume. Her company provides integrated marketing solutions to a wide range of global businesses and career marketing and branding solutions to high impact professionals. Karen has more than two decades of management, marketing and business strategy experience. She uses integrative problem solving to customize marketing and content solutions for clients. The difference is solutions that align with the customer’s brand and objectives rather than cookie cutter, me too marketing that forces the customer into a predetermined model. To learn more about career marketing solutions or to purchase the book, visit http://getcareerhelp.com.