With the prevalent global economic crisis, jobs are increasingly hard to find and even harder to secure. With dozens of applications being received for each employment opportunity, it is important, now more than ever, to pay detailed attention to the job application process and create the perfect resume to greatly improve your chances of getting an interview call for that job you’ve been dreaming off.

Most large and medium sized multinational and local companies require their Human Resource department to advertise job vacancies in newspapers and on job websites. This is to ensure that the hiring process is fair and that the potential candidates are short-listed from a larger base of applicants. This also helps companies select from a larger, more diverse talent pool ensuring a better match for the advertised position.

Each advertised job vacancy receives a large number of applications. Resumes reach into the hundreds for each post creating enormous amounts of work for the HR department. All of these resumes need to be reviewed and sorted. Most of these resumes will be rejected and discarded with the accepted resumes receiving a second or even third review. Employers spend a few minutes at most on each resume and though this process may not seem like a fair one, people reviewing resumes are highly experienced and trained, efficiently filtering out resumes using keywords and formatting.

Some simple precautions help ensure that your resume doesn’t get discarded due to trivial mistakes. Make sure you check language, spellings and punctuation. Use a business-like format and make sure that the reviewer can easily locate and notice key information about you. Don’t get too creative by using bold and italics all over the place. Stick to a more accepted format and font type and size. Use a slightly heavy paper and matching envelope if you are sending a hard copy of your resume.

Employers are looking for candidates that can carry their own weight and add further value to their existing setup. Your resume needs to reflect those capabilities that match closest with the requirements of each applied job. Study each job requirement in detail and tailor your skills and achievements for each application if you really want your resume to have an impact. For example, if you’re applying for a job in computers mention your knowledge of hardware and software and all the courses you have taken to further your skills as opposed to a job in sales where you would focus on your friendly nature and ability to make contacts and networks.

Make sure you’re absolutely satisfied with your resume before submitting it for consideration. Don’t make the mistake of rushing your application and sending in something that is average. Keep in mind that what you convey through your resume cannot be altered and there are no second chances. Create a resume that appropriately answers the employer’s demands and win yourself an interview.