Writing an excellent resume that catches a recruiter's attention is an essential part of landing an interview. A recruiter will spend anywhere from six to 20 seconds reading over a resume, so you have to be able to separate yourself from the rest of the stack.

With the ability to apply for positions online, managers and human resource professionals often receive a seemingly endless amount of resumes. Glaring mistakes can be automatic grounds for disqualification. Know what recruiters look for in a resume and rise above the competition.

Resume Do's

Use bullet points when detailing experience. This will make your resume appear concise and organized -- also much easier to read. Draw attention to your accomplishments and avoid dense paragraphs and lengthy, run-on sentences.

Focus on your performance at past positions rather than simply cataloguing your duties. Use quantifiable accomplishments as often as possible. Employers want to see how you fared in the past, as an indication of future performance.

Use active, descriptive words in your resume. Stay away from the passive voice when describing your accomplishments. Rather than saying you assisted a group or helped a manager, provide details on the project, keeping the focus on your contribution.

Tailor your resume to the job for which you are applying. You want to show a potential employer that you are the person they are looking for, not that they are company you are looking for. Companies search for potential employees to fill in the missing pieces. Your level of experience is of little importance, if it does not match up with their needs.

Proofread, proofread and proofread. Ask at least two other people for feedback on your resume. Spelling and grammar mistakes can automatically get your resume skipped.

Resume Don'ts

Don't leave gaps in employment and short stays of employment unexplained. While you must be careful as to exactly how you explain employment gaps, an employer might pass over your resume without trying to find out why. Multiple jobs over a short period can indicate a "job-hopper." If you have frequently switched jobs, provide clarification.

Don't lie or over-exaggerate on your resume. Do not claim to have a degree from a certain school or employment with a specific company if it is not true. Employers are doing more thorough background checks. If it comes out that you lied on your resume, that is the end for you -- even if you got the job and are already working.

Don't excessively brag. While you do want to detail your best accomplishments, overdoing it may come off as arrogant. Do not be too modest, but be careful about how much you talk yourself up.
Avoid listing your hobbies and interests unless these pertain to the job for which you are applying.

Writing a good resume is the key to landing an interview with a potential employer. Since recruiters spend extremely little time actually reading over your resume, you need to make it stand out right away. These readers are inundated with resumes, so making simple mistakes can get your resume tossed aside immediately. You want a reader to notice that you are a viable candidate, with a resume worth reading.