By Elisha Lovelace

Looking for that dream job, but can't seem to verbalize what you do? Having a hard time showing the importance of your responsibilities? Want to make an impression that will get you that interview?

When you are looking for a new position—whether it is administrative, technical, high-level management or even a career change—you want to make an impression that will get your foot in the door. Listing your current duties is easy, but how do you show what makes you qualified for that position of your dreams?

Here are some secrets that I currently use to help land that interview.

Consistency in what the employer is looking for, and what you have outlined in your resume is very important. If you are applying for a specific job, use the job description to pick out key words and phrases that you can "mirror" in your resume.

If you are not applying for a specific job, but have identified a title you are looking for (i.e., web master, communications manager, etc.) then search the Internet for job descriptions for these titles to do the same "mirror" exercise. Here are some places to start:

• www.monster.com
• www.washingtonpost.com
• www.careerbuilder.com

Employers are interested in getting their needs met. You may meet those needs but not have precisely indicated that in your resume. You'll have to make it obvious that you do.

Considering that employers are interested in getting their needs met, stay away from an objective statement on your resume. In place of this objective, put either a statement describing you or a quick summary of your qualifications for the position, for example: "An ambitious Web development professional with emphasis in Active Server Pages and Photoshop" or "Financial analyst specializing in Department of Defense contracts and grants."

Remember that this is the first impression of yourself you give to your potential new company. There are many different facets of style that come into play when writing a resume that help make that first, lasting impression. This includes everything: organizing your qualifications and accomplishments, creating your document's visual appeal, and providing easy-to-read vital information.

How you organize your qualifications depends on your career choice. For example, if you are applying for a technical position, summarize your experience by qualification, not employer; for a management position, highlight accomplishments over and above assigned duties; for a communications management position, cite some publications or web sites you have managed. Each position requires different vital information, which needs to be organized by how important it will be to the employer (not to you).

Your resume's appearance is also extremely important when you are applying for a position, particularly one that has anything to do with communication in any way. For example, an administrative assistant with a visually appealing resume will impress the company with her ability to draft and format correspondence and use word-processing software. Similarly, a web designer will want her resume to be in a format that will work on the web, in print and by fax—as well as show off her flair for design.

Of course, your information needs to be organized to provide a wealth of information that is also easy to follow. A common mistake on resumes is to summarize your duties into two to three phrases to keep it easy to read. Bullet your skills and accomplishments—perhaps even cluster your skills in a specific field together (i.e., administrative skills, accounting skills, customer service skills, management skills, web development skills, etc.) Your audience—the employer—wants to know why he or she should hire you, so you need to include all your qualifications that show how you fit into that position.

For further tips on making your resume stand out from the crowd, go www.lovelace.htmlplanet.com and click on resume tips.

There are also many job search sites that can aid you in your search for a new career such as www.monster.com and www.washingtonpost.com.

Here are some links to great career assesment sites: