Are you struggling to get a job? Do you find it more difficult than you assumed to create your resume?

While the economy worsens, the higher the employment rate soars. Therefore, the more competitive the job market gets.

These days, the way that your resume looks is absolutely more important than ever. No matter how much experience you have or how qualified you are for a job, looks go a long way in job searching.

Follow these rules and tips to fully understand resume writing.

Before beginning, you want to a choose your main resume format. There are three types: chronological, functional, and chrono-functional.

A chronological resume is the most common as you list job experiences by date with the most recent first. If you are simply looking for a job in a similar field as your previous work, go with this format.

A functional resume is used to emphasize your accomplishments and skills written in paragraph form. You don't have to list your previous work by date, and you focus more on the writing. If you are switching career fields, just graduating from school, or going back to the workforce after a long break, this would work well.

A chrono-functional resume is a combination of both types. This is growing to be a pretty common format as you can use a mix of paragraphs, bullets, and dates. Use this if all your previous jobs are diverse, and you don't have an exact direction of your career goals. And like the functional way, you can use this format if you're switching career fields.

Now that you have chosen your format, it's time to create your resume.

The following is an outline of typical sections you'll include in your resume

1. Heading - You can be simply creative with your heading so it can right away catch the employer's eye. And although some do not like listing their address, it is actually important to reveal. Many people don't realize that managers evaluate how far you will commute. So, list your address, one main phone number, and e-mail (a professional-looking e-mail!)

2. Objective - Do not over-achieve with the objective. A mistake you can make is writing how you are so "hard-working and dedicated" and want to "achieve goals". Make it simple to pertain it to the position you're applying to. Example: "Accomplished media specialist seeking to increase sales in a creative advertising agency."

3. Summary of Qualifications - A crucial portion of your resume where you list highlights of your professional background. Read job advertisement you're applying to and incorporate how your skills would qualify for the position. For example, "Over 10 years of journalism background" and "Multilingual in Spanish and German."

4. Education - If you are a recent college graduate, place this before your experience section. If you graduated many years ago, and your experience outweighs your education, put this at the bottom of your resume. List your school(s), graduation date(s), and major(s). G.P.A. is not always necessary.

5. Experience - There are some tricky rules that many job candidates forget:

• Use your previous jobs in past-tense and current job in present-tense.
• Always put a period at the end of your statements.
• List your current job first!
• If you've had jobs for less than 3-4 years, list months and years of your employment days.
• Do not list too many job duties that would take up half the page!

6. Optional Sections

• Additional Experience
• Community Involvement
• Additional Skills
• Honors & Awards
• Certificates & Credentials

Do not use first-person words, like "I" or "my" in your statements.

Revise your resume each time you apply for a different position to accomodate to the firm's requirements.

Do not attach a picture or staple your resume when mailing.

Keep your resume to one page if you are entry-level. Professionals with a good five years of experience can use a page and a half. And only executive/top leaders should use two pages.