Just about everyone has advice on resumes; tips and tricks for being unique are harder to find.  No matter what your business, and no matter what the economy is doing, having a resume that stands out above the rest is a foot in the interviewer’s door.

Different career paths with require different techniques.  Certainly someone who is hoping to work in a creative field needs to have a resume that is different from someone hoping to work in criminal law. Within these parameters, however, learn to think outside the box.  Just begin to write a list of all the ways you could get noticed in the field that you are hoping to work in.  Some of them may seem silly but you don’t have to do them.  You are getting your creative juices flowing and allowing your brain to come up with possibilities that you might not otherwise think of.

If you are going to write a resume then you may also be required to write a cover letter.  It can be difficult to know exactly what to write.  You don’t want to repeat what you are going to say in the resume, and you don’t want to sound stilted or uncomfortable.  How in the world can you find your voice?

Take a deep breath.  A cover letter is really only an introduction.  It is a way of saying, “Hey, I am pretty cool, and you will want to hire me after you read my resume so prepare yourself.” 

The cover letter will let the prospective employer know what the two of you have in common, what your basic strengths are and what you plan to do for his company.  It should also end with an action on your part, i.e.: “I will give your secretary a call on Wednesday to find out where to pick up my key to the corporate lounge.”

Having a written resume that you can fax, email, or snail mail to a prospective employer is important.  This is something concrete that he can look at to get an idea of your compatibility with his company.  Consider though, this person (for simplicity people of either gender will be referred to as *he*.  Yes, I do understand that many fantastic leaders are women.) will see hundreds of resumes in any given week, possibly in any given day.  What is going to make him want to do more than skim yours and file it?

A resume is a terrible thing to waste.  There are hundreds of resume templates floating around on the Internet, and in word programs like Microsoft Office.  Books have been written on the subject.  Find a template that you like and use it as your resume.  If you are not confident in your writing abilities invest in yourself and hire someone to create a professional resume for you.

Basically a resume will have information on your educational background, work background, and any clubs or memberships that you may have.  It should not be a biography of your life but rather a synopsis of whom you are and where you are going with your career.  Use strong words to describe the titles you have held or the jobs you have done.  Consider that in the 1960s the men who collected garbage were called Garbage Men, and in 2009 they are called Sanitation Engineers.  Which title, of the two, would you prefer to hold?

Never tell a lie on a resume.  It is important that your potential employer know that you are totally trustworthy.  However, finding strong word phrases to describe the positions you have held is not lying.  Keep it specific. 

Home Daycare Teacher- Childhood Learning Facilitator/Creative Environment Specialist

Do you see the power of the right words? 

Your resume should be easy to read, without fancy fonts.  However, keep in mind that in some cases you may want to use a creative and unusual font to bring attention to your resume.  For example, if you are submitting a resume to an upscale hair design studio maybe you want to use the dove gray paper with the burgundy font.  In every case consider the image that you want to present.

And, of course, proof read it several times.  Don’t just depend on your spell-check program but read it through and look for mistakes in spelling, grammar, and usage.   

Daily Writing Tips has Forty-four Tips for Writing a Resume  that is excellent.

Normally you will follow the same procedure and tips for an online resume.  These are generally filed with your account on job search sites like Monster.com.  In many ways the online resume is easier to do because it prompts you through each step.  The wording, however, is still up to you.  Keep using strong phrases in your resume, whether you are writing a resume to mail to someone or to file online.

We live in an age of corporate branding. Every company wants to have its name on your butt or emblazoned across your chest. Companies want you to sip coffee on the subway from cups with their brand on it, to drink water from a bottle with their logo on it, and on and on. There is a reason for that. The more people see something or someone, the more comfortable they are with that item/person. In the case of a coffee company it means more sales. In your case it means more interest in you, your work, and your future.

Keeping an online blog is a great way to get noticed, depending on the blog and what you are ultimately hoping to achieve. For a freelance writer a blog is almost a requirement because it gives prospective clients a place to go to see your work.

Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are also good places to make those connections. Create the most interesting homepage possible on each of these, and become involved in the community.

Another social networking site that many people overlook is LinkedIn. This site allows you to connect with business people, on a business level, and in almost all cases is the single most valuable site you can be involved with whether you are looking for employment or just want to keep your name out there.

Using video can be a fun way to present yourself if you have a creative type job.  With computers and all of the various plugins and programs you can create things that would have been impossible to create a decade ago.  Upload it on Youtube, embed it in your online blog and you will be promoting yourself before you know it.

Keep trying, don’t give up, and keep those creative juices flowing and eventually it will pay off.

Marye Audet is a freelance writer, editor and professional foodie.  Her versatility allows her to write with authority on such diverse subjects as ganache and green living, as well as many other genres.

In addition to writing on Hubpages, Baking Delights, and elsewhere on the web she has authored a cookbook which is scheduled to be released in 2009. 

Her food photography is catching the eye of magazine editors and she recently had an image used in Niagara Interiors.

From homesteading articles to a menu makeover Marye Audet can do that.