Your resume is a critical component of your job search. When it comes to creating a resume, more likely than not, you will find yourself questioning whether or not you should include something in your resume.

You need a resume that grabs the attention of your recruiter or future employer. So what should you include, or eliminate from your Attention Grabbing Resume?

Tailor to the Specific Job
Each resume you submit should be tailored to the job you are applying for. Read over the job description and incorporate key words from the job description into your professional summary.

Contact Info
It is crucial to have your correct contact information at the header of your resume – Current Phone Number and Email Address.

Your email address can say a lot about you. Make sure yours it is professional – FirstName.LastName@….com

Professional Summary
This should come directly after your contact information. Briefly highlight your expertise, goals, and experience.

Short and Sweet
Keep your resume between 1-2 pages. A good way to format your resume is using bullet points – this allows Recruiters and Employers to skim through and focus on applicable information. Find the happy medium between detailed descriptions and lengthy, over-done descriptions.

Grammar
Misspellings on your resume are a huge turnoff. Your resume is your sales tool; spelling and grammar mistakes suggest you do not care about the job or company. Proof read your resume before submitting.

Dates
When it comes to listing dates on your resume, list the month and the year – July 2014 – November 2015. This helps fill any assumption of work-gaps or job-hopping.

Titles and Descriptions
It’s important for Recruiters and Employers to know what you’ve done in your previous jobs. List the Name of your company, the Title of your position, a short one-sentence description of your job, and Details of Accomplishments in the job.
Example: Bancroft Homes
            Title: Construction Superintendent
            High-end custom residential builder
            Brought in $800,000 in revenue in one-year

Education
When it comes to including your education on a resume, you only need to list your highest level of education – College degree, Master’s degree, PhD. Although companies cannot legally ask you your age, you should include the year you graduated from college.

Pictures
No matter how great of an attention grabber pictures may be, they are not something to include in your resume. This also goes for graphics, they are unnecessary and distracting.

Personal Interests
Although you may be an excellent tennis player or golfer, unless you’re applying for a position at a country club, your personal interests are not something to include on your resume.