Is your rsum getting lost in a flood of rsums? Are you certain you could demonstrate your value to potential employers, if you could just get in front of them? Do you want to dramatically increase your chances of getting a follow-up call from employers? Bait your job-search hook with these seven tips and youll catch a whale of a good job.

1. Write a focused, accomplishment-centered rsum. Make sure that your rsum includes several examples of how you added value in previous positions. Include what you did, the outcome and why that is important. I guarantee you will stand out from the crowd if you target your rsum, highlight key skills, include success stories complete with results, and make it easy on the eyes.

2. Respond to appropriate ads. The owner of a successful job-search website often hears employers complain about job seekers who apply without offering any relevant qualifica-tions. Do yourself and everyone else a favor by responding to those ads that are obvious matches for your skills. If you have the right experience but your rsum doesnt show it, write a new rsum! Are you attempting to break into a new field? Do your homework first so that you can state your qualifications and background in terms that apply to the new job or industry. Remember, its okay to have more than one version of your rsum. There is no such thing as good generic rsum.

3. Take time to write a cover letter that addresses the specific requirements of the position. Use the job posting to identify requirements then match them to your qualifi-cations. Include examples of accomplishments that demonstrate the required skills.

4. Make the subject line compelling when sending your rsum by e-mail. Simply writing rsum in the subject line is boring, boring, boring. How many e-mails in an employers deluge contain rsum in the subject line? Thousands, I suspect. Use your subject line to immediately engage the reader and make him or her want to open your rsum first! If it lives up to the subject line he or she may never move on to the next one.

5. Whenever possible direct your rsum and follow-up call to the person who has the power to hire you. This requires that you do some investigating to find out the name or title of the person who is the hiring manager. Yes, this takes a little more effort but the payoff is worth it.

6. Call to follow up. Most job seekers send out their rsum and never follow up. They expect the employer to call them. Demon-strate that you are a go-getter by picking up the telephone and making that all important connection. First, confirm that your rsum has been received. Then politely inquire about the position and the next steps in the process. Ask when it would be appropriate to check back with them. Treat whomever you speak with on the telephone with respectyou could be talking with the decision-maker.

7. Be prepared to sell yourself over the telephone. Most companies pre-screen applicants by telephone. Dont make the mistake of thinking this isnt a real interview. You need to shine here or you wont make it to the next level. Be prepared. Smile when you answer the telephone. Its show time!