You have 20 seconds, at most maybe 30, to state your case. How much could you possibly say in that amount time? What point would you try to make? Did you ever consider that is probably all the time you have to convince an employer that you are the right person for the job? It's your resume that does the talking for you. Is yours saying what you want it to say?

Your resume is your primary marketing tool and you are the product it sells. Neither an autobiography nor a curriculum vitae, a resume states your professional objective and presents your relevant skills and credentials. Because a resume is a personal introduction to a potential employer, it should convey a lasting, positive first impression. However, the function of your resume is not to get you a job. It's to get you an interview.

A well-written resume is clear, logically organized, and attractive. It should be both professional looking and easy to read; important facts describing your accomplishments should be easy to locate. It should be brief-two pages maximum-but comprehensive enough to convey your important skills and accomplishments. Such measurable facts will appeal to a potential employer.

Presumably you have heard this information before, yet few people keep it in mind as they write their resumes. Writing a resume takes little time; writing an effective resume is more difficult but it can be done. Here are some tips to remember:

What is your objective? A resume that contains irrelevant, illegible, incorrect, or insufficient information is difficult to evaluate. Review the job description carefully and tailor your resume to meet the requirements stated in the advertisement. A resume won't help you if readers can't quickly determine who you are and what you want to do. Recruiters and human resources professionals don't have the time to carefully read each line of every resume to see if a candidate has the right experience. If a reader has to work to find the necessary information in a resume, then he or she will lose interest quickly. A smart job hunter makes the reader's job easier-and increases the likelihood of an interview.

The job description holds the key. To keywords, that is. If you are going to e-mail your resume, use an Internet job site, or if you think the company will scan your resume, be sure your resume includes keywords. Keywords are nouns that are used to narrow a search in a resume database. Examples of keywords include instruments and techniques that you have used (GC/MS), skills (wastewater management), and areas of expertise (synthetic organic chemistry).

Be specific about your accomplishments. It's not enough to describe what you've done; you need to go one step further and explain the outcome. Did you save time, save money, increase efficiency—how did you contribute to your company's bottom line? Here's an example: "Introduced a new series of potassium silylalkylamides to the pharmaceutical markets resulting in annual sales of $50,000." If you can't accurately quantify the outcome, use phrases such as "significantly increased", "exceeded expectations", or "considerably reduced". Noting results in your resume will increase its impact and impress the reader but resist the temptation to exaggerate. Potential employers can verify your history with past employers and references.

Which format? The format you choose should reflect your experience. You can use a chronological format if you are a new graduate or if you are an experienced candidate who wants to demonstrate solid progression in your career. If you are looking to make a transition to a field or an industry in which you don't have much experience, a functional format may be more useful because it emphasizes your skills and abilities over your work history.

Proofread! What would you think of a candidate who advertises attention to detail but whose resume contains spelling or grammatical errors? Proofread your resume, and then ask a friend to proof it to make sure your resume is error free.

In reviewing resumes for experienced and entry-level chemical scientists, the American Chemical Society's Department of Career Services has found that the most effective resume may be a combination of the chronological and skills-based formats. With this in mind, the ACS publication Tips on Resume Preparation presents the basic components of all resumes, discusses how you can construct the best resume possible, and presents some excellent examples. Knowing how to avoid common stumbling blocks will put you on the right track.