With the unemployment rate at a record high and employers receiving hundreds of résumés for one position, it is vital to bulletproof your résumé. You have approximately 10 seconds to grab an employer's attention, so you want to make sure you've edited your résumé and you market yourself.
 

A résumé is a marketing tool, your chance to sell yourself. Be sure to include all relevant experience and skills. Your résumé and the contacts you have who may speak on your behalf serve as your "commercial." It is imperative the right message is conveyed in the right way to attract the right buyers.

 
Penn Career Services offers a wealth of career information including tips for writing a résumé, what sections to include and sample résumés from former job seekers at Penn.

Tips to help your résumé stand out:

• Keep it up to date
• Tailor your résumé for each job
• Ensure your résumé is in a clean and uncluttered format
• Proofread, proofread and proofread again
• Focus on your accomplishments, not just your duties
• Use buzz words
   

Click here for more tips from Penn Career Services.

Applying for a new job may come with its fair share of rejections, setbacks, frustrations and perhaps periods of unemployment. If you've been turned down for several positions, you could be getting increasingly desperate and may want to spruce up your résumé to make it stand out to human resources.

While you do want to make your résumé stand out, you also want to be cautious of getting too creative, and there are certain résumé etiquette rules you should follow:

1. Never lie on your resume: If you didn't do it, don't list it 
    
2. Avoid negativity towards your previous job, bosses or co-workers
    
3. Don't share your age: Although age discrimination is illegal, it still happens, and an employer may not even bring you in for an interview based on your age if known
    
4. Leave out health issues: If you decide to disclose your MS to your employer, that is fine; however, your résumé is not the appropriate place for this
    
5. Keep it clean: Clean up your résumé by ensuring all fonts are the same, spaces are even and the format is the same throughout
    
6. Exclude irrelevant experience: Stick with the jobs and internships that are most relevant
    

Remember, your résumé is a chance to sell yourself and highlight your skills and achievements. Make it as easy as possible for potential employers to see that you're right for the position. Click here to see a sample "bad" résumé. Can you tell why it's not a good example of what you should be doing?