You do not need a crystal ball to know that the job market over the last year or so is tighter than it has been in a long while. In fact, many Fortune 500 companies report receiving over 1,000 unsolicited resumes each week. For this reason, you must apply yourself more diligently in your resume

In order to obtain interviews with top-notch companies, you must present attention-getting resumes that depict you in the best possible light. Although there is no foolproof formula for writing a "winning" resume, the following guidelines should be instructive for those of you serious about making the best impression you can on paper.

Attractive Appearance

Scores of books have been written on the topic of how to create a "killer resume." They all indicate the importance of designing resumes that are visually appealing. Here are some key pointers in this regard:

* Use quality paper stock. One suggestion is Southworth fine business paper, with 24 lb., 25% cotton content. White or off-white is always a safe bet in terms of color selection. As an exception to this rule, students with a degree in fine arts, interior design, or graphic arts might want to consider paper stock that is a bit more "creative"--such as beige or pale pastel. (Keep in mind, though, that colored paper does not reproduce as well on the copier as white stock. And an employer will likely make copies of your resume or scan it; so opting for something other than white is risky.)

* Select a clear, readable font with appropriate point size. A good choice is Arial, 12-point. Whatever you choose, be sure that it is readable and looks professional. Although it's appropriate to use underlining, italics, or small caps in moderation to set off certain portions of the resume, make certain that none of these detracts from the overall appearance. Similarly, show restraint in using more than one font. No matter how impressive the content of the resume is, if it looks "too busy" to the ordinary eye, the person scanning it will likely be turned off immediately.

* Balance the elements of the resume for the best effect. The key components of a resume include: heading (with personal contact information); job objective; education (and academic accomplishments); work experience; personal information; and references. To balance these sections of the resume, include an appropriate amount of white space in the margins (1-1/2'-2") and between each major section of the document.

* Carefully proofread the resume. To anyone reading your resume, any typographical, spelling, or syntax errors stand out like a sore thumb. Even if you are an English major, double-check your resume for any such mistakes. As a further safeguard, have other persons read your resume: a counselor in the placement office, a professor, someone working in your academic field, a family member with good proofreading skills, and so on. Considering how hard you've worked to prepare yourself for job-hunting, why spoil your chances by presenting a resume with easily detected flaws?

* Consider using special envelopes. One option is to use envelopes that match the paper stock of the resume, such as off white. It really doesn't cost much more than purchasing regular business-size envelopes. Another option is to buy larger envelopes (9" x 12") from a stationery store with "Resume Enclosed" printed on the front. This allows you to mail your resume flat, which makes a better appearance than if it is tri-folded in a standard business envelope.

If the persons reviewing your resume like the looks of it, they will be more predisposed to read it for its content value.

Impressive Content

Apart from displaying an attractive appearance, a winning resume includes factual information that will impress a prospective employer.

What do employers look lot in hiring college students? They know that most seniors typically lack a lot of work experience. More than anything else, they base their selection on what they perceive to be candidates' promise and potential. Any and all evidence of past success in the classroom, on the playing field, or in any other worthwhile endeavors indicates the likelihood of success on the job.

Let's consider some key evaluation criteria that corporate recruiters and human resources managers weigh heavily when considering seniors for entry-level positions.

Academic strengths: Presenting a strong academic background gives evidence of innate intelligence and scholastic ability. In almost any held of endeavor, "brain power" is an essential component of success. Students who have a GPA of 3.5 or higher should certainly highlight that on their resume. (Anything less than 3.0 should not even be mentioned.) Similarly, membership in academic honorary societies provides further indication of exceptional intellectual ability and scholastic achievement.

Athletic accomplishments: Excelling in competitive sports points to discipline and drive--two traits highly valued in the business world. Employers recognize that students who have distinguished themselves on the playing field have learned to bounce back after defeat, work well as a team member, develop a championship spirit, and make the necessary sacrifices to achieve challenging goals. In particular, your resume should highlight any individual or group athletic awards during your collegiate career.

Leadership ability: When recruiters scan dozens, or even hundreds, of resumes to decide "who makes the first cut" in the hiring process, they look closely for evidence of leadership ability. Apart from athletic prowess, there are other ways that students can demonstrate outstanding leadership. Examples: spearheading a campus/ community charitable fund-raising drive, co-coordinating a get-out-the-vote campaign, or designing a tutoring program for local disadvantaged students. Similarly, holding elective office in student government or serving as a minority representative on a student/faculty committee also indicates budding leadership ability.

Personal initiative: People who carefully review resumes also look for some indication that the candidate has displayed personal initiative that mattered in some special way. "This trait is especially valued in fields that are entrepreneurial in nature, such as sales and marketing. For instance, interviewers in those fields would be impressed to see that a student has started a successful small business on campus.

Relevant work experience: A key criterion of potential for success is relevant work experience. Recruiters give this very serious consideration in their overall evaluation. That is why students who acquire internship or co-op work experience related to their majors have a decided competitive advantage. If they have performed well in an intern or co-op situation, chances are they will do well as permanent employees.

Note: Your resume should include any other gainful employment, even such experience as working in fast food restaurants. Even though those jobs don't pay much, they offer students opportunity to develop a sound work ethic, fine-tune customer service skills, and acquire basic familiarity with how profit-making organizations are run.

Consider, for instance, someone who has worked as team leader at a fast food chain. He or she had to handle varied responsibilities: train and supervise new employees, help to manage inventory control, provide point-of-sale service during busy times, and ensure customer satisfaction. Such work experience promotes the development of skills that are valuable in any corporate setting.

Multicultural exposure: It's no secret that corporate America is showing more concern for issues related to multiculturalism and diversity. It is a widespread belief that companies benefit from hiring employees who can perform comfortably in a highly diverse work environment. For this reason, it's a plus if your resume indicates personal exposure to multicultural learning or employment experiences. Some examples: studying abroad, acquiring fluency in one or more languages other than English, living in a cultural affinity dormitory ("Spanish House"), or doing an internship with a multinational corporation.

General well-roundedness: Hiring managers expect to see on college students' resumes evidence that collegiate life has helped them become more well-rounded intellectually and socially. In particular, resumes presented by minority students who show an over-emphasis of "ethnocentric" concerns are generally not viewed as favorably as those who depict varied interests and broad intellectual and social engagement.

To emphasize this point, suppose a human resources manager notices on a candidate's resume a major in African-American studies, leadership position in the Black Student Union, participation in Third World political initiatives, and article contributions to a Pan-African community newspaper.

Resumes that showcase this involvement are likely to be viewed favorably by minority-focused businesses. On the other hand, these kinds of resumes may not be so positively rated by majority-owned corporations if they don't include, on balance, other types of academic or social involvement.

In short, an appropriate balance of resume content would show involvement in broad extracurricular areas such as: debate team, collegiate publications, student professional societies, instrumental or choral music, and dramatic arts.

If you majored in African-American studies, make sure that your resume notes other elective courses that showcase academic well-roundedness. Examples: computer literacy, foreign language, economics, social sciences, expository writing, human sciences, and so on.

An attractive resume that includes impressive content will certainly get the attention of prospective employers. If it's obvious from your resume that you have significant promise and potential, chances are you will receive an invitation to interview for the job.

Electronic Resumes

Any complete discussion on resume preparation should mention the importance of electronic resumes in job hunting. With the advancements in Internet technology, employers increasingly rely on online recruitment strategies to find the best candidates. Thus, as a smart student, you need to compete effectively as a "cyberspace candidate" by developing a scannable resume for fax or e-mail transmittal.

Not surprisingly, the Internet contains numerous websites that offer you valuable advice on preparation of electronic resumes. Here are four informative sites:

* "Tips for Electronic Resumes"--offers 19 practical tips on formatting and transmitting electronic resumes. See www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/ Interviews_R ... /Tips_for_Electronic_145_01.htm.

* "Electronic Resumes"--presents advice on resume preparation, e-mailing recruiters, and gaining favorable exposure on the main job boards. See www.businessknowhow.com/career/eresume.htm

* "Guidelines To Follow When Creating a Resume for the Internet"--discusses the design elements and strategy behind effective electronic resume preparation. See www.oakton.edu/resource/stuserv/netjobs/ resumes/guidelines1.html.

* "Electronic Resumes"--offers detailed information on ASCII resumes, Web resumes, scannable resumes, keyword strategy, and emailing. See www.reslady.com/electronic.html.

Above all, it's important to make your electronic resume stand out by including keywords, or industry buzzwords, that get the attention of human resources personnel who retrieve resumes scanned into their companies' databases. As a practical tip, the resume verbiage should focus on nouns rather than verbs, and should include the most important keywords at the beginning of the list.

Example: Suppose you are earning a degree in Chemical Engineering did coop work and internships with several prominent EnvironmentalEngineering consulting firms. Your electronic resume might include the following keywords that summarize your academic and on-the-job training and industry familiarity:

BS-Chem E / Process Engineering/ Environmental Modeling / Environmental Impact Assessment / Natural Resources Management / Pollution Control and Prevention / Environmental Resources Compliance / CERCLA Liability Analysis / Reclaimed Water / Solid Waste / Land Development / Wetland Regulation / HazCom.

If you are a member of professional societies and associations, you should also include these in a second grouping of keywords. Examples: National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE); Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and American Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE).

Not all academic disciplines lend themselves to inclusion of such technical keywords, of course. Nevertheless, regardless of your major, it's beneficial to include relevant keywords that summarize the body of knowledge and work experience that you offer.

Finally

To make job hunting most effective, it's wise to have on hand carefully prepared standard and electronic versions of your resume. This will allow you flexibility in submitting your credentials for timely review by prospective employers.

Presenting a "winning" resume will help you get your foot in the door for actual employment interviews. How well you sell yourself in person is another story, and the subject of other articles in this publication. Good luck!

Calvin Bruce is an Atlanta freelancer career consultant, and frequent contributor to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN.