When drafting your résumé, be sure that the skills you include accurately represent your experience and expertise in the area. Before sending it out, it is advisable that you carefully read the qualifications a company requires to see if you’re a good fit. If you are, you should include this in your cover letter. Your cover letter should be brief and outline any skills, special training, and achievements that you deem relevant to your target position. This ensures a better chance of sending a message to your prospective employer that you are qualified for the position.

Never exaggerate your résumé by putting job functions that are not related to your skills. Employers and human resources managers do not have the luxury of time to sift through all those unnecessary details. Do them a favor by saving them time. Often, putting unrelated job functions or skills could mark you as an amateur to some employers. Put emphasis on the skills and experience that the employer is looking for. Your first objective is to snag the position over the other hopeful candidates.

Next, you should support your highlighted skills with certifications and special training that you have taken. This creates the impression that you’re serious about your chosen career, and that you’re continuously finding ways to better yourself as a professional. You can also list affiliations on any relevant organizations. For example, if you’re applying as a technical writer, putting that you’re a member of the Society for Technical Communication helps to boost your chances.

How long should a résumé be? This is an age-old question that confuses many job applicants. Should it be one page, two, or three? Some people would say that it depends, but here’s the good news: The argument about how many pages is beginning to lose weight in the present time. In the past, we didn’t have email and the wonders of creative software. Nowadays, we have résumé writing services, and if you look at résumé samples online, you’ll find that most résumés are written in one or two pages. On most occasions, a single page would suffice, since we now have access to creative suites and desktop publishing programs. They allow a layout design that can fit all you need to highlight in a single page.

Finally, a concise, effective résumé uses keywords and has no need for clichés. Many companies are now using submittable platforms where you can send your résumé. Moreover, they now have tracking systems that filter out résumés that don’t contain specific keywords they specified in the job description. Online job database platforms use this same system to match you with specific companies. This is why you should do your homework. Read the wanted ad carefully before responding, so that you know what keywords and phrases to use.

As for clichés, it’s a no-brainer that they should be avoided at all cost. Why? All the other applicants that you’re competing with are using them, and they don’t add anything new to your résumé. If you want to stand out, better avoid using meaningless expressions like you are “results-oriented” or a “team player.”