Stand out in the resume process for right reasons

Job candidates are told to make a good impression on their resumes. How far will you go to create attention? You aim to grab the manager's attention, but you don't want to stand out for the wrong reasons. Or end up on CareerBuilder's "most memorable missteps" list. You will become "memorable" as what not to do when it comes to resume writing.

There is a lot of pressure to create a resume that will make it past the first glance, especially with 14.9 million unemployed persons in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A CareerBuilder survey -- which questioned 2,500 employers -- says almost half of managers view at least 25 applications for open positions.

Typically, 38 percent of managers spend less than a minute on each resume. And 18 percent of survey respondents only take about 30 seconds to look at a resume.

When it comes to the top mistake for resumes, managers say it is lack of adaptation. The resumes aren't modified to fit the qualifications of the open position. But some resumes make mistakes that are worth noting because they are ridiculous.

Here are some examples if you are hoping to make it on CareerBuilder's "most memorable missteps" list for resumes:

n "Candidate put God down as a reference (no phone number)."

n "Candidate listed her hobby as alligator wrestling."

n "Candidate's e-mail address had 'loves beer' in it."

n "Candidate listed 'Master of Time and Universe' under his experience."

n "Candidate's condition for accepting the position was being allowed to bring his pet monkey to the workplace."

n "Candidate pointed out, 'I'll have your job in five years.'"

n "Candidate put a picture of her cat on top of her resume."

n "Candidate sent a 24-page resume for a five-year career."

"Job-seekers need to communicate their relevant experience and utilize keywords from the job posting, while customizing their resume for each and every position," says Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder's vice president of human resources. "Focus on what you can bring to the table right from the get go."

Haefner provides suggestions to make your resume more memorable for the right reasons:

n Calculate your work experience. Show managers how you have helped with team efficiency or helped complete important sales.

n Avoid personal information. Please refrain from including personal facts in your resume. Keep items that are more related to the business world, such as volunteering or being a part of a professional organization. Steer clear of inappropriate e-mail addresses, emoticons or showy fonts.

n Break up the information. Try to use bullets to make the resume easier to read. Break the facts into different sections.

For more information, visit the website www.careerbuilder.com.