This week I posted a researcher/admin job on Craig’s List. Within 90 minutes I had 75 resumes. Here are 14 things that came to mind when reviewing responses to my listing:  

1. Put your employment objectives at the top of your resume but make them about serving your employer not about YOU. Employment isn’t about you, it’s about an agreement to deliver services for $$.
2. It’s not a good idea to have typos in a resume. I rejected those immediately.
3. Write in complete sentences and check your grammar and punctuation.
4. Put a greeting with some info into the email. With 75 resumes there was no way in heck I was going to read a resume without an introduction.
5. Remember to attach the resume.
6. At least try to match your qualifications with the job description. Please.
7. Don’t write about your interest in learning to do the job. I need an assistant not an intern.
8. Don’t suggest you would love to work in my organization and know all about it because, you don’t: It’s Craig’s List, I’m under cover!
9. Include references.
10. If you have a new job every three months, explain yourself.
11. Respond early. I opened the emails in chronological order and some early responders where eminently qualified.
12. Don’t send a sexy seductive picture (yep, someone did that).
13. Don’t make me guess your abilities. There’s too much competition. You have to make me want to hire you based on your qualifications.

It’s tough to make the transition from one field of work to another (e.g., retail to administration). Think about how your old/current job gave you the right skills for you new job and explain it in a cover letter. Be creative yet honest.