There are many signs of a poor resume. These include awkward formatting, inappropriate content, misspellings, too much or too little information, and a professional summary that is either non-existent or fails to connect with the hiring manager’s need. Make these missteps and you’ll guarantee a place in the circular file.

In today’s competitive job market, having a professionally designed, factually correct resume is simply not enough to earn an interview. Everyone, or at least everyone worth 30 seconds of consideration, can pass this test. These attributes are the cost of entry. If all you offer is a chronological listing of job titles and basic responsibilities, you’re being lazy.

To make it out of a recruiter’s maybe pile you need to up your game. Instead of simply crafting a position-focused resume, you need to design a document that highlights your X factor – the proof points that indicate you can do job ABC better than the rest of the applicants.

The process is simple. For example, if you are an administrative assistant there are a series of common responsibilities that come with the job. Providing an overview of these is expected. The problem is, I’d expect them of any person in that job. To stand apart, you must share your “key accomplishments” in the role. While most admins provide travel scheduling, email management, and meeting coordination, maybe you exceeded expectations in your last role by designing an on-line team site, providing support for global virtual meetings, or redesigning your manager’s project tracker. These examples, especially when backed up by quantitative benefits, can rocket you to the top of the pile.

Let’s face it. People with canned, Brand X resumes can expect to get canned, Brand X consideration. To be successful you have to briefly demonstrate what you did in your prior roles and how you exceeded expectations and outpaced the achievements of others in similar positions. This speaks to potential ROI and earmarks you as a good hire. Show me that and you have my attention.

Need a career coach? Contact me via www.plotlineleadership.com.

Be sure to check out my new book The Introvert’s Guide to Job Hunting: http://amzn.to/1xfTdRk and follow me on Twitter at @timtoterhi