Having a well written, effective resume at one's disposal is an excellent tool in today's ever changing job market. A strong resume may be the sole difference in getting a call for an interview or simply having your resume tossed into the proposed employer's sludge pile. Simply put, an effective resume may win you a job interview. In the world of academia, a strong resume, known as a curriculum vitae (CV) may open the door towards a tenured position.

While no two resumes will look the same, there are certain commonalties in all good resumes. Almost every resume should include the following headings or sections: objective, education, work experience, teaching experience (if applicable), publications of note (if applicable), personal, and a references section.

Under the "Objective" heading, the job seeker offers his or her goal of acquiring a certain position. Don't be afraid to state a bold objective. After looking at your name, the objective is oftentimes the next thing employers read. Here are two examples:

Weak Objective: It is my goal to obtain a sales management job.

Powerful Objective: As someone with an extensive background in pharmaceutical sales, my objective is to obtain a sales management position which would allow me to share my sales experiences and train the next generation of top pharmaceutical salesmen.

The good example is certainly much more extensive than the bad example. Please note that the objective is to be ideally stated in one sentence. In short, try to catch the employer's attention in one sentence in the objective section. If you need an additional sentence, then feel free to use one; but remember, you are trying to grab an employer's attention with a short, crisply written message.

For college students just entering the job world, you should probably list your "Education" section directly after stating your objective. Stress your high marks here, if you have them. Also, be sure to include your extra-curricular involvement in clubs, sports teams, and such similar campus organizations. Make certain you include your part-time and summer employment you had during your college years. Employers want to know that you weren't just loafing around during your off time. It will impress them if you worked to pay your way through college. Stress this fact and let them know that you were able to study, hold down a job, and pay your bills during college.

If you have been out in the job world for some time, include your "Work Experience" section immediately after the objective. If you've been around the block, go ahead and flaunt your job experiences. At this point, your job experiences are usually much more important to an employer than what your college grades were. You can then list your "Education" background thereafter.

In the "Personal" section, you want to humanize yourself a bit more. Tell the employer about yourself. Go ahead and open up. Share the names of your wife and three kids, if that's important to you. If you are a family man, you may want the employer to get the picture. Do you enjoy photography, boxing, gardening, or playing basketball? Share this information. You may find this information being brought front and center at the interview. It offers areas the employer can talk about and lighten the interview.

Make use of your "Reference" section. In the "Reference" section, many job seekers put, "references available upon request." It's preferable to list the names of two or three people here. When names are listed, you are in effect saying, "Go ahead and call these people. I dare you." Listing references shows that you have nothing to hide. However, make certain that you inform your references that job employers may be contacting them. If not, your prospective employer will not be impressed when he contacts your reference and it takes two minutes before your reference is able to understand what the telephone call is about.

Putting these elements to work for you, you will be able to complete a good resume. You should also make certain that you include a personalized cover letter.