This post is the first in a series designed to help you write your own resume and put your skills and accomplishments in a format that will appeal to all those strangers out there who will be viewing your resume.

Your resume may initially be viewed by a Screener who has a job description in one hand and a thousand resumes in the other. How will you get into the "Top 10 to Call" pile and avoid the "Discard" pile?Let's start with the page layout. Set the margins: Top 0.35, Bottom 0.45 and sides 0.65. I format my resumes utilizing Arial and Arial Bold.Next we will discuss the top of your resume: Your "Marketing" Message.