The goal is to turn something not-so-beautiful into something very appealing. This can be done with your resume. So if you want to turn your bland page of words into a career-getter, take a few minutes to go over some tips that will help you “pimp” your resume.

Tip #1: Focus on the Employer

One way to make sure that your resume is impressive in the employer’s eyes is to make sure you correlate your qualifications with their needs. In other words, as you review the job posting, you want to zero in on what they’re looking for then note the qualifications that you bring to the table that match their desires. This way, they won’t have to play the match game on their own to determine how qualified you are for the position.

Tip #2: Try an Executive Summary

An executive summary is similar to an objective; however, it is a little bit longer (about 60 words, or 3 typed lines), and describes your both your objective and key selling points. So instead of simply noting that you’re looking for a specific position, you might mention that you’re a Harvard Medical School graduate with experiences as a hospital director who now seeks to showcase medical talents in an executive position at Pfizor Corporation.

Try #3: Narrow Down the Positions You Mention

It may bit tempting to take the approach of jotting down every job you’ve held in recent years. But if you were laid off three years ago and took a four-month part-time job to make ends meet, you don’t have to mention it unless it is relevant to the position you’re applying for. Sometimes these little jobs make a major change to your job outlook and you should make note of that.

Tip #4: Emphasize Accomplishments AND Education

You probably hear quite often how important it is to emphasize your accomplishments. In other words, it’s important to discuss in action phrases what you completed, not simply what you were responsible for. This shows that you were not just given a task, but you got it done. Well, the same goes for education. It’s customary to mention the school you attended, year you graduated, and degree you earned. However, there’s nothing wrong with mentioning academic projects, advanced coursework, and activities that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. Also, noting honors isn’t a bad idea. Be sure to include numbers and statistics if you can. These always impress employers.

Tip #5: Don’t Forget Your White Space

A great way to “pimp” your resume, or make it more attractive to read, is making sure there is plenty of white space in the document. There’s nothing worse than trying to dig through a resume for relevant information. By creating bullet-point lists and utilizing other ways to “open it up” with white space, you can make it easier to read – definitely a plus.

Creating the right resume can make or break your chances of snagging the job you want. So if you’re dusting off an old one, consider these tips on “pimping” your resume that can help make it a winner. If its really bad, it might be time to start from scratch.

Get ready the day before to make sure you get to your interview on time, or even a little early. Find out exactly where you have to go and who you must ask for once you are there. Find good directions, look on the map and make sure you know the best route. Work out how long it will take you, allow for traffic and parking time. Have the full name and position of the person you will be seeing and a contact number in case you need to call. Put all this information into an interview folder to take with you. You may even want to practice the drive to make sure you know where you can park or of any traffic issues.

Prepare your Portfolio

Another job interview tip is to get all your documentation together the day before. Make a couple of copies of your resume and a list of your references including name, position and contact numbers. Include copies of any written references you want to give the interviewer. You may want to include work samples that are relevant to the position. Put all these into a neat, simple portfolio to give to the interviewer. Have a notebook and pen ready to jot down details during the interview.

Review your Resume

Go through your resume the day before to re-familiarize yourself with the information the interviewer has about you. Be aware of any red flags such as gaps in employment that you will need to address during the interview. Highlight these and prepare answers to any questions that may arise.

Practice your Answers and Questions

A couple of days before the interview you will have prepared answers to common job interview questions such as “What are your strengths?”, “Why are you the right candidate for this job?”, “Tell me about yourself?”. Go through these answers and practice saying them out loud. You also should have prepared about five appropriate questions to ask the interviewer about the job, the company and the management, such as, “Please describe the company’s management style and the sort of employee who fits in well with it?” Go through these questions, feel confident about asking them, and include them in your interview folder.

Dress for Success

Find out the expected dress code for the job interview. You can call the company and speak to Human Resources or even Reception. It is usually advisable to dress more formally for the interview than the actual position requires- this shows respect for the interview process and that you are making an extra effort. Select the appropriate clothes the day before and make sure they are clean and pressed and do not require any attention. Shoes should be polished. Decide on any accessories you want to wear. Lay your interview clothes out ready for the next day. Try them on to make sure you feel comfortable in them. This saves rushing around just before the interview and getting into a spin!

There were 565,000 primary without a job claims filed in the week ended July 4, down 52,000 from a revised 617,000 the earlier week, the Labor Department Reported.

It was the lowest come to since January and was less than the consensus estimate of 603,000 from economists surveyed by Briefing.Com.

Analysts reported The previous week’s decrease was distorted by a adjustment in the pattern of seasonal layoffs in the automotive industry.

Initial claims typically spike in July as automakers idle several manufacturing plants, and the Labor Department adjusts its data for such seasonal factors.

However, many plant closures occurred early this time, said Mark Vitner, an economist at Wacovia Economics Group.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, primary claims were 577,506.

“The improvement in first week of July was exaggerated by the timing of plant closures,” Vitner said. “This is something we’re going to be dealing with throughout the month.”

Meanwhile, the come to of folks requesting continued seeking work benefits rose to a All-time eminent, indicating that the labor market remains weak.

The government believed continuing claims rose to 6,883,000 in the week ended June 27, the most fresh data available.

That’s an increase of 159,000 from the earlier week’s revised aggregate of 6,724,000 and was the highest Amount since the Labor Department began keeping records in 1967.

The 4-week moving normal of continuing claims rose 12,000 to 6,769,000.

The ongoing ascent in continuing claims suggests that more workers are struggling to re-enter the work force.

“While layoffs have topped out, hiring has not picked up,” Vitner said. “The increase in unemployment rate going forward will be more a result of lack of hiring rather than layoffs,” he believed.

Now is the time to get out and meet new people. Whether it is through a career assistance organization or the local chamber of commerce, it is crucial to get your name out to the masses locally. These aren’t the people you will connect with on twitter; they are business people that you need to convice to employ you. Getting out in these groups will also open your mind to possible career ideas that you may not have known existed before. If your job was cut, this may be the time to think about new paths. Meeting people in those paths will give you an idea what the work is like and also what you need to know going into it. Who knows, the right person might take you on as an employee or put you in contact with a colleague that is.