Keep the following tips in mind when preparing for an interview and writing your resume.

Tip 1...
You have 5 seconds to impress the person reading your resume so make the most of those 5 seconds, but BE HONEST.

Tip 2...
 DO NOT interrupt the interviewer, wait to respond to a question or to reply.

Tip 3...
Make sure you have NO MISPELLED WORDS! Have a friend proofread your resume to make sure there are no errors. Even using spell check will not catch there/their, no/know, two/to/too... etc. Errors on a resume can mean the difference of you being called back for an interview or not.

Tip 4...
 DO NOT LIE, especially about criminal past.  BE HONEST!

Tip 5...
 DO NOT CHEW GUM or have anything in your mouth when speaking in your interview.

Tip 6...
Keep it short, but don't leave important information out. It is ok to have a two-page resume! For instance...If you are a warehouse manager and you leave out information such as "forklift certified, very skilled with operating scissor lifts and high lifts, fluent with many WMS Software including FEDEX, UPS, FastShip" etc... You could be eliminating yourself from the pool of qualified candidates!

Tip 7...
DO NOT BRING CHILDREN with you to your interview. It looks very unprofessional and it is a distraction from you and your presentation of yourself.

Tip 8...
Summary section of a resume is important if you are lacking skills or experience. This section gives you the opportunity to focus more on your work ethic and traits than actual work experience. See example:

Summary of Qualifications:
- Dependable, trustworthy and dedicated individual.
- Excellent work ethic and drive to succeed.
- Proven to be a valued employee by positive work references and recommendations from past employers.
- Flexible and willing to prove myself through performance reviews.

Tip 9...
Fancy Schmancy! Wondering about fancy paper? One of those fancy covers? Pretty colors? In our professional opinion, keep it simple, factual, strong and to the point! Make sure it dosen't have the dreaded "coffee ring" on it, but it can be on nice, plain white paper. The fancy marbled paper does not fax well either!

Remember, you have 5 seconds to grab the attention of the reader and you are ultimately hoping that they call you in for an interview. Once you have their attention, you don’t want to bore them with mistakes or overly redundant information. Just sell yourself! SELL SELL SELL!