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If you have looked for a job in Asia or Europe, you are used to turning in a curriculum vitae, recounting in depth everything you have done in your entire career, and going on for six or more pages. Don't fall into that trap when applying for jobs in the United States. Résumé is from the French word for "summary," and yours should only include your most relevant accomplishments. Your readers are extremely busy, so in order to get a response you must capture their attention in the first 30 seconds. Here are some tips to help you write a powerful résumé.

1. Research the job you are applying for and tailor your résumé to fit the employer's needs. For each job, visit the company's website and learn as much as you can about the corporate culture, the organization's mission and values, its history, and especially its products and services. As you read, notice buzzwords -- words that seem to be a part of the "company speak" or corporate vocabulary. Using these buzzwords in your résumé will help the employer see you fitting into the company's corporate culture.

2. Potential employers think in pictures, so paint a vivid picture of the size, quality, or magnitude of the projects upon which you worked. For example, "Supervised customer service department" doesn't tell a reader anything about the results you produced or about the size of your staff. "Supervised 25 customer service representatives; repeatedly commended for successfully resolving customer problems in a timely manner" is a much more specific, descriptive statement. Paint a picture of how well you do your job.

3. Quantify your accomplishments. Potential employers are looking for results-oriented employees who save time, reduce costs, or streamline procedures. Keep the formula "duty; result" in mind as you write. Never include job duties on your résumé if you cannot follow them up with the result that was produced. To identify results, consider questions like the following:

• How large was the budget you managed?
• How many calls did you respond to on the help desk each day?
• Did you standardize procedures?
• Did you develop a handbook that was adopted throughout the company?
• Were you or your team commended for accuracy?
• Did your team consistently meet tight deadlines?
• Were you selected to train new employees? Approximately how many?

Be as specific as possible. Numbers are convincing!

4. Use only past-tense verbs to begin each phrase. Follow this rule even when writing about your current job. This is a convention that creates consistency throughout your résumé. All of the actions began before this very moment.

5. Vary the verbs. You want your reader to gain a sense of your wide variety of skills. Use a thesaurus or a dictionary to come up with different verbs to describe your abilities. Also, avoid utilizing the phrase "responsible for" if at all possible. It is overused and passive and not come across as strongly as the words initiated, streamlined, or created.

6. Do not exceed two pages in length.

7. Have someone check your résumé for clarity, succinctness, and impact before you submit it.