I have spent my morning going through resumes on CareerBuilder. One of my recruiters is off for a few days and I needed to fill in. As I went through the entries it occured to me that is was MANDATORY that I provide a few tips.

In the past 2 hours I probably saw 150 applications. One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that I'm not hanging on every word written. Just a couple of quick tips:

When you are applying for a specific position take the time to write a quick cover letter. Remember, the goal is to make it past phase I. One person, who had no previous advertising sales experience, wrote, "I'm a HUGE fan of Valpak." Guess what? She made it to phase II. Those who take the time to write a little bit about the position they are applying for just increased their odds.

A recruiter doesn't need to know your entire background. One person mentioned that they fell in love with the clarinet in 5th grade and that helped vault their music career. I'm looking for Sales Rep, not chamber musicians. Write to your audience.

Be careful when it comes to salary expectations. It can hurt you as much as help you. Let's say that you are looking to make $50,000 per year. If my job pays $75,000 a year and you are only wanting $50k, I might think that you are not qualified. On the other hand, if you request $50,000 per year but my job in year one pays $40k, again I might think you are over qualified. The word "NEGOTIABLE" is a nice word to use for salary expectations.

Writing why you are wanting to change careers (short and concise) might be a plus - especially if you haven't had experience in that venue. The hiring manager is flying through resumes and wants to see a fit.

If you are entering the work force for the first time as many of you are take the time to write WHY you want to enter this type of career. Again, your goal is simply to get to phase II of the process.

Finding a new career can be a very exciting and rewarding time. You need, however, to make sure that you are stacking all of the odds in your favor.

Valpak Mark