Even though your resume may be the first impression a potential employer will have of you, it must actually make an impression in order to be effective. Considering that hiring managers receive a large number of resumes, yours must not only contain strong content and be presented clearly, but it must also be memorable and catch the attention of potential employers.

Here are some pointers on how to write a resume that will stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Make modifications to meet the needs of the job.

There are no two jobs that are exactly alike, and there should be no two resumes that are exactly alike. Employers want to know that a candidate is genuinely enthusiastic about the open position, and submitting a cookie-cutter resume with irrelevant information sends the message that you didn't put in much effort. Using a cookie-cutter resume with irrelevant information is a red flag to employers.

"As a job seeker, your resume should be modular – that is, it should be able to be adjusted and tweaked to meet the requirements of the position. A one-size-fits-all resume is analogous to job hunting while wearing a blindfold "Lida Citroen, owner and principal of branding and marketing firm LIDA360, explains how she came up with the idea. "Hiring managers and recruiters are frequently inundated with applications for available positions. The more straightforward you can make their job, the more likely it is that your resume will be reviewed."

Exceptional accomplishments should be highlighted.

It is not enough to simply list the skills you possess that correspond to the needs of the employer in order to stand out from the crowd. Provide evidence that you do, in fact, possess the aforementioned skills, as well as examples of how you've put them to use in the past to support your claim.

"Frame your work experience in terms of quantifiable or specific business outcomes that you have contributed to the achievement of. Think about it this way: rather than writing down that you 'opened new accounts and sold into existing customers,' you could write down that you "developed a new business pipeline worth $3 million and secured 18 new clients." "Daphne Wotherspoon, managing director of HireStrategy's IT practice, explains what she means. "It allows hiring managers to see your professional accomplishments in a more tangible light."

Less is more in this case.

Take care not to overcrowd your resume with information. Cramming as much information about yourself into a resume as the text size and margins will allow makes it more difficult for the hiring manager to find the most relevant information on your application.

"The purpose of your resume is to get you an interview, so keep that in mind. Don't stuff your resume with everything but the kitchen sink, says one expert "Robert Half's senior executive director, Paul McDonald, explains how the company works. "Instead, include enough information in your resume to pique the interest of a hiring manager and make him or her want to learn more."

It's important to remember that employers typically have a large number of resumes to review, and as a result, they don't tend to spend a lot of time on each individual resume – at least in the early stages of the application process. The easier it is to read your resume, the more likely it is that it will be actually read.

"Use short bullets that can be easily scanned," McDonald advises in his advice. "An easy-to-read resume that demonstrates to a hiring manager that you are results-oriented and capable of performing the job's duties will help move you to the top of the list of candidates who will be interviewed."

Having a web presence

When it comes to managing the information that prospective employers have on them, resumes used to be a useful tool. But in an Internet-driven world, that is no longer the case.

"The Internet is your resume," says Karen Cahn, CEO of Vproud TV. "The Internet IS your portfolio." "It is out of date to believe that the single sheet of paper on which you write your credentials is the only thing that matters. But it's only a piece of the puzzle. Your online presence is just as important as your offline presence."

Even with the additional information that employers can find on the Internet, your resume is still an important tool in the recruitment process. In Citroen's words, "a resume is a part of your toolkit, not the entire solution." In addition to developing a personal brand and reputation, successful job seekers have a resume that serves as an extension of all of that information.