Today’s post is provided by Jill, a certified resume writer at Career Edge, as part of the College Recruiter blog swap.

No marketer would ever use home-brand packaging to sell a premium product. The cost of the potential losses in sales revenue alone would be obvious, and yet daily highly qualified professionals sacrifice potential income through poor resume packaging.

It's not the design or resume template that is at fault, but people’s tendency when using templates to lose sight of the fact that the resume is actually a marketing document. To sell a product, marketers realize that they must know their customers. They invest time and effort in developing branding and copy content that will appeal and inspire action to buy. This is just as true for applicants. Just as every product has its unique selling points, so do individuals, and time must be invested in designing a resume that will truly reflect your relevant selling points and will operate as a catalyst to mobilize employers to make contact.

Fancy templates on their own won't do this. Pretty may catch the employer’s eye, but what then? A good resume will do that and a lot more. It will capture their interest, immediately showcasing the amazing skills and benefits you can offer their company. It will funnel them through your resume on a journey packed with achievement and genuine contributions to your past employers. It will paint the picture of a consummate professional who has faced commercial challenges and soared.  The employer will be motivated and intrigued to talk with you in order to see if you would be able to offer the same contributions to their company.  So before you pick a template and just start to type… stop. Pause. Take the time to consider:

-Who will be reading your resume?   Put yourself in their shoes. What do they want? What skills and experience do you offer? Why would they want to call you?

Then:

-Evaluate the template design.  Does it reflect the image you want to put forward? Will you stand out from the pile of resumes as professional and distinctive, or will you just blend in?

-Assess your writing and personal marketing skills.  Do you really showcase your achievements? Would you be better investing in your future by using a professional resume writer?

I guarantee that if you simply plunk your resume into a template, it will be just you reading it! On the other hand, taking the time to consider your target employer and your branding will bring you one step closer to a ringing phone and job offer.

This article is courtesy of Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching entry level jobs and other career opportunities.