An expertly crafted resume not only captures attention of its reader through careful attention to layout and formatting; it also targets specific needs of potential employer by matching and highlighting your abilities and background to key requirements of position.

So what exactly is 'perfect resume'?

It's well-nigh impossible to get recruitment professionals to agree on this. For example, take vexed question of 'resume objective'. Some employers prefer to see a clearly stated objective as evidence of a candidate's career focus; others consider including an objective to be a restrictive practice -- or worse, little more than vague waffle.

So in pursuit of a truly personalized resume, it's hardly surprising that effective practice differs from applicant to applicant -- and what suits one job-hunter may not work so well for another.

And while it's impossible to lay down hard and fast rules of best practice in resume writing, it's a whole lot easier to identify some of habits that can turn recruiters right off -- perhaps even sabotage a candidate's chances from start!

In this article, I've collected some of these common resume blunders -- so if you're looking to upgrade your resume, here's a checklist of seven easy ways to start!

1. Don't rely on a 'one size fits all' resume

If your resume is going to get you interviews you deserve, it needs to focus on particular demands of job. So unless your field is very narrow, it's likely that you'll need to adapt your resume to each specific application.

To help you target your resume, try answering these questions: • you're thinking of applying for a job; what would perfect applicant be like? • what are their most important characteristics? • what skills and attributes do they possess?

When you profile 'ideal candidate' in this way, you're putting yourself in employer's shoes: thinking first about what matters to them and imagining what they'll be looking for when they make a short list from all applications they'll receive.

This is a really useful exercise to help you decide which of your own abilities and achievements to spotlight in your resume.

2. Make sure you include complete contact information

Your cover letter may get separated from resume. Don't blithely assume that because your address and telephone number are in cover letter, they don't need to be on resume as well -- they do!

So I hired Chuck. As a new manager, it was a decision I came to regret. Chuck turned out to be a marginal performer, never grew into job, and drew frequent complaints from his teammates. It might have taken me five months to hire Chuck, but it took me eighteen to fire him. Still, I'm grateful for experience. Chuck taught me a lesson I applied in my next twenty years in management: don't settle.

When you settle, you choose mediocrity. Don't settle for best of worst. Keep looking. Don't settle for something that's barely okay. Push to make it better. Don't settle for average work from others when exceptional is needed. And don't settle for delivering good when you're capable of better. Expect more from yourself. Then expect more from others.