When writing your resume, there are two deadly sins to avoid: sins of commission (lying or making typos) and sins of omission (leaving things out).

Since you're smart enough to never fib on your resume and always show it to friends for help finding typos, today's sermon will help you overcome the sin of omission.

Because, if you're like most people, you're leaving crucial selling points out of your resume. Which can needlessly prolong your job search.

So here are 5 questions to ask yourself before writing your next resume ...

1) How did you get each job you've held?
Related to that are these questions: Were you promoted? Recruited? The only person among 205 applicants hired?

Most people never consider including this information in resumes. But describing how your last employer hired you can convince a future employer to do the same.

Here's example language from a resume I wrote for a client last month: "One of two from 149 applicants chosen to analyze and resolve fraudulent account activities across Canada."

So, take a look at how you got your last job(s). There may be a powerful story there. Don't omit it from your resume.

2) Did you meet or exceed all performance goals for each position?
If you weren't fired after 30 days on the job, you must have been doing something right. What was it? Be specific in your resume.

You can give employers powerful reasons to hire you simply by adding up the
numbers and giving them context.

Like this: "Met or exceeded quotas all 9 quarters during tenure, ranking in top 5% of sales reps nationwide."

. or this:

"Meet or exceed all performance goals. Rank #1 among team of 30 for
productivity (resolve issues 45% faster than average)."

3) Did you omit an objective?
Don't start off on the wrong foot. A clear, concise opening can work wonders on your resume.

"Many employers don't read objective statements, but many do," advises Steven Rothberg, founder and president of Minneapolis-based CollegeRecruiter.com.

"Leaving out an objective can do more harm than good. If an employer doesn't read objectives, they'll ignore yours. But if an employer wants to read an objective and you don't include one, they'll ignore you," says
Rothberg.

4) How many people did you supervise in each job?
Don't write: "Responsible for management of daily retail store operations."

Be more specific, since details add credibility. Include the number of employees you managed and the results, like this:

"Managed, developed and retained team of 13 personnel. Reduced employee turnover from 50% to less than 10% annually, saving $125,000 in related costs."

5) What good things happened when you did your job well?
This is another way of forcing you to focus your resume on results, as opposed to duties and responsibilities.

Here's a "Before" and "After" example from a technical support resume I recently wrote:

BEFORE
"Implemented desktop fax servers."

AFTER
"Freed up three FT employees ($95,000 in expenses) by initiating and leading efforts to implement desktop fax servers."

See the difference? Just doing what you were paid to do can be profoundly valuable, but you have to make that value clear.

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You can literally fill your resume with eye-catching goodies that excite employers and make them call you for interviews. You need only sit down and ask yourself the 5 questions above, to draw out the value you can deliver on the job.

Now, go and sin no more!

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Kevin Donlin is Managing Editor of 1 Day Resumes. The 1DR writers provide same-day, one-on-one resume writing assistance. He is also author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, click here.

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