In today’s economy, job seekers need every advantage they can get. So whether you’re just starting out in the working word, or looking to make a change in your career, it’s a good idea to keep your resume up-to-date.

　　A resume, sometimes referred to as a C.V., is the most effective way of introducing yourself, your qualifications and your experience. Managers rely on

resumes when deciding which people to call in for an interview. But these days, managers often receive hundreds of resumes for a single job, and one mistake can result in your resume being thrown away without being considered. Here are a few mistakes to avoid:

　　Poor spelling and grammar: Even a single spelling mistake makes you look careless. Don’t depend on your computer’s spell checking program-ask several friends and teachers to read your resume, looking for error.

　　Too long: You should have one page in your resume for every twenty years of working experience. A one-page resume is ideal.

　　One-size-fits-all: Each job is different, as is each company. Therefore, instead of always using the same information on your resume, you should customize your resume to emphasize different experiences and skills that are relevant to the different jobs.

　　Making things up: If you get an interview, the manager’s main source of information during the interview will be your resume. So if your resume includes exaggerations or false information, a good manager will see through it quickly.

　　Formatting is also important. Check out resume.monster.com/ and editorial.careers.msn.com/gettinghired/resumes/ for different ideas of how to arrange your resume. Just remember--- it’s okay to copy the formatting of someone else’s resume, but not the content.