In a Wall Street Journal article Douglas B. Richardson, the head of an executive and career development firm in Nazareth, Pennsylvania presented an article to which I have added some of my own recommendations.

Too many resume writers falsely believe that each and every word of the resume that they send to an employer will be read.  Of the hundreds of resumes that cross the desks of human resource managers and executive recruiters often less than half are really read.  Most get a fast scan, a snap judgment and relegation to the re-read thoroughly, time-permitting file.  Others do better because they are developed and presented as an effective marketing tool - they entice the reader to want to read more about them.

It takes professionals who are skilled in screening resumes between 2 and 5 minutes to thoroughly read 2 single-spaced typewritten pages.  Even a quick scan takes about 40 seconds.  The following recommendations will help your resume to be one of those that are read rather than one that is tossed:

• Avoid using huge, dark blocks of verbiage and quarter inch margins
• Use wide margins, bold headings, indentations, and bullets - anything to guide the eye quickly to the points that should grab the readers attention
• Do not use fancy fonts, weird papers, or flashy formats unless you are in the graphics trade - employers prefer conservative, classic fonts and papers that are easy to read
• Brag as effectively as you can - don't substitute format for content
• Develop a targeted resume that shows a clear sense of direction
• Write a brief objective or better yet a profile - a job title like Sales Manager means so much more than statements that make recruiters sick to their stomachs because they are meaningless and have been seen repeatedly - "a responsible, challenging position . . ."
• If you are changing careers or are not sure of the position that you are interested in, try using a profile or summary instead of an objective
• Don't write in the first person or the third person
• Use numbers and percentages, not qualifying adjectives that cannot be measured objectively - avoid using "major contributions," "dynamic programs," and "significant improvements."
• Give the reader the specifics rather than using high action adverbs - avoid words like "aggressively," "progressively," and "proactively." 
• If you use these words as a general statement, make sure that you back them up with specifics
• Use strong action verbs - manage, direct, execute, analyze, develop, create
• Avoid soft verbs like help, aid, and participate in
• Provide specific names of companies rather than a general statement about the kind of company.  Names just as numbers add to making a more powerful resume
• If you can't use a specific name of a company try using "a Fortune 100 Company or "world's largest international producer of widgets"
• Research and know the market that you are targeting, ask yourself the questions that the employer would ask, and provide those answers in your resume
• Recognize that it is the readers perception, not your intention that determines the fate of the response to your resume.  Show the reader how the company / organization can use you and sell only what you are prepared to deliver