Are you a new Freelancer on Guru.com filling out your first profile? Or have you been here a while and forgotten to update your resume with all your latest work experience? Either way, this article offers some tips to consider when turning your resume from a passive mess into an active show stopper!

How important is a resume to Guru Employers? While Work Samples may have more of an impact in some skill categories, we see requests for resumes every day in projects and message posts. Maybe you post it in your profile; maybe you send it along with every proposal you place; maybe you do both. But if you're going to make the effort to build your resume, make that effort pay off. Your resume can work for you - it can capture the attention of Employers, not just serve as a dusty archive of your work history.  

1. Embrace the new, but don't forget the tried and true. Keep in mind that while video profiles, Work Samples and websites are great tools with which to promote yourself, they don't take the place of a traditional resume. All of these features should work in tandem to solidify your identity as an accomplished Freelancer.
    
2. Check your modesty at the door. Highlight your skills and the growth you've experienced over time in each position. Use the simplest, most direct language to convey the achievements at each position. Review your descriptions until the text is exactly as you want it.
    
3. Once you've checked your modesty, locate your sense of brevity. Say in one sentence what you'd normally say in four. And don't cheat by using excessive punctuation to link a bunch of clauses together. And don't use sentence fragments. Your resume is not an epic novel - it's a one (two pages max) story about why you're a better candidate for the job than somebody else.
    
4. The action is your story. No action, no story. Apply this principle to your resume, only substitute 'job' for 'story'. Display your achievements with confidence and with action-oriented verbs (administered, designed, developed, implemented, launched, produced, etc.), but don't indulge the urge to boast. You are supposed to achieve something in your job. Don't exaggerate the fact that you did your job; exaggerate the accomplishments that came about because you did your job.
    
5. Make that first impression count. You may get only a few seconds of an Employer's attention. Consider which of your accomplishments and skills will make you a standout, and list them up front for proof of the quality of your services. You can call attention to these assets in the freeform Summary section at the top of the resume tab, as well as in the Experience details and the list of Strengths displayed in the order you choose.
    

1. Remember to update your references so you can capitalize on word of mouth. According to a 2007 BizRate survey, 59 percent of users consider customer reviews more valuable than expert reviews, and the principle applies to your resume: Sure, you can list your degrees and accomplishments, but the proof of your work ethic lies in what your previous Employers have to say about you.
    
2. Bridge the gap. There's point A - how you view yourself and your work - and point B - what the potential Employer sees. Your resume is the bridge that connects those two points. How much time do you spend building this bridge? Where's your weakest link? What is your greatest strength?