I was quoted on CNN.com yesterday in an article on writing resumes and thought I would expand a bit upon the topic of getting an interview (this is the purpose of a resume, by the way).
The single best way to get an interview that leads to a job offer is through a trusted, personal, introduction. The reasons should be fairly obvious. Work your network when you are looking. This can often pay off faster and more easily than sending blind applications.
However, that doesn’t always work when you need it to. In that case, read this post I wrote a while ago that discusses the roles of cover letters, resumes and the interview in the hiring process. Tailor each stage to provide value to the hirer, not you!
Good luck!
C. David Gammel, CAE 
If you’re a programmer or designer – you better have a website with some links and/or portfolio items. 2005 – Build an ecommerce system for a large pet food retailer doesn’t mean much to me. I want to see your work in action or at the very least, be able to check your referrals.
Ugh… That should read 2005 – Built….
Fred, you example raises a good point. ‘Build an ecommerce system’ isn’t a good outcome. That’s how you did something. A good outcome is one that shows a business result. For example: “Developed ecommerce system that increased gross revenue by 15% for a national pet food retailer” is much better.
Hirers want to know what you can do for them and tangible business outcomes will make them interested in you.