You've Written Your Résumé, Now Maximize Its Results

By now you get it: If you want to land an interview -- let alone a job offer -- you need a stellar résumé. Fortunately, you already have one and are fairly certain it's strong enough to put you a step ahead of the competition.

Not so fast. Sure you've got a knockout résumé, but do you actually know how to use it? Unfortunately, most job seekers don't, according to career coach Katy Piotrowski.

"Nine out of 10 job seekers do very little with their résumés, hoping that their dream employer will come looking for them. Just like a hammer, a résumé is a tool that can help you get the job done. But if the hammer sits in a toolbox unused, it's worthless. Your résumé, sitting on your desk or in your computer, will do little for you unless it lands in the hands of decision makers," Piotrowski writes in her recently released book, "The Career Coward's Guide to Résumés."

While working with thousands of job seekers, Piotrowski has seen firsthand which résumé strategies significantly increased the number of interviews her clients received. Based on her experience, here are five sure-fire methods to maximize a résumé's results:

Customize your résumé every time you apply to a job opening