The Resume:

First impressions with a resume are no different to meeting someone in person, front load with the information that will get a perspective employer on the hook. You have 30 seconds, max. Don't leave the best till last, it wont be read.

Keep it simple and use a compatible program. If you are going to work with a recruitment agency they will probably request it in word, they may wish to help reformat your resume or it may be their software wont be able to read the detail if it is PDF. Regardless, the simpler the better. Fussy, busy resumes go to the bottom of the pile. If they need to download software to read your resume, they probably wont.

• Start with your name and contact details, double check this. If we had a dollar for every resume that had an incorrect mobile number...
• Education, qualifications and any post graduation training that is relevant.
• Highlights, this isn't for everyone. If you are only starting your career and weren't a top performer at university don't try and manufacture these. They will be either irrelevant of insincere. If you are a wordsmith and want to highlight achievements then, again, keep it simple. Dot points will work better than a paragraph / executive summary. Remember your 30 seconds!
• Chronologically order your career starting with your most recent role. Give a brief, one sentence overview of what your employer did, they may be a top tier business in your industry but your new target may never have heard of them.
• Hobbies - like highlights, this is not for everyone. Unless your hobbies are professionally relevant or genuinely show a devotion that will suggest you'll go the extra mile at work, leave them off. Stacks of people enjoy watching the footy, it won't help you land a job.
• Finally, check and double check, by the time you are on your fourth or fifth draft your mind may be accustomed to some typo's, get a friend, colleague or lecturer to check the detail.

The Interview:

Knock it out of the park. I know, strange way to start the advice, right? If you knew how to do that you wouldn't be reading this. Well, once you have practiced the skills required you still need to ace it. If you don't go into the interview wanting it, the employer will be able to tell. Or worse, they start slow, you are disinterested and switch off. Then when they start pushing your buttons it might be too late. Kill it, early.

• Be prepared, research the company, many interviewers will ask something like: 'what do you know about us...'
• Check out your interviewer on LinkedIn and don't do it under a private setting. Let them see you look. You are thorough and doing your homework!
• Know your own resume inside out and have a full understanding of the position you are interviewing for. If it isn't clear, find out before you attend the interview. Ask for the top three things they are looking for in a candidate and ask them the singularly most important attribute. You're going to sell to these points so it is critical you know this.
• What to wear? There are still some very corporate businesses but you don't want to turn up in your suit on dress down day looking out of place. You'll feel uncomfortable, so will the interviewer. Ask before you go. Many people will say air on the side of caution and wear a suit but I'd always just ask the dress code. Its way easier!
• Practice answering interview questions. You can find many, many examples on the net and this is wise but I'd also say, what would you ask if you were asking the questions? Practice on the balcony, go for a walk, ask and answer the question, do it in front of the mirror, do it with a partner. Practice is the key here, by the time you go to interview you want to have questioned your own suitability for the role many times over. Don't go in cold.
• Review the STAR technique, again, there are many examples on the net. This is a great way to answer behavioral questions.
• Closing. OK, so back to the three main things they are looking for that you found out before the interview. When they ask you if you have any questions you are going to look at your pad of paper and review the three things they said are key. 'You mentioned you require one, two, three. Are you happy I have demonstrated my experience in these areas?' or, 'You mentioned you require, one, two, three. I think we covered one and three, but I'm not sure I showed my experience to point two. Let me cover that off for you'
• Then, ask the questions you are legitimately interested in finding out. They don't need to be unique, be interested and sincere. Authenticity really shines at interview, don't try and fake it. Ask what the next steps are and always finish with a thank you! Follow this up with an email later in the day.
• Good luck!