Remember that commercial you heard on the radio the other day? The one with the catchy jingle that you can't get out of your head? That was good advertising right there, and you can learn from it on how to write a resume that makes a good impression on recruiters. 

Just like commercials, resumes need to grab the attention of the recruiter right from the beginning. When writers are planning commercials for print, television, or the wavers, they focus on finding a 'hook' or a 'catch' that will get inside your head, and stay with you for a while. 

Your Federal resume writing should do the same thing. You should be able to prepare a resume that grabs the attention of the reader within the first couple of paragraphs, otherwise your resume will be forgotten. Resume writing opens a huge door to creative freedom that many people do not bother using when working on their resume. Although you cannot be completely off-the-wall with your resume, unless you are in an entertainment or art-related field, you still can maintain your professional presentation while writing a resume that is as catchy as that ad on the radio.

First, you need to gather all of your information and make sure that you have a copy of the job ad. Second, you need to take the time to craft a different resume for each position you apply for as nobody likes a generic Federal resume. The copy of the job listing will help you with this. You can read over it for keywords or find out where the employer places the emphasis on, so that you know what knowledge and abilities to underline. 

Your resume does not have to give your life story, it simply has to intrigue the hiring manager enough that you are invited for an interview. Now this does not mean to leave them hanging. On the contrary, make sure that you give all the info they need, as well as a full list of your employment history and educational background, because if they invite you for an interview, they will want to hear it in details. 

There is a fine line between making a professional resume and creating a creative resume that will get you a foot in the door. By keeping that professionalism in the back of your mind, you can take the creativity to whatever extent possible, while still maintaining integrity in your resume writing. Resume writing should not be difficult, and does not need to be boring. Although many people feel like they are simply recording a documented history of their experience, you are really creating history in your resume. 

This does not mean that you should lie. You should never lie on a resume; this might get you in trouble. But you can be creative to catch the attention of the employer. For example, instead of saying Assistant Manager, you could write Assistant Manager of Human Resources and Employee Relations