It usually takes an employer an average of 30 seconds to read resumes and decide which should be kept and which should be thrown away; therefore you have less than 30 seconds to give a good impression to the reader. Your resume must be a distinctive, hard-hitting 'snapshot' of your experiences, allowing you to quickly differ yourself from your well-qualified competition. It's just that simple ... yet that complex.   It should have the following qualities:   Educational background Past working experiences Skills and abilities in order to succeed in the job Any other personal qualities, strengths and accomplishments Available references