Resumes are short, one page summaries of a person’s entire career history. Therefore, every word on the document is of utmost importance and should be carefully considered for effectiveness and relevance. The importance of a few words can be seen in the recent debacle over the title of Samuel L. Jackson’s upcoming film masterpiece “Snakes on a Plane”. Fearing this title would turn the movie into a joke (which, of course, it obviously is), the powers that be wanted to change the title to “Pacific Air Flight 121”. Samuel L. Jackson would have none of this, and promptly laid the smack-down. Be Direct. When we read the title “Snakes on a Plane,” we know exactly what we’re getting into. There is no beating around the bush. The same should be true of your resume. It should make a bold, clear statement from the start. Be Bold. Begin with a clear objective. For example: “Qualified Account Supervisor seeking a position with a growing agency on a Packaged Goods account.” It is much more effective to be specific, rather than open-ended and vague. “We have crate of snakes, and we are releasing them on a plane.” Pow. Focus on Accomplishments. List your positions chronologically and include powerful, bulleted accomplishments. Use action verbs. “Developed account strategy for the entire department” or “Slithered past Samuel L. Jackson into the cockpit.” Tweak it. Tailor your resume for every position you apply for. For each different type of snake, Samuel has a unique one-liner to sum up the situation. For a King Cobra he may say “that snake deserved to die, and I hope it burns in hell.” For a milder snake, say a python for example, he might say “I’m getting to old for this snake-wrangling business.” Little changes make a big difference. If you are applying for a position working on Tide, highlight your packaged goods experience. Go into more detail about these accounts, and move the bullets to the top of the list, just as the most dangerous snakes make their way to the top of the pile of snakes. The pile of snakes, incidentally, is also on a plane. After you hook them with your killer resume, details such as: what species of snakes are on this ill-fated plane, what level of reptilian havoc do they wreak and how does Samuel L. Jackson deal with these be-scaled weapons of mass destruction (does he decapitate them a la Ozzy Osbourne?), are among the scrumptious tidbits your Hiring Manager anxiously awaits to elaborate upon in the interview.