When hiring managers publish a job opening, they're looking for qualified applicants. The process of identifying and screening the best candidate can often be a chore. How can you make the most of current hiring practices? The answer is easier than you think. Make sure your resume answers these questions and you'll rise to the top: Who are you? What can you do for my company? How can you be contacted?

Who Are You?

This topic includes your name and any professional designations you have obtained, such as an MBA, Ph.D., RN, MD, or any of a number of professional distinctions. By including these designations with your name in the header of your resume, you are providing the hiring manager with immediate and valuable data regarding your candidacy and career level.

The manner in which you present your name is also important. Including familial designations such Joe Jones, III may very well be seen as pretentious by a hiring manager. Using a "Jr." after your name may be applauded by your family, but it could give a hiring manager the wrong first impression - that you are young and inexperienced. Caution is always advised in these instances.

A quick word about the use of nicknames. Nicknames can work for you or against you given the circumstances. If you were named "Kendrick," but go by "Ken," use of your nickname would be appropriate as Ken is more modern and sounds more youthful than Kendrick.

However, if you were christened "Barbara," but are known as "Babs" - even at work - it would be best to err on the conservative side during your job search, especially if the targeted industry is a traditional one such as banking, accounting, or education. Once hired, you can then decide whether using your nickname is appropriate.

What can you do for my company?

The purpose of reading a resume is largely to determine what you can do for a particular hiring manager and the company he works for. What makes you unique? How can the company be sure that you would provide significant value?

When forming your resume, put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager who has to look at dozens of resumes. Be sure to highlight your skills, industry expertise, or knowledge that sets you apart from all other applicants. Place this information at the very top of document. Don't make hiring managers search for this all important information.

How You Can Be Contacted?

This data should be instantly obvious to a hiring manager. Your phone number and email address are your most important contact data. For easy access by hiring managers, phone numbers and emails should be bolded and in a larger type than the physical address, as hiring managers rarely, if ever, contact a successful candidate by "snail" mail.

A quick word about phone numbers. Although you may be tempted to list numerous phone numbers, including fax numbers, don't.

Never include a work number even if your boss knows you're searching for another position as this sends the wrong message to a potential employer. He or she will wonder about your loyalty and whether you'll be using company time at your new job to speak to prospective employers.

Never include cell phone numbers because you may just be contacted while you're in traffic which brings intrusive background noise, or where the phone signal is weak which could irritate a busy hiring manager.

Stand out from other candidates by answering the simple questions of who you are, what you can do for the company you are applying for, and basic contact information. Make this information easy to discern and you'll have the edge you so desperately need in a challenging labor market.