If you're job hunting, the last thing you need is weakness in your resume. Any bit of negative information can keep you from landing your dream job. Issues such as lack of a college degree or little or no job experience don't have to hinder your efforts. All you need to do is work a little resume magic. What follows are some tips to help you create a winning resume.

Format is Everything

So, you've been unemployed for the past seven months. The last thing you want to do is draw attention to those dates. Instead, focus your resume to highlight your abilities. By listing your skills over your experience, you're highlighting those areas that are most important.

Types of Resumes

There are basically three types of resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. When trying to hide your flaws, avoid the traditionally used chronological format that is organized by your employment history. This format will draw attention to negative aspects such as employment gaps or limited work history.

There are two formats that will conceal resume weaknesses well: functional and combination.

A functional resume lists skills categories and accomplishments over dates. Instead of listing past job experience, the resume would present categories relating to skills. For instance, if you are a medical transcriptionist, you could list "Transcription" as one of the categories and detail your words per minute and your accuracy record. You might also list your computer skills, and which programs you