Everyone has opinion about right or wrong way of putting together a resume package and option on sending it to a recruiter. Most job applicants want to stand out from the pack – so that they have better chances of landing the job. However, many applicants neglect to use the best way possible in submitting a resume.

Making a good first impression with the job recruiter means taking certain steps to provide the requested information in an understandable and easy to read resume.

There are several conflicting viewpoints on best resume submission practices, but you may consider these ten suggestions below when submitting a resume for an employment opportunity:

1. Send your resume by email: Some organizations will not accept attachments to the email. You can adjust to this situation by typing your resume on the body of the email. If you are allowed to send it as an attachment this is much better, as you can just attach a previously prepared document.

2. Fax your resume as a last resort: While still a popular way of sending and receiving resumes, there can be problems in faxing it – with blurred or lost information which are common problems in using fax transmissions.

In addition, faxing requires companies to store these hard copies in a file cabinet somewhere, which may not be too fashionable now. If faxing is the only option you have, keep in mind that the font on the resume must be large enough and easy to read.

3. Using cover letters: Many people believe that cover letters are a standard part of the application package which briefly summarizes the resume contents. A winning cover letter may be helpful in convincing the recruiter to go over your resume.

4. Emailing resumes and cover letters: For those who like sending a cover letter in the email, the cover letter may be the body of the email, with the resume as an attachment.

5. What job do you want? Do not forget to indicate the job title listed in the job posting and you can make this the content of the “Subject” portion of your email. This makes it easy for the recruiter to know what the email is all about.

6. Use MS Word: While some people may choose to use other formats – like Excel or PDF – to develop their resumes, Word is generally the most widely accepted in the making of resumes.

7. What about the salary you desire? If a job posting requests salary information, state something other than “negotiable.” Either indicate your current or most recent salary or give an acceptable salary range. Keep the salary range reasonable – a five to ten thousand dollar spread at most.

8. Reference: Do not include references or other extras (e.g. certificates, degrees, reference letters) if it is not required. You can save paper that way.

9. Do not forget to attach your resume: Do not respond to a job posting with an email indicating a link to your web site and suggesting that the recruiter look for the resume himself. Attach this to your email for his convenience.

10. Objectives and references: While a lot of applicants still include an objective at the beginning and a statement indicating that references are available upon request at the end of their resume, both are out of practice now in the business world. An objective indicates the applicant’s wants which an employer may not really care to know. When you use references, you may be turning him off actually.