Re-writing your resume? It never hurts to sharpen up your curriculum vitae (CV), which offers potential employers a first glance at your qualifications and experience. Whether you needed a job yesterday, or are just beginning to mull over pursuing a new position sometime, there are five things you’ll want to take on board when revising your resume.

1. Remember: It’s a summary, not a novel

Your resume acts as a concise overview of your qualifications, work experience and skills. Or it should, anyway. When writing your resume, don’t be tempted to put in every detail from your various jobs. A good resume is no more than two pages long and includes four sections:

* Contact information: Crucial. Put your current phone numbers, mailing address, and a professional e-mail address up at the top. A “professional” e-mail address means one that includes your first and last name, or first initials and last name, in the handle. Hiring managers cringe at cutesy e-mail handles, even when the applicant is otherwise qualified. So [email protected] is acceptable, while “craZeeLovah82” is definitely not. Open a new account with one of the free web-based providers if you have to.

* Education and certifications: This should include your online degree training, traditional degrees and professional certifications (if any). You don’t need to put your college GPA down unless employers specifically ask for it. For professional certifications, you should list the year you qualified and include any licensing numbers.

* Work experience: List the jobs you’ve held in reverse chronological order, with a few bullet points underneath each explaining your key responsibilities in a sentence. If you’re an older worker with tons of past jobs, you may need to edit: Include your two most recent jobs plus a few other jobs with skills that best match the position you’re applying for.

* Specialized skills: This is just a short bullet list detailing special workplace-relevant skills you might have: computer programs you can use to a high degree, foreign languages you speak fluently, extensive online learning, etc.

2. Keep it impersonal

You’ll notice that we didn’t include personal information in our rundown of what belongs in a resume. Hiring managers don’t really need to know about your age, marital status, children, pets or hobbies. And they definitely won’t want to see jokes or sarcasm within your resume itself, so skip the urge to be creative when writing this particular document: keep it clear, sober and to the point.

You can win them over with your warmth and wit when they call to schedule your interview. And even then, you should only disclose personal information if directly asked (and if you’re comfortable with it).

3. Revise often

Most people’s resumes gather dust while they’re working. It’s pretty common to leave your resume untouched on your computer hard drive for years while you earn your daily bread. When you suddenly need it – whether you’re laid off or have a golden opportunity laid at your feet that requires your resume fast – you wind up pulling an all-nighter to bring it up-to-date. And then, when you’ve submitted it, you realize you forgot something crucial.

Revisiting your resume regularly – twice a year, say – to add your latest skills and responsibilities ensures that you have a current, all-inclusive CV handy if someone asks you to apply for something. It also gives you a chance to reflect on your progress (or lack of progress) at work, so you can set goals for your current career even as you plan to pursue a new one.

4. Give ’em what they want

If you’re applying for a specific position, have a copy of the help wanted ad nearby when you’re revising your resume. This way, you can list your experiences and skills that match up with what they say they’re looking for.

5. Get a second opinion

Whenever possible, get a sharp friend or coworker to look over your resume before you send it anywhere. They can help you correct spelling mistakes, typographical errors, grammar issues, and anything else that makes you seem less than professional. They should be able to tell you what skills you learned and what duties you performed at every job. If they can’t, you probably weren’t clear.

Information in this article was provided by American InterContinental University Online, an online university offering career-focused education at the associate, bachelor and master degree levels. Contact AIU Online today if you’re interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with an industry-current degree program. (AIU Online does not guarantee employment or salary.)