During a recent panel on "What Employers Look For in Your Application," our employer panelists reiterated the fact that spelling and grammar were important. If an employer can't understand what you have written or is too concerned about the negative impression you will make on their clients, they are not going to fully consider you for an open position.

Resumes, cover letters and applications need to:

• Be clean and neat, easy to read with perfect spelling and grammar
• Tell a story relevant to the position, company and reader

It is that simple. This approach is one way to get your foot in the door, but that is all it is supposed to do. The resume doesn't land you the job, but it should prompt someone to call you.