Despite conventional wisdom, you do not want to start your job search with a major resume effort. To do this puts the cart before the horse. A resume is really a kind of ad or brochure. Before developing an ad campaign, an advertising agency carefully targets its market and defines its customers' needs and priorities. Only after identifying these factors, does the copywriter describe features and benefits most useful to the targeted market. In your case, you are the product. You bear the responsibility of selling your most important experiences and attributes to potential employers on a person-to-person basis. If you write your resume before you have found out what they need, you are missing an opportunity to present your best case.

To succeed in life in today's world, you must have the will and tenacity to finish the job.
Chin-Ning Chu

A great resume can get you invited to the penthouse, where your masterful interviewing techniques will lead to a great opportunity complete with a substantial raise and a covered parking spot with your name on it.