On the surface, it looks pretty good. There aren’t any misspelled words, and you’ve managed to pull together a fairly cohesive document that resembles a professional résumé. You pat yourself on the back as you realize this was no easy feat amid the chaos of life involving frequent PCS moves, two kids, one hamster, and countless deployments.

Without a momentary doubt on the horizon and with a handful of freshly printed résumés, you are ready to find and land the perfect job.

Or are you?

As you may already suspect, the “perfect job” can be elusive. The perfect résumé, on the other hand, is not — and having one in your possession can’t hurt either.

As you’ve no doubt heard ad nauseum before, the purpose of your résumé isn’t to get you a job. Its purpose is to secure an interview so you can dazzle your future boss with your greatness in person. There’s simply no getting around it: First impressions are lasting and often are made on the basis of your sterling written credentials.

Improving your odds for a good first impression means giving your résumé the twice-over before you send it into the world. In other words, read between the lines to determine whether it offers employers a readable, organized document that clearly communicates relevant information about your qualifications.

It’s no great mystery that employers want to hire qualified individuals. They want to hire people who want to do the job, who can do the job, and who are willing to do the job. They won’t know that you are that person unless you show them.

Fortunately, the most common mistakes that prevent an employer from getting a good picture of who you are and what you have to offer can be corrected easily. Here are the top four often experienced by military spouses.

Common mistake No. 1: creating a one-size-fits-all résumé.

If your résumé for one job reads exactly the same as the one for a different job, you are guilty. Every job is different, and every résumé should follow suit. Don’t stress yet. This doesn’t mean that every résumé must be a totally new creation. To stand out from the rest of the pack, however, you will need to tweak and tailor your résumé to fit the situation. Taking the time and effort to do so will pay off.

Common mistake No. 2: providing too much (irrelevant) information.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of including too much information within your résumé. You may have a number of years of varied experience to draw upon, and that makes the task of condensing and focusing your history and qualifications a bit daunting to say the least. Keep in mind that shorter is better. Shorter and directly relevant to the job in question is best. Make sure every line of your résumé supports your objective or delete it completely.

Common mistake No. 3: using the wrong format.

Truth be told, there isn’t one correct way to structure your résumé. Depending on your experience and your target job, however, some ways are better than others.

A chronologically formatted résumé works best when you have a proven track record in a specific career field and you wish to remain in that field. A chronological résumé lists your most recent work experience first and goes back five to 10 years. If you have a history of employment gaps (say it isn’t possible as a military spouse!), then you might want to consider a functionally formatted or combination résumé, which highlights your skills and abilities over your work history. This is also a good format to use if you are changing career fields.

Common mistake No. 4: underselling your abilities.

Many people aren’t comfortable writing about their work experiences, skills, and abilities. Those who are, however, tend to find themselves employed before those who aren’t. If creating a powerful résumé feels a little too much like bragging, then pretend you are writing about your best friend. You would do your absolute best to help your friend land a good job, and you shouldn’t do any less for yourself.

The bottom line is simple: If an employer holding your résumé perceives you as a capable candidate within a 20- to 30-second time period, then you are more likely to be considered for a job. You can positively influence that perception, before you ever send your résumé out. By carefully analyzing what your résumé says about you, in words and appearance, you can bet that your phone will be ringing for an interview before you know it!

Now, get a job.

Janet Farley is the author of Jobs and the Military Spouse and The Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide. She is also the JobTalk columnist for the Stars and Stripes newspaper.