On the job hunt? Here's how to stand out

Good news for those seeking employment: the U.S. added 214,000 new jobs to the economy last month. If you're looking for work or a promotion, or want to change careers, now may be the time to spruce up your resume.

Still, make sure you get it right. It could be your ticket to the big leagues or the bench, depending on how you deliver.

First step: Avoid resume killers. Most human resources managers will spend less than five minutes reviewing a resume before deciding whether a job candidate should move on to the next step in the hiring process, according to a Society for Human Resource Management survey released this spring. So you want to make sure you have the basics covered.

Put experience and education in chronological order, use bullet points to describe past work, and tailor the resume to the specific industry for the job you are seeking. Failing to do so could prevent you from even getting through the door.

Then to ensure your resume stands out, follow these three steps:

"Your resume is not a job description. It is a marketing document. It is the primary tool that you use to sell yourself in order to secure an interview," says Ronald Mitchell, founder of the mobile app Virgil, which helps job seekers evaluate their competitiveness for various careers.

That's why the most important section of the resume is the summary on top, said career coach Caroline Ceniza-Levine of Six Figure Start. Include your expertise, role or function, and key accomplishments in the industry. For older job seekers the summary should also "show a body of work with progression, tangible results,and unique expertise," Ceniza-Levine said.

In the body of the resume, use bullet points to provide details that quantify the impact of your work. Don't just list tasks that you completed or try to describe everything you ever did.

"Your most recent experience deserves the most attention. Jobs that are more than 10 years old should be included so there are no gaps, but you don't need more than one or two bullets," says Ceniza-Levine. If you've worked in an industry for over a decade, categorize your roles — financial, operations, sales — and group various positions accordingly.

The majority of human resources managers in the SHRM survey said they prefer to receive resumes through their organization's website.

Since many job posting resources use a tracking system that can quickly scan your resume and score it for relevance for specific jobs, your resume must include keywords that hiring organizations are looking for, Mitchell says. Identify the most relevant words for the job you are seeking, and make sure they appear multiple times in your resume.

Ceniza-Levine also recommends including anchored text or hyperlinks that point the reader to additional information.

Read MoreCan your college major guarantee a job?

Since hiring managers are seeking more and more information about candidates on digital and social media, your Linked In profile may be more important to some potential employers than a traditional resume.

"You need to have a LinkedIn page. You need to have a Facebook page. You need to tweet," says Mitchell. "You should consider using Wordpress, Tumblr or LinkedIn to blog about professionally relevant topics."

Just as employers may use LinkedIn and social media to search, contact, vet, and keep tabs on candidates, using your social network – in addition to having an effective resume – will be essential to your job hunt.

Watch "On The Money" for more on how to build the perfect resume. Check your local listings! And tune into CNBC at 7:30pm Sunday.