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First, let’s discuss design. Every design aspect must be consistent on your resume – same style of headings, same margins… a coherent and appealing look. One of my pet peeves deals with margins… I hate unusually narrow margins. There's a rule of thumb with resumes -- margins must be big enough for my thumbs to hold on to it and not cover any content.

Resumes must also be designed with some flair, and job-seekers often accomplish this through varying type style and size and font selection. Your name and major headings should be larger, perhaps in a different font. And be sure to include as much contact information as possible.

Second, let’s talk content. I would recommend you – and all job-seekers – use one of the "hotter" elements in resume writing -- the "Qualifications Summary," also sometimes referred to as "Summary of Accomplishments." This section is what I like to refer to as the executive summary of your resume -- it may change depending on what type of job you are seeking -- but it should be the key 3-5 accomplishments that make you better than anyone else for the job you are seeking.

And as you write about your experience, remember to focus on accomplishments, keywords, and action verbs. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments.

As for resume length, the current rule is a resume is as long as it needs to be based on your experience, and college grads with lots of experience can have two-page resumes.

Get more information on resumes and resume-writing in this section of Quintessential Careers: Resume and CV Resources for Job-Seekers.

I have found a marketing assistant position that I would absolutely love to take on, but it requires 1-2 years of marketing experience. Would my two years of PR count toward that at all?

Finally, what steps do I need to take to start off in a marketing career?

Your first step is revamping your resume to move from a PR focus to a marketing focus. Start by examining your past experiences and accomplishments and how you can put more of a marketing spin on them. Because PR and marketing use many of the same skills, I think you will not have to make too many changes – simply use more of the marketing jargon (keywords) instead of the PR lingo. You can research this area by searching for marketing jobs and examining the keywords used in the job descriptions and requirements.

If you feel as though you do not have enough marketing experience, go back and examine the marketing classes and projects from your college days. If you only took one or two classes, consider volunteering to gain new marketing experience.

Your next step is expanding your network to include more marketing folks. Consider joining a local chapter of the American Marketing Association, the premier professional organization for marketers. Join an online marketing discussion group.

Remember that changing careers requires more flexibility than simply searching for a new job. And the marketing assistant job you mention would seem to be an easy step for you into the marketing field. Just remember to show the prospective employer that you have all the things they require.

For more information and guidance on changing careers, check out my article, The 10-Step Plan to Career Change, published on Quintessential Careers.

Is it appropriate to have a "written list" with me and pulling it out to ask the questions?

One of the issues we stress is that job-seekers should always have a few questions to ask the interviewer. Asking questions shows your interest in the position and in the employer. It’s also critical that you know as much as possible about the employer and the job so that you can make a more informed decision if a job offer is made.

So, can you have a written list? I would prefer that you didn’t – that you have a mental list – but I don’t believe most employers would take issue with having some notes in front of you… but I would have the list out from the beginning, not take it out at the end of the interview when the employer asks you if you have any questions.

What might you ask? Here is just a small sample of the types of questions you can ask:

• Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?
• What is the top priority of the person who accepts this job?
• What are the day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of this job?
• How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? And by whom? How often?
• Can you describe the company’s management style?
• Can you discuss your take on the company’s corporate culture?
• What are the company’s values?
• How would you characterize the management philosophy of this organization? Of your department?

Finally, do not ask a question about an issue that has already been thoroughly discussed in the interview.

Find more questions to ask in this section of Quintessential Careers: Questions You Can Ask at the Job Interview.

If you have been applying for jobs that only require as much experience as you currently have – in other words, you are not applying for jobs that require 10 years of experience – then I would venture that these employers are simply using lack of experience as an excuse for some other reason they are not hiring you.

Are you even getting job interviews? If not, then you must take the time to evaluate your job-search strategy and your job-search tools.

About your job-search strategy. Are you simply applying to jobs listed on job boards? If so, you must expand your search strategies to include using and expanding your networking, job fairs, and cold calling. If solid experience is even somewhat of an issue, you should also attempt to get temporary, freelancing, or volunteering work to build your portfolio.

About your job-search tools. Your resume is the critical tool to getting invited to job interviews. Perhaps your resume lacks the critical keywords and/or accomplishments from your experience. I would strongly recommend you have a career professional evaluate your resume to make sure you are maximizing your strengths and experiences.

I would also recommend you carefully read this article published on Quintessential Careers: Ten Questions to Ask Yourself if You Still Haven’t Found a Job.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers.

Dr. Hansen is an associate professor of marketing at the School of Business Administration, Stetson University. He has been a published career expert for the last 10 years and an employer and consultant with hiring/firing decisions for the past 15 years.

Through his experience as a professor of marketing, Dr. Hansen uses proven marketing techniques and applies them to job-hunting. He is currently working on such a book. Some of his work can be seen at his personal Web site.

He and Katharine Hansen co-wrote the very successful job-hunting book, Dynamic Cover Letters, published by Ten Speed Press. You can order copies from Barnes and Noble of this cover letter bible. He is also author of several career-related magazine and journal articles.

Finally, Dr. Hansen has been an employer and has firsthand experience in the hiring process. He also stays active in the field by reading magazine and journal articles and by talking with employers on a regular basis.