Resumes document a critical corporate asset yet in a lot of companies they are pitifully out of date and in some cases nonexistent.

Resumes should be updated on a quarterly basis to reflect new job experiences and improved skills. Companies with more than 10 to 20 resumes should create a simple, straightforward database; that way each time a resume is used in a proposal the new information can be added to the database.

Tailor resumes to specifically fit the requirements of the RFP and don't provide more resumes than asked for. They will not gain you any evaluation points and evaluators hate to read information that was not requested. The major sections of a resume should be:

* Summary

* Experience Relevant to the Project

* Employment History (previous employers, positions, and dates)

* Education

* Training and Certifications

* Specific Technical Skills

* Professional Affiliations

* Security Clearances

* Recognition/Awards

Resume formatting is not as important as relevance to the requirements of the RFP, but they should have a professional look and feel. Remember, relevance and perception rule the day. Be certain to check whether the RFP requires a specific format; if not try to tailor your own format so that it appears uniquely responsive to the RFP.