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Many large companies now use software-driven tools to scan resumes and sort them by suitability based on keywords that describe the attributes needed for the particular job. So 950 out of 1000 resumes might be eliminated from consideration before a human ever sees them, because they didn't have all the keywords that the software was looking for.
I knew somebody who spent several hundred dollars to have a consultant rework her resume into a stripped-down, keyword-laden form that would guarantee she got past the computer guardians. And it was a very successful resume; she got work quickly.
I find this somewhat depressing, but it's the state of the job market -- at least a large piece of it -- today. Still, applying for work via resume is much like knocking on the front door of a company; kind of hard to get past the receptionist. You have much more success getting to the right people if you come in through the side door, through personal or social contacts.
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