By Aaron Crowe for AOL Find a Job

Getting hired is getting harder and harder as 9.8% of the country is unemployed, and being overqualified for a job is one reason too many people hear for why they're not being hired.

While dumbing down your résumé isn't ideal, it may be necessary if you're going for a job that doesn't require all of the expertise, training and education you have.

Look at it from an employer's standpoint: Hiring someone with a master's degree to work as a receptionist doesn't make sense because that person will probably quit as soon as they find something they have more of an interest in. You don't want to be the most expensive receptionist in the office.

Debbie Shalom, founder of Amazing Résumés and Coaching Services

Practice makes perfect

Winning résumés and victorious athletes share several features; they both rely on extensive preparation and hard work.

As you begin to create your résumé, you need to invest time researching the subject. Visit a local library or bookstore and review professionally written résumés that focus on your job title, area or industry. Concentrate on content, format and style. Will you need a section for professional experience, education, technological skills and affiliations? What type and size font should you use? Should your writing style be formal or casual? Once you decide on and are comfortable with your resume's appearance, style and content then you are ready to take the next step.

By Anne Fisher

The secret, says a longtime recruiter, is knowing how to "reverse engineer" your resume. Also, if you're a new grad, must you include a so-so GPA?

Does it really exist? How can I avoid it?

Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

Many job seekers today will tell you that the most frustrating part of the job search is after they hit "send" and their résumés are sent out into application oblivion -- never to be seen again.

By Mary Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com writer