In today's competitive job market, you need to show hiring managers that you can make an immediate contribution to a new employer. Including your biggest professional successes in the "Accomplishments" section of your resume is an effective way to do just that.

But keep in mind that any achievement you cite should be a) truly noteworthy, b) relevant to your current career goals and c) relatively recent. Far too often, job seekers miss the mark. For instance, you're unlikely to impress prospective employers by highlighting the fact that you were a finalist in a local pageant held in 1982 -- as one real-life job candidate did.

Following are more examples from resumes collected by Robert Half International that feature "accomplishments" that aren't worth mentioning in your resume, as well as advice for crafting statements that will catch a hiring manager's attention:

It is well known that during the nation’s gale-force recession, many older Americans who dreamed of retirement continued to work, often because their 401(k)’s had plunged in value.

In fact, there are more Americans 65 and older in the job market today than at any time in history, 6.6 million, compared with 4.1 million in 2001.

Less well known, though, is that nearly half a million workers 65 and older want to work but cannot find a job — more than five times the level early this decade and this group’s highest unemployment level since the Great Depression.

The situation is made more dire because of numerous recent trends: many people over 65 have lost their jobs as seniority protections have weakened, and like most other Americans, a higher percentage of them took on debt than in previous generations.

Question: If you've ever been offered a job without meeting first someone face to face, open your window and scream "Yes!"

Hear anything?

Neither do I.

Until more scientific proof turns up, just agree with me here: You can't get hired by a computer or over the phone.

Before you can work for people, you have to meet people.

And the more people you meet, the faster you'll get hired.

Here are three ways to do so, using technology to humanize your job-search efforts …

Melissa & Doug LLC, a fast-growing toy maker in Wilton, Conn., puts applicants through an interview process so grueling that one job seeker says she left in tears and felt psychologically traumatized.

Candidates must bring their lunch -- plus three years of W-2 statements. They spend hours on simulated work tasks, several with tight deadlines. They complete a lengthy survey, where they rank their interest in chores such as fixing a leaky faucet and changing the fax machine's toner. Some prospects walk out right after the all-day screening starts.

The process "is sometimes a little rough around the edges," but Melissa & Doug hires only individuals "who will love it here," says co-CEO Doug Bernstein. He and his wife founded a firm where sales staffers often interrupt work to belt out songs using the office karaoke machine. Melissa & Doug can afford to be picky. About 50 people now apply for every position the company fills, 10 times as many as two years ago, according to Mr. Bernstein

Today's competitive job market is causing job candidates to try creative approaches in order to grab a hiring manager's attention and secure an interview.

In fact, Robert Half recently polled executives, asking them to recall the most unusual job hunting tactics they've seen applicants employ. One candidate offered a money-back guarantee for the initial six months if he didn't perform as expected. Another brought the entire department doughnuts.

Although you don't need to wear a sandwich board decorated with your top qualifications to make an impression, thinking outside the box when it comes to your job search could prove beneficial. Here are some unconventional approaches to the job search and reasons these tactics may just work for you: