Generic suggestions:
Consider that for every job listed, there may be hundreds of resumes sent in. The first person to see them is generally someone who is NOT experienced enough to know one resume from another. They don't know qualifications from a load of coal. Their job is to collect, sort, and pass on selected resumes to real decision-makers. But if you do not pass their scrutiny, you will not even have a chance.
Therefore...
Be noticed. Use good paper, good printing, and for God's sake, spell-check your resume.
Your resume serves only ONE PURPOSE - please keep this in mind. It is not designed to get you a job offer. YOU do that part. It is designed to get you an interview, nothing more. Design a resume to do that one thing well. If applying for a job making widgets, your resume should say 'I am a widget maker you want to talk to'. Get the interview; then worry about getting the job. Too many people think that a resume says "Give me a job." It does not. It says "Invite me for an interview." If you are not getting any responses to positions you know are open and you are qualified for, there is something wrong with your resume, your cover letter, or your approach.
Use a cover lettter. A resume and nothing else is extra slog work for the person who sorts the first stack of resumes. Include a cover letter, explaining exactly what you're applying for, why you would be a good choice, when you're available, and ask for an interview. You're a salesperson now - close the sale by asking for the interview (close interviews by asking for the job).
Targeted resumes. I am an IT professional, and I modify my resume for just about every position I apply for. This is to make sure that my resume answers the questions that the job description asks. I do not emphasize "C" programming, for example, if I'm sending in about a System Admin job.
Ask for critiques of your resume by people in similar jobs. If you know someone who is NOT hiring, but has people working for them doing similar things, ask them to look over your resume and tell you honestly if they'd hire you if they didn't know you and needed an employee. LISTEN TO ADVICE. I can't tell you how many people have given me super-crappy resumes to read over, I critique it, then they argue with me. If you're in love with your resume, don't ask for advice about it.
Call and ask. Many people send resumes off and then do not call. Call. If they hate being called, they'll let you know. If they would not have considered you anyway, you risk nothing. But do not call over and over; don't be a pest. If you want to call again, ask the first time you call if you can call again, and if so, when.
Many employers take an average of 1 to 2 months to respond to resumes. Depends on the position of course. But I have had situations where I sent out hundreds of targeted resumes and taken an offer, then gotten swamped with requests for interviews. Be patient.
Drop off resumes in person. Dress for an interview when you do. You may not get an interview on the spot, but dress well anyway to be remembered.
Don't emphasize how your experience exceeds that of your prospective boss. The last thing they want is you getting hired and then trying to get promoted over them or getting them fired. And don't think they're wrong to fear that, either. In my business, hiring the experienced old hand as a subordinate often means he'll soon be schmoozing my boss and that may well be the end of me; so he's a viper I won't have in my den; get it?
If you're applying for a job for which you are overqualified, you will have to sell yourself as a person who is well-prepared to permanently keep that job and not be resentful that you're not working at your old position. Emphasize your loyalty and longevity at past positions.
Keep resumes to one page whenever possible. IT guys like me can sometimes get away with longer resumes, but for most people, one page is sufficient. The person who has to slog through these things piled high on his or her desk is not going to dig through every paragraph to find the part where it says you'd be perfect for this job. Make it stand out, make it clear, make it easy to find; take their eyes right to it. You want X, I have X. You say it would be nice to have A, B, and C, I have A, B, and C. Done and done.
Tricks? There are a few. Consider using A4 sized paper for your resume instead of 8.5 x 11 (if you're in the USA). A4 does not stack well with US "Letter" size, it sticks out. Gets noticed without seeming to be a trick. Use caution with this, it can backfire. Use very bright white paper, use high quality bond. Mail it flat, do not fold it and send in a typical letter envelope. Don't use perfume (some people do, so help me). Don't use unusual fonts. Don't include references, children, marital status, or hobbies or your health issues. Nobody wants to hear that crap. LEAVE IT OUT. Say 'References available on request' and that's it other than employment, education, and any applicable PROFESSIONAL awards, certifications, and associations or memberships in your field.
Clean up your online persona. If you have a Facebook page or a personal home page or what-have-you, you might not want to have it chock full of you with your laughing gear wrapped around a hooka or a bottle of brandy.
Consider relocation. Consider applying outside of your area and wedging in a 'work from home' option (if it applies - it may not for retail).
Aim higher - consider applying for jobs and then pitching yourself as a potential manager for a new branch of their business in your town, where there isn't one now.
Just some random thoughts. I've had a lot of jobs; I've interviewed a lot of applicants. I've sorted through a lot of resumes. I can tell you that when I interview, I tend to get offers, and it's not because I'm the smartest guy in the room or the best qualified. It's because getting a job is a job and I treat it like that. I am not a salesman by trade or by nature, but when I'm job-hunting, I am indeed a salesman. I'll do whatever I have to do to make ME the menu pick of the evening.
Good luck, let me know if I can help.
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