One time I was at a diving school in Vanuatu, and some bloke faxed through fourteen pages of waffle, wanting to come over as a dive instructor. We all had a read, but none of us got past about page four. It just kept coming, and coming, and coming.
The guy was possibly qualified, experienced etc, but he'd shot himself in the foot right there.
A nice touch I've noticed when I'm going through resumes, and I've used this one myself, is to tailor the resume to suit the job you're applying for. Take a few minutes to doctor your standard resume, and personalise it for the position for which you're applying. For example resumes sent to a bush charter outfit, and a city operator may have diferent requirements, and emphasis. Obvious, really, but you'd be surprised at some of the stuff that comes through.
Also, people are busy. Keep it under fourteen pages. If you can't say what you want to say in two to three pages, then forget it.
And QNIM is right. I would always prefer to employ someone I have met face to face. A resume in many cases can be overblown, exagerated, or outright bull. A first impression is often a better way to get to the bottom of someones personality.
Best of luck to anyone looking for a job in these tough times. I'll be at the back of the queue myself at some stage soon...