Your resume, at a 6 second glance
Studies have shown that recruiters take on average six seconds to look at a resume. Yes, six seconds! This might sound like a bit of a downer for you eager job seekers who have spent endless hours upon end trying to perfect your resume only to have your efforts be reduced to a mere matter of seconds. How insulting! Well, not really… when you think about it.
Here are two major reasons why the six second rule comes into play:
Recruiters are very busy people and they receive hundreds, yes hundreds of resumes a week. They don’t have time to read every single resume they receive in detail. If they did, they would never get anything done. They wouldn’t fill any positions!
Recruiters know what they are looking for. If your resume doesn’t effectively display your skills and qualifications, qualifications that align with what recruiters are looking for, they aren’t interested. They move on to the next.
Here are some tips to get your resume past the six second glance:
Submit an actual resume that is properly formatted. Have everything where it needs to be: include all of your correct contact information, place your skills (including technical skills) at the top on the first page.
List your experience from most relevant to oldest.
Include tasks and accomplishments for each position.
Don’t make your resume too long. Your resume really should be no more than 2 pages.
Don’t get “fancy” with your resume. Don’t include too many colours, bullets, or any personal photographs of yourself in your resume.
Stick to the facts and paraphrase using sentences that make sense.
Don’t brag. Let your resume speak for itself and on the flip side, don’t sound desperate.
When it comes down to it, time is money. Recruiters don’t have time to waste on resumes that would potentially waste their time. Follow the above simple tips to help you make it past the first glance and eventually secure yourself an interview. Always put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Read your resume and ask yourself, “Would I want to read this if I wasn’t the one writing it?” A little honesty goes a long way.
