In today’s competitive market, Hiring Managers receive dozens of resumes for most job listings. How do they manage all of this paper? They weed out the bulk of those resumes with a First Glance. Within 10 seconds, 80% of resumes have been discarded, with only five percent moving to the next elimination round. Does your resume pass the First Glance Test?
6 Steps to Surviving the First Glance:
1. Cover Up! Include a cover letter specifically written for the job and company to which you are applying. Make it clear, concise, and organized to be easily scanned.
2. Get Real. Rather than the tired, generic Objective of “An interesting position with a growing company,” write a Professional Summary or Profile which emphasizes your experience and why you seek this particular position.
3. Flaunt Your Best Features. Just under your Summary, create a bulleted section featuring your qualifications that specifically apply to the job requirements. Include keywords from the job description.
4. Be Easy on the Eyes. Remember, Hiring Managers are people, too! Format your resume to be clear and scan-able. Make it easy to find the important and compelling details, eliminating the unnecessary, the dull and the redundant.
- Break up text with bullets and bold
- Organize your resume into distinct sections, using lines or white space to separate them
- Use a large enough font to prevent eye strain.
- Avoid paragraphs—keep descriptions concise
5. Prove It. Clearly communicate that you can do this job.Include experience and training that satisfy the job description. Quantify your accomplishments. If you glaringly lack some expertise, state your plan to build the required skill prior to hiring or in conjunction with your work once hired.
6. Avoid the Killer Mistakes. Nothing will eliminate you from the next round faster than inaccuracies. Most employers state that they stop reading when they encounter typos and spelling mistakes.
To win round one, make your resume easily scan-able in 10 seconds. Draw the reader to the most relevant information: the proof that you can do this job.
Round Two: Gone in 60 Seconds!
