30 Seconds Per Resume 5 Ways to Impress the Recruiter

30 Seconds Per Resume 5 Ways to Impress the Recruiter In today’s job marketplace, the competition is fierce, and the standards of recruiting are improving as the time goes by. There was a recent study in which more high-class recruiters were technologically assessed by computerized machines. The technique that has been used throughout the study is called “eye tracking”, and it basically observes the attention behaviors of the recruiters. According to them, recruiters spend around 6 seconds before deciding whether the applicant is fit for the position or not. Even though I couldn’t disagree with science, I’d like to add my own version of truth here. Recruiters aren’t robots, and they don’t always act and react the same way. In some cases, they may catch interest and therefore spend more time on a specific resume. Even if they spend the first 6 seconds assessing your resume, if they find you fit, they’ll come back later and look again. They’ll have to decide between two, three, four options. You’ll be reassessed, and that’s when you’ll get the 30 seconds to impress the interviewer. Common Attention Tendencies of Recruiters According to the same study performed by The Ladders, 80% of the recruiters tend to focus on 6 particular aspects in every resume they analyze: Name Current Title/Company Previous Title/Company Previous Position Start and End Dates Current Position Start and End Dates Education These are listed according to their relevancy, so pay attention to each detail when you write these sections. It’s where most of the attention goes, and you should definitely do your best to excel at this sections. Ok, but if the 80% of the time is spent with these aspects of your resume, what about the rest? Well, each recruiter is different in personality and work. He has different perspectives and different recruiting preferences. They need a certain type of people in their company, so they’re looking for bonuses that come with the “package” (you). The rest of your resume should be carefully crafted for the company that you’re applying for. Every time you develop a resume for a new company and job position, keep in mind that company’s culture, objectives, and mission. Make it all seem to like it fits the picture. 5 Ways to Always Make a Good Impression There are some ways in which you can improve your resume performance. During the rest of this post, we’ll go to explore a few important matters. These “tips” really do have a great potential if they’re actually applied. 1. Come Up with a Great Resume Title The first and most important aspect that stands out is you resume title. This section of your resume is quite critical, as it’s going to get read first. The recruiter wants to know who are you, and hes going to dedicate the first two seconds on your title. You need to make your resume title concise and attractive. You need to keep general things out and focus on the job position that you’re aiming. Here’s a good resume title example: “Effective HR Manager with 8 years of Experience in Recruiting” How does that sound? I bet it sounds nice to you too. 2. Emphasize Your Skills at the Beginning of the Resume Many employees believe that experience is more important than skills. In some cases, it might. But now we’re talking about a huge job marketplace, where people can connect online and find job positions that allow them to be flexible and work from anywhere. The job marketplace has also started to shift towards a more skills-oriented tendency. Smart entrepreneurs are investing in their employees, putting a lot of responsibility and hope in them. Listing your skills in the beginning of your resume is important. Talk about accomplishments and results that indirectly speak your talents and skills. 3. Have a Professional Structure and Layout Recruiters love everything that’s clean and easy to read. Modern resumes have good structures which allow the recruiter to pay attention to what’s essential. Now, if you have crafted your own resume and you have no idea whether the structure and layout are professional and high standard, I believe that you should consult someone who knows. Investing a few bucks into such an important aspect is critical. Your resume is the object that leads you to a better lifestyle, to more income, and to the accomplishment of your goals. 4. Impeccable Text Impeccable text means absolutely no mistakes throughout the text. Grammar and spelling are sabotaging factors that will always damage your chances. The moment you send a wrongly written text; the moment you prove that you’re not actually a professional. Someone who respects his reputation will never afford to send mistaken words. This is a common mentality among recruiters, and you should always avoid such mistakes for your own good. 5. Stand Out from the Crowd People that think out-of-the-box are proven to be great investments for every company. Those employees that allow their creativity and innovation to stand out are truly appreciated and nurtured. They’re considered talents because their performance is influencing the company’s productivity and well-being. Any recruiter would like to “score” talented and out of the ordinary individuals, so why not give them the chance? During your resume, try to emphasize your originality. Say why you’re unique, and show them why you’re truly going to make a difference. Pitch a revolutionary marketing strategy for their company. This also shows that you care about the company’s well-being, and they’ll maybe even like your idea. This would get you hired immediately! 3 Professional Resume Tools to Leverage Here are three professional resume tools which are meant ease your efforts: a) Resumes Planet Resumes Planet is great, especially for two things. Frist, it is a world class resume writing service that never disappoints its clients. They have a specialized team of individuals who know all about resume writing. Secondly, there’s a lot of free career advice that’ll make you a better professional. b) ResumUp Do you want to create an infographic resume? How cool would that be? In fact, ResumUp allows you to do exactly that. This is the best visual resume creator on the market, and we can notice how popular visual content is nowadays. c) VisualCV If you want to create awesome CVs taking advantage of professional resume templates, VisualCV should be your first option. You can do everything online, by accessing their platform. You can create PDFs, mobile responsive resumes, and more others. Conclusion Capturing a high-class recruiter is far away from impossible. Even though you’re not that confident with your value, if you follow the strategies mentioned above, you might just capture the recruiter impression and get called for an interview. Pay attention to the details, and always be optimistic â€" this is also a very important aspect that counts. Authors bio: Micheal Gilmore is a career advisor and a blogger who loves writing about business, marketing and personal growth. In his parallel life, he loves hiking and cant wait to see the Himalayas one of these days. Follow him on Twitter.