Is Your Résumé Up to Speed?

In most situations, your résumé will be read on a screen. It could be a 17-inch screen and it could be a 2-inch screen. Hiring managers and recruiters will make instantaneous decisions about which résumé they would like to save for consideration and which to delete. The time allocated to make that decision is significantly reduced in today’s world owing to the nature of how we behave when going through emails or documents online. They could be viewing your résumé from a smart phone while waiting for a train.  They are trying to “get through” as many résumés as possible in a small window of time. You need to pique the interest of that potential employer quickly. Here are some tips to get your résumé up to speed.

1.) Initial judgments are made based on the headline and profile of the résumé.  To be sure that you make it past the first two seconds, write a concise headline that communicates your unique selling proposition (USP) in less than six words. Follow with a tightly written profile that includes your top skills, knowledge, and characteristics. Leave out the fluff so the reader focuses on your major selling points. A brief profile should deliver a quick and sustained impact.

2.) If you are an experienced professional with five or more years of experience, consider writing a “highlights of accomplishments” section. List as many as five of your top career achievements in a bulleted format.  Keep it brief. Each bullet should be no more than two or three lines in length and should include measured results whenever possible.  The goal is to give enough information in this quick scan, so the reader is convinced that you are worthy of a closer look.

3.) If you are light on experience, you could include your academic credentials following your profile to boost your credibility. This would be in lieu of an accomplishments section.

4.) When creating the “professional experience” section, discriminate about the information you choose to include.  This section should be concise and compelling.  Omit any functional tasks that are routine or presumed.  Use this valuable space to showcase the scope of your responsibility and your accomplishments.  If you listed an accomplishment in the “highlights of accomplishments” section, you do not need to repeat it here. Numbers make the achievements more powerful. Try your best to quantify the results of your achievements.

With these simple tips, your résumé will be up to speed.  The faster the read, the better the chance it will be read.  If you would like more tips on crafting an exceptional résumé, click here to read our blog.  Each week we review a résumé and provide helpful tips.  We also share advice and news for the serious careerist.