Resume Review - A Call to Action
Less than 10 seconds!
It can be hard to believe that according to industry research, the average recruiter spends less than 10 seconds reviewing your resume before they decide whether you move into the yes or no pile of further consideration.
Believe it or not, this is good information! This type of insight tells you not to bury the lead, a phrase I borrowed from my HR experience in Broadcasting. What you can do to improve your success rate is (a) include important information first, (b) use relevant supporting information, and (c) reduce distracting information.
Resume Review Guide
Review, read and highlight important pieces of information found in the job posting or job description. Research, learn, and jot down important content from their website, social media posts, and LinkedIn profile(s).
Spend more than 10 seconds looking at your resume.
Ask yourself five questions:
- Are my accomplishments clear, current, and relevant?
- Do my action verbs describe leadership, inclusion, problem-solving, creativity, compliance, or other skills needed in nearly every work environment?
- Does my resume inform the recruiter that I can help a department, team, and organization succeed?
- How does my LinkedIn profile content complement my resume?
- Why would someone interview me if all they knew was the information found on my resume?
Five potential distractions:
- Typing 50 wpm is dated. Do you know how to create, share, and protect documents for a team project? If so, you have clear, current, and relevant information.
- Helped fill in for the Store Manager can sound passive. Volunteering to be a Keyholder while a Store manager is on vacation shows initiative and a desire to be a leader among your peers.
- Providing call volume reports for a call center is a good start. Analyzing the report, creating charts to include low to high volume and patterns to assist with scheduling and labor hours is even better.
- Do you have a personalized LinkedIn profile URL? A quick and easy way to stand out is by personalizing your URL to reflect a skill, accomplishment, or brand.
- Is it clear why the recruiter should schedule an interview with you? The goal of your resume is to create a call to action.
Build Your Resume Using Your Experience
Build your resume using your experience to drive your future-forward. If you can see your career goals reflected in the potential employer’s mission and values, then the result is a better partnership. It becomes a tailored fit instead of a one-and-done exercise or throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks.
Want to Know if Your Resume is Burying the Lead?
Request a complimentary review of your resume. We will grade it on how it answers those five questions. Our analysis will inform you on how well your resume drives the goal!