HOW A RECRUITER READS YOUR (UNDERGRAD/RECENT GRAD) RESUME

Research has shown a recruiter initially spends 6-8 seconds looking at your resume. And while in total it may be closer to a minute, either way, you don’t have much time to get a recruiter’s attention.

Why? Why do they spend so little on a document you have spent hours perfecting?

Time. There just isn’t enough time based on the volume of applicants they will get in a very short timeline.

So what is a recruiter looking for in 6-8 seconds? Three things:

1.      Where do you go to school? (i.e. is it a competitive university for their type of company/position)

2.      What are you studying (major, minor) & is it relevant to the job you applied for?

3.      GPA. (Different threshold for every industry, job, etc)

GREAT! You passed the “test” for #1-3, what is next?  You just earned an additional 30-60 seconds of a recruiter’s attention!

How does a recruiter digest your resume in the next 60 seconds?

In the next 60 seconds, the recruiter will scan down the left side of your resume, likely reading only the first few words or phrase of each bullet point. Thus, any important data, concepts, or details should go at the BEGINNING of each bullet point! 

In this scan, they are looking at:

4.      Current/Previous work/internship experience. Is the industry/discipline related to what the recruiter is recruiting for? This is less important for Freshman/Sophomores & more important for Juniors/Seniors.

5.      Clubs/Sports/Activities. Can you multi-task? Get good grades AND be active on campus?

6.      Leadership experience in any of the above. Do you go above & beyond the average student?

7.      Languages spoken (where applicable)                                                                                                 

MAKE IT EASY: As mentioned, recruiters carry a large workload – make it as easy as possible for them to say “YES” to your resume.

A hiring manager/person interviewing you will eventually read all of the bullet points & your full resume, but at this volume, you need to make it easy for the recruiter to recognize why you are a fit for this position, so you have the opportunity to move you forward in the process.

Want to get past these hurdles and have your resume land in the right place?

Interested in having an experienced recruiter and career coach review your resume and provide some feedback? Schedule some time with Kathy, a 20-year recruiter turned Career Coach providing insight and practical advice to ignite your job search. www.calendly.com/kathyspillane-471 or www.yourseatiswaiting.com