The Foundation of a Resume

Your resume is your introduction to many recruiters and hiring managers. It is your very brief first impression. A study conducted by TheLadders showed that recruiters spend on average "six seconds before they make the initial 'fit or no fit' decision." You will need to spend time on the content and design of your resume to make sure you fully take advantage of those six seconds of attention. Is the information on your resume concise? Is it organized? Is it relevant? Focus on the following areas to maximize and direct attention in the six seconds you have.

Reduce Wasted Space

Remove the unnecessary and outdated components from your resume. You have a limited amount of space and a limited amount of time. First, remove your full address. All a recruiter needs is your city and state to see how close you are to the position. Your full address on a document that gets widely distributed is a security risk. Next, remove the superfluous "References available upon request" at the bottom of your resume. It is naturally expected you would give references if asked. That line is just a waste of valuable space. Finally, remove your outdated objective. It is a given that you are interested in (insert position here) at (insert company here) because you have submitted your resume. It is a redundant piece of information. Instead replace it with your branding statement, the elevator pitch selling you. The branding statement is usually 2-4 brief sentences addressing your strengths and goals.

For more information on these three components and why you should remove them, check out "3 Things You Need to Remove From Your Resume Right Away".

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Consistent, Clear, Simple Design

No need to get fancy with your design. (Please note: The following advice is not for marketing or graphic design professionals) There is no need for graphics. There is no need for pictures. The complex resume designs with multiple columns and intricate formatting will get jumbled when pulled up by multiple recruiters on a variety of systems. Simple is better.

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Also, stay consistent with your design. If you have a company's name followed by dates of employment on the first line of your most recent position, don't place the company's name of the position prior to that on the second line. If you have your last position title is in italics, make sure your position title prior to that is also in italics. Whatever design choice you made for each aspect, make sure it is consistent. (Side note: make sure you start with your most recent role first and go in reverse chronological order from there.)

The simplified and consistent design will make it easy for a recruiter to quickly run through and take in as much information as possible.

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Wording

Remember to take into account the audience of your resume. This resume may be viewed an HR professional that may not have a the technical background of a say a Software Developer, Mechanical Engineer, Laboratory Scientist, etc. If you are a candidate with a very skilled and specialized position, balance your technical vocabulary and experience with a clear and easily recognizable description of your position. If there are multiple keywords that are used the job posting you are applying to, make sure to integrate them as best you can as well.

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Also keep in mind, not everyone that reads your resume is an English major. There is no need exemplify your grandiose verbiage and loquacious nature in iambic pentameter. Write plainly and simply. Recruiters and hiring managers don't have the time to contemplate the philosophical and clunky phrasing of your day-to-day responsibilities.

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Focus on What Differentiates You

Many candidates make the mistake of copying and pasting the job descriptions of their past positions into their resume. This will not make you stick out. Condense those descriptions into the critical pieces of your previous roles. Once again, integrate the keywords that are used in the description of the job you are applying to. This additional real estate will give you more space to talk about your accomplishments. Focus on the parts of your job that you improved, created, and excelled at. Focus on what makes you an amazing candidate and a great fit for that role.

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Six seconds. That's it. Capitalize on the limited space and attention. With these improvements and adjustments your resume will increase the number of responses you will get.

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