Write a Resume Employers Can’t Ignore

The first impression every job seeker makes with a potential employer is through their resume. This is where a recruiter or hiring manager decides to call about scheduling an interview or not, so it’s essential your resume is relevant, well-written, and eye catching. Even a simple mistake such as a misspelled word is enough to take you from the ‘maybe’ pile to the ‘no’ pile.

Studies show most recruiters and hiring managers take less than a minute to scan each resume they see – remember, they look at a lot of them. This makes having the important and relevant information at the top of the page critical. A recent article discovered the information most looked at by recruiters and hiring managers on each resume is:

• Achievements
• Contact details
• Previous experience
• Keywords
• Employment gaps
• Organization
• Education
• Overall appeal

Keep everything as concise as possible. Make sure you’re grammatically correct and delete any skills or experiences that aren’t relevant to the position you’re applying for… omission is equally as important as inclusion.

Choose a simple template. Keep it organized with a general format and keep everything condensed to one page. If you stretch your resume to two or more pages (which you should only do if it’s relevant experience), realize the other pages will not get nearly as much attention as the first.

A big mistake job seekers make is not including the correct contact information, or even any contact information at all. If your phone number and email address change, update your resume. they remain the most popular approach for a recruiting or hiring manager to get in touch with you. An impressive resume does you no good if the company can’t get a hold of you to schedule an interview.

With a little thought, effort and creativity, you can write a resume employers won’t be able to ignore. Keep the above information in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to an eye-catching resume. For a more in-depth look at writing a great resume, check out our free resume writing resources.