Optimizing Your Resume for the 10-Second Initial Review

Studies show that hiring managers spend an average of ten seconds looking at a resume before deciding whether to keep going or move on to the next candidate. That’s right, only ten seconds! That says a lot about the job market today and the number of applicants for great positions, but it also says a lot about how you should write your resume. You’ve got ten seconds to land yourself a second glance; what do you do?

Be Concise

One thing you certainly want to avoid is a resume that is overly wordy or that puts the most relevant information at the end. You want the qualities that the hiring manager is looking for to be in the very beginning of your resume so that they are noticed and seen. Long gone are the days where relevant information could be buried on the third page and still get read. You have to be concise and to the point, and you have got to make sure that your resume starts selling you to the hiring manager from the very first word.

Tailor Your Resume

This is perhaps the most important step you can take. If you are applying for multiple positions, there is nothing wrong with having multiple resumes floating around. In fact, it is recommended. You want your resume to be tailored not only to the job you are applying for, but to the company you are applying with. Match your tone to the tone of their website and other media. If they are innovative, outside-the-box thinkers, then that is the approach you should take. Align your brand with theirs while remaining true to who you are.

Use Keywords

With hiring software becoming more and more commonplace, you might have to make it through a computer before you even get a chance at your ten seconds. Be sure to pepper your cover letter and resume with relevant keywords to make sure any software they use sees you as a good fit and lands you the chance to have your resume reviewed.

Ten seconds isn’t a long time to sell yourself. Make sure you are doing all you can to help the process along! Want more advice for writing your resume? Check out this article on whether you should include soft skills on your resume.

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