20 Seconds

20 Seconds

Think of your best friend.

19 seconds

If they asked you to review their resume for a very important job, how long would it take you to review it? 10 minutes? 1 hour? 2 days? You would have to check for spelling, accuracy, grammar and whether that resume is adequately tailored to meet the criteria of the job description. Now, think of 200 people applying for that same position and they all asked you to review their resume. How long would that take you to complete?

15 seconds

This is probably one of the agonies that recruiters encounter when faced with recruiting for positions for their companies...especially today, where the market is bad, lay offs are occurring, and there are more qualified individuals searching for jobs. During that first round of scanning for the basic qualifications of the job, the recruiter gets in a zone and will skim resumes searching for the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities required for that position. By doing this, they are able to ween out the individuals they feel are not qualified.

10 seconds

The clock is ticking. What have you really done to set yourself apart from the other 199 applicants? Have you devised a plan for getting that job!! Here’s a tactic that may work. Get a copy of the job description and read through it highlighting the education, experience, job duties, and essential functions of the job. If you see that you have not met most of the qualifications for the job, then do everyone a favor and slowly move your hand away from the mouse and do not press “Send”! :-) But, if you do meet the qualifications, then develop a quick spreadsheet comparing parts of the job description to your qualifications. Once there’s a match, you should be on your way.

5 seconds

Next, update your resume. Are any of the key words, technical terms, education requirements, certificates, things I like to call “the catches” anywhere on your resume? If not, PUT those catches in your resume. Have you ever taken an exam where you had to write an essay? Didn’t you want to give the professor all the information that you gathered during his lecture, pretty much word for word in order to get that A+. Then proscribe this same tactic on your resume. Of course, please add the appropriate catches if they are true and if you have actually provided that type of service at your previous positions.

3 seconds

Nothing sucks more that stumbling during an interview and worse yet, failing a background check because you lied on a resume. :-( Integrity counts during the interview process, so please provided catches that complement your work history and provide a clear picture of your knowledge, skills and abilities.

0 seconds--Time is up!

So, there you have it. 20 seconds. That’s pretty much the average amount of time a recruiter will take during the first round of scanning resumes...whether they are reviewing a traditional hard copy or via an automated system such as People soft. How are things working out for you? Do you have catches in your resume? Did you spell check once, twice, three times! I hope this puts things in some perspective. Email me if you have additional questions about resume writing.

As always,

Prioritize, set boundaries and live!