If you are planning on applying for a job, you should know that recruiters spend an average of about six seconds per resume the first time they pass through them. This information may affect your motivation; however, it’s important to understand that the skim test is only the first round of cuts and your goal should be to make it into the pile of resumes that earn a pass. These are the resumes that hiring managers are going to look at in more detail and it is at this stage that the real evaluation of your qualifications will start.
Passing the skim test is the most challenging part, but the following tips will help your resume pass the initial elimination round:
Separate information using bullets and headers
Large paragraphs are often harder to read because the human eye cannot process them as quickly, so make sure you separate sections on your resume with clear headers that communicate the information that will follow. Use bulleted lists wherever possible to highlight your skills and other important information.
List your strongest qualifications on the first half of the page
Optimize this space by listing the information that will make recruiters want to continue reading your resume. Whether it’s your last role or a list of certifications, make sure you list your best skills first because this will grab the recruiter’s attention.
Don’t include unnecessary information
If there is information that is not relevant, eliminate it from your resume. It’s important to show off your experience and qualifications but if the roles are not relevant to the job you’re applying for, it is a waste to include it and will make your resume unnecessarily long. Outdated volunteering or community experience and achievements dating back to high school should be eliminated, for example.
Make sure your resume is one page
It can be two pages if it’s absolutely necessary but anything more is not a good sign and will indicate that you have included a lot of outdated and unnecessary information. If your resume is longer than two pages, review it thoroughly to see where you can make some cuts.
Make sure you stick to a format that is simple and clean
Being creative will not set your resume apart and a font that is easy to read is always preferred. Handwriting and cursive fonts should be avoided at all costs and only use one or two accent colours at most so that your resume is easy to read. Do not include images and include white space so that your resume is not overcrowded.
Trades Labour Corporation is one of the leading recruiting agencies and knows about all of the jobs that are hiring in the Auburn, Seattle, Vancouver, Surrey, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg areas. If you are looking for employment in these areas and want to land your dream role, our agency can help, so contact us today!