The Dreaded 30 Second Resume Scan

I’m sure by now you’re aware of the 30-second resume scan. That’s the notion that no one really reads your resume all the way through (except maybe your mother), and the resume only gets, at the most a 30-second glance from recruiters and hiring directors. In some cases, it’s more like 15-seconds.

So how do capture their attention in that short span of time and make the most of your resume? You format the most important information first, and make it easy to read, and understand. That’s the tough part.

Before I tell you what to do, let me tell you why. Most resumes contain too many words, and the problem with that is no one likes to read. That’s why print advertising urging you to ask your doctor if a particular medication is “right for you” is succinct and to the point. It’s the following pages that no one reads: the one that lists all the pertinent information about the drug. It’s in fine print and it’s very wordy. If there were no ad on the previous page, you would not know the drug existed because you’ll flip past the page with just the text on it.

The same goes for your resume. It’s a marketing document, designed to get you a callback for a job interview. It must answer the question “why should we hire you” within the first 30 seconds. The biggest mistake that I see on most resumes is the failure to address the employer’s needs, and yet it’s so easy to determine, if you look at any advertised vacancy. It will clearly state the “# of years experience and the educational requirements” in nearly every posting. Yet 95% of the resumes I critique are missing this crucial information at first glance.

Therefore the Summary of Qualifications should always include your number of years of experience and mention your college degree, if you earned one. If you don’t total up the years, then you are asking the recruiter to start looking around the document, calculating time with each employer. Remember, the clock is ticking on your 30 seconds. Next, the recruiter has to search all the way to the last page to see if you have the required degree. More seconds wasted.

I’m not advocating that you move the degree to the top of the resume. You only do that if your education exceeds your experience, i.e. if you’re a new college graduate seeking an entry-level position. Instead, begin the Summary with “Offer more than XX years’ experience, combined with an MBA and undergraduate degree in _______.” There! You just accomplished in 2 seconds what used to take 20.

Another trick that makes pertinent information easy to locate is the use of keywords formatted in bullet pointed tables or columns. For example:

• Territory Growth
• Account Retention
• Customer Service
• Consultative Selling
• Forecasting
• Cold Calling
• New Product Launch
• Sales Presentations
• Training & Development

You’ll find the above formatting much easier to read instead of jamming the words into a paragraph such as:

Responsible for territory growth, account retention, customer service, consultative selling, forecasting, cold calling, new product launch, sales presentations, and training and development.

Finally, use the Summary of Qualifications to appease the recruiter’s worst fears. For example, in Television News, a Videographer’s job is to record news as it happens, and interview newsmakers. A main duty of this job is not only knowing how to use a camera, but the behind the scenes tasks, that most jobseekers forget: Driving a company vehicle, working odd hours, willing to be on call, etc. That’s why it’s important to add “clean driving record, geographic familiarity, excellent severe weather driving skills, willing to work weekends, holidays, nights, and on call.” List these traits in the Summary and you’ll elevate your chances of a job interview significantly. You never know why the last guy got fired, and since no one else is adding this crucial information, you will STAND OUT among the pack and make it past the 30-second scan.