Posts Tagged ‘resume review’

Resumes: 5 High Octane Resume Boosters

August 16th, 2011

By Andy West

When unemployment rates are high, and getting higher a number of interesting situations occur simultaneously. Many of these scenarios end up requiring people to either pull out an old resume, or create something new. Even if being out of work isn’t the challenge, there are opportunities where producing a resume quick can bring about positive change in ones life.

Hard economic times affects folks in various ways. Many people simply get laid off because their employers are no longer generating the income required to make the payroll. Once their job is lost, those unemployed folks need to find something new. Unemployment insurance only lasts for so long, and depending upon the state one lives in, those benefits are being shortened every day.

Perhaps losing a job doesn’t happen, but hours are cut back. Most people already have more monthly expenses after the end of their pay check, so even fewer hours means stretching finances even further.

Those a bit more optimistic might look at job loss and under employment as an opportunity to » Read more: Resumes: 5 High Octane Resume Boosters

Back to Top

Resumes: Reviewed in Less Than 20 Seconds

March 14th, 2010

By Jackie Simmonds, NEJS Blog Editor

Jackie SimmondsToday the sad and bitter truth is that your resume is reviewed in less than 20 seconds.  In that short period of time someone looks at your entire career and decides if you are good enough to make it to an interview.  I have heard many people rail against this during their job search.  Unfortunately no matter how much we complain we cannot change the very quick once over our document, our very life, is getting.

If you are like me you have always wondered exactly what the resume screener is getting out of their 20 seconds.  And the next thought is how can I beat the 20 seconds and make my resume get into the interview pile.

Brad Remillard of Impact Hiring Solutions has written an article, How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less,  that explains how he reviews a resume.  Brad has been a recruiter for 30 years and has reviewed over 500,000 resumes.  In fact Brad thinks he reviews most in less than 20 seconds, he estimates the average is probably around 5 to 7 seconds.  It just went from bad to worse, didn’t it?  What can he possibly grasp about me in 5 seconds?

Brad starts by setting up a hierarchy of certain “must have” or you’re out. If he can’t check the box as a yes, then you are knocked out of the competition.  This box checking eliminates 80% of the resumes.  Here is his standard list:

1. Location. If the client is in Los Angeles, CA and you aren’t – goodbye. Few if any clients want to relocate anyone in this economy. If they do have to consider relocation the position has to require some very unique experience that few jobs do. Time: 1 second. » Read more: Resumes: Reviewed in Less Than 20 Seconds

Back to Top