Job Corner: 20 Signs Your Resume Won’t Pass The Skim Test
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
I was speaking to someone at a local university this week. She lamented the function of a resume. That is, she said, “You write this resume, and people don’t even read it!”
Ah, yes, actually that’s true.
At first, they skim it. I’m not sure why everyone thinks it’s a crime that every word on a resume is not read on the initial pass. Practically nothing else does these days.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRather, you should be thinking about how to write a resume that passes the 7 to 10 second “skim test.”
To be clear you also need a a strong LinkedIn profile, ownership of your personal domain name, and clear social media profile as part of your online branding initiative.
And it may be that eventually resumes become obsolete and we only use other media for transmitting our messages.
For now, though, think of being a recruiter with 200 resumes in the inbox or recruiting system. Consider the amount of time it would take to “skim” those 200 resumes at 10 seconds each. That’s about 23 minutes.
Then, consider how much time it would take them to watch 200 videos at say 90 seconds apiece, or look at 200 online web sites from people. That’s around 5 hours.
I’m sure there’s a better way in the pipeline. But right now, in most places, a resume is still the sorting hat for the initial applicant review.
So instead of being frustrated that a resume isn’t read, let’s look at 20 “resume fails” that ensure you won’t pass the skim test. If you’ve been “sending out resumes and not hearing back” these tips might help you get upright.
Check which ones apply to you, and then take some action to change it up!
1. Your resume has an objective statement at the top.
2. Your resume does not have a “professional introduction” at the top.
3. Your education is listed at the very top; takes up a lot of room, and you majored in a field that has nothing to do with the job you are looking for.
4. You don’t have a LinkedIn vanity URL as part of your contact information.
5. Your experience is listed as a bunch of tasks, rather than accomplishments and results.
6. Your experience is described with phrases that begin with “Was responsible for…”
7. You haven’t optimized the top 30% of your resume to grab the reader’s attention on a phone or tablet device.
8. You have no numbers or quantification of any kind on your resume.
9. There isn’t a single bullet point on your resume.
10. You have no sense for whether your resume layout and design is attractive and easy to read, and stands out from the others in the pile.
11. You have blocks of paragraphical text.
12. You have included the sentence: References available upon request. Note: this is a deal breaker. If you have this sentence on your resume, please get help TODAY.
13. You’ve listed references ON your resume. Just, don’t.
14. Your resume is more than two pages.
15. You have clip art on your resume.
16. You have your photo on your resume. (This applies to US only. Some other countries are OK with this.)
17. You have typos because, well, you’re not really detail oriented and they’ll know what you were trying to say.
18. Your resume does not include keywords specific to the job and company you are applying to.
19. Your resume is not customized to a specific job and organization, but looks like a “one size fits all” resume product.
20. Your resume includes terminology or references that might be distracting or confusing to the reader.
Your action for this week: Reality check your resume. If you’re just graduating, and many of the above criteria apply to you, get off to a strong start. Get some help on your marketing materials and job search. I created The Resume E-Course to help you write a resume in 6 easy steps, at a fraction of the cost a professional would charge.
The resume may not be the “forever” way we’ll evaluate job candidates, but for right now, it’s still the way that most employers are vetting candidates. And they’re not reading. They’re skimming!
Lea McLeod helps people meet challenges in the job search – and in the job - head on. Formerly a Director Level manager at Hewlett-Packard, she hired, fired and managed people around the world. Now, she helps people find great jobs, do great work, and leave the office on time.
She created The Resume Coloring Book online course to give clients a step-by-step process for writing a great resume, at a fraction of the cost a professional would charge.
She also works with individuals and teams to make the work experience better, resolve conflict, and improve collaboration. Get started with her 21 Days To Peace At Work e-course. It’s free!
