The Secret About Resumes Recruiters Don’t Want You To Know!

Let’s get technical

First of all, how do we know how quickly recruiters read resumes?

Thanks to Ladders, Inc.!

They performed two separate studies tracking the eye movements of recruiters as they worked through their stacks of resumes. Once in 2012, and again in 2018.

In 2012, they tracked the average time spent at just 6 seconds.

Later, in 2018, the average had gone up to 7.4 seconds. Some experts attribute this to the automation of certain recruiting tasks which allow recruiters to spend more time learning about individual applicants. But let’s face it: while it’s an improvement, it’s marginal at best.

Another question that Ladders had was “how do they spend those 7.4 seconds?”

The answer is they scan the page with their eyes moving in the shape of an “F”!

What the “F”?

F-pattern reading refers to the process of taking in information by scanning the top of a document from left to right, then moving down and scanning one more section the same way, then scanning downwards on the left hand side.

The overall shape that the eyes trace is similar to a capital letter “F”. Less time is spent the lower the eyes go, meaning: the higher up on your document the information is, the more emphasis it has on the reader.

And when it comes to resumes, the recruiter typically stops taking in information about one third of the way down the page. Everything after that is just taking in design and layouts — not actually reading the words.

Resumes that scored well with recruiters during the study were the ones with the simplest layouts. Clear sections and bold titles/headers succeeded in grabbing their attention the best. Whitespace keeps things uncluttered and approachable.

When reading in F-pattern, bullet points are also very pleasing to the eye, and help readers internalize what they’re seeing a lot faster. And when time is of the essence, it makes for a great way to list key accomplishments.

Short sentences are also a sound idea.

Lastly, multiple columns confuse the eyes when reading in an F pattern. Be sure to keep the flow downwards only.

Now that you know…

What info should go where their eyes go?

7.4 seconds is still not enough time to fully divulge who you are and what your life experiences are. But since it’s what you’re working with, you’ll need to prioritize key points about yourself.

In the top third of your resume, here is what you should include:

CONTACT INFO

Not only should your name, phone number, and email be prominently displayed, you should also immediately suggest links to your online profiles and portfolios.

If you have your own professional website, a virtual portfolio of your experience, or even just a LinkedIn account, then share it. No matter how nice your resume is, these are much more engaging mediums for sharing information about yourself with a recruiter.

If they’re so inclined to look elsewhere to learn about you, you’ll stand out even more.

HEADLINE

This is your attention-grabbing “extra extra, read all about it!” moment.

Don’t just list your job objective. And don’t just list the job title you’re most qualified for.

Use this single headline to shout out your unique value to employers. This is the phrase you want them to think whenever they think about you.

Remember, the top of the page is the most important. Just like a news article — the further you read the less eye-catching the text becomes.

SKILLS SUMMARY

After the headline, the next most important item to trickle down is a quick list of your most valuable, job-specific skills.

Make this a bullet-point list, about 6-8 points long, that highlights the experience you have to support the value you laid out in your headline.

Don’t list soft skills, like communication. Stick to hard, measurable, transferable skills that will let your recruiter quantify your value before they’ve had a chance to meet you and get to know your personality.

ACCESSIBILITY