Does Your Resume Pass The "6 Second Review?"

6/28/2017

Recently a recruiter that I know mentioned in a conversation that she once read that, on average, recruiters spend less than 7 second reviewing candidate resumes. 7 seconds! Think about that! I was skeptical so decided to do a quick bit of research. Turns out several years ago The Ladders had a survey where they concluded that recruiters spent less than 7 seconds per resume. To demonstrate a point, pull up your most recent resume or LinkedIn profile, hold it in front of you, and count:

One Mississippi

Two Mississippi

Three Mississippi

Four Mississippi

Five Mississippi

Six Mississippi

Seven Mi *TIME!!!*

That is an awfully short amount of time to fully explain to someone the breadth of your experience. It also explains why candidates are confused as to why their submissions are ignored, seemingly lost forever, even though their experience is a fit for posted opportunities. I am not here to argue whether or not the practice of rapidly reviewing resumes is effective (Author's Note - It is not). The purpose of this article is to explain how recruiters scan your resume, the red flags they look for, and how to avoid them. If you want your resume to pass a "6 second review," pay attention to the following items that recruiters are scanning for.

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