I recently shadowed a hiring manager as he screened resumes. Over 100 applicants for 2 roles.
I witnessed how challenging it was for someone to read a lot of resumes that all looked and sounded the same – and try to identify top candidates. Out of 110 resumes received, he felt that less than 10% were well-written AND a good match.
The biggest mistakes most of these applicants made in their resume?
- They copied and pasted job descriptions into their roles and included ZERO measurable facts. Or they included irrelevant details (tip: if you are applying for a hardware role don’t focus on software skills).
- Without proof of ability it was extremely difficult for the hiring manager to measure a person’s actual level of skill and confidently process the file into the YES pile.
- Hardly anyone backed up their claims.
- The majority of resumes blended together.
To get your resume screened into the YES pile with more ease – place more effort on content:
- Tailor it
- Be specific
- Provide examples
- Share results
- List only related/relevant content
- And for goodness’ sake spell check!