[Recruiters + TA Leaders Only] What is one thing recruiters look for in a résumé at first glance?

Hi There, I'm James, former technical recruiter, career coach, and resume writer. I've been involved in the careers and talent acquisition industry since 2008 and am also the Cofounder of Final Draft Resumes. First off, I'd like to preface by saying that this is actually a very well debated topic in the recruiting world. You may receive different responses depending on who you ask, as each recruiter will have their own approach to the process. However, speaking from my own experience, if I'm trying to fill a role and am reviewing an applicant's resume for said role, I'm verifying that they meet the basic qualifications of the job, first and foremost. To do that, I'm reading the summary (if there is one) and work experience sections. I do this before anything else because I quickly want to establish that this person meets the minimum baseline. I hope you've found this helpful! I'm available for further questions if needed. Respectfully, James

Please include how you have eliminated a redundant process that has provided cost savings. For example: Eliminated the need for recruiting agencies by hiring over 40 people utilizing my networking and reach out skills. Successfully saved the company over 900,000 in recruiting agency fees. This example can be used for any position as you being in your role and being efficient and pro-active always saves the company money from having to either use external help or re-do work.

Recruiters want to know what you will bring to the company once hired. This value proposition is evident in how you describe your skills and your expertise. Most recruiters will want to gauge whether you took the time to study the needs of the company you are applying to and found a way to bridge those needs with your skills. A good way of presenting your value proposition in your resume is to highlight how previous work experience utilized your most valuable skill and how you helped the company you worked for move forward.

As someone who is not a fan of a resume, application and cover letter all being required for a particular vacancy, there is something I immediately look for in a resume- examples that demonstrate coachability. More than technical skills for some roles, I need to know the applicant is able to be coached and can (or learn to) effectively coach others. A candidate can be have great written skill and solid technical skills, but if the resume doesn’t indicate that they can accept critical feedback and implement changes to improve their behavior or performance, or tactfully provide critical feedback to others, I tend to move on to the next resume. Team members thrive in environments where colleagues and leaders are supportive, so I look for these indicators in a resume. It’s one of those things that, for me, is apparent even when the candidate may not intend for it to be.

As a recruiter, when first glancing at a resume I immediately look at a candidate's career and educational trajectory to understand why they applied to a given role. Their background needs to align with the role at hand. I ask myself, does their work experience fit the job description? Does their education match the required credentials for this role? A candidate's resume - their career trajectory - should align closely with the role they're applying for, to ensure they're the desired candidate of choice for recruiters and employers alike.

10 seconds, that's all you get when your resume lands in the hands of a recruiter. We must see something immediately to keep our interest. Your resume should always have a personal summary, a personal statement, or depending on your career level an objective statement. Give recruiters a reason to give your resume more time. Use online resources to find power words to describe yourself. Your statement should tell a recruiter who you are, what you do, and what makes you special.

If you really want that role you have at least also spend time and attention to your resume to make it a resume-on-the-job. This means you mention that experience which fit role or give more attention/space at your resume for . In this way you can really see the motivation and make you stand out of the crowd. When I see that then you have my attention.

Recruiters are always on the search for transferable skills. A resume should help to conceptualize who you are, and what is important to you. One section of the resume that shouldn’t be overlooked is your personal mission statement. A focused and intentional mission statement should include what role you are targeting and why you are targeting it. For example, if one is seeking a sales position, it is imperative to highlight any relevant skills and experiences that you possess and share why you are motivated to pursue a career in this field.

As an executive search consultant recruiting senior level candidates, I look initially to distinguish potential from pedigree. I want to see who they have worked with so I can know if they are leadership material with management experience. If a candidate has worked at a company where they recruit the best of the best, I’ll understand what they may have learned, and what their point of view might be. Have they worked with people who are great (and passionate) about what they do? Did they get good mentorship and training? Do they know how to drive innovation, be consistent, distinctive and adaptable? Are they inclusive and great at building diverse high-performing teams? Do they understand process at scale? Depending on our client, I need to know if they will have the ability to navigate an enterprise company (or alternatively, have they worked at a start-up and can they handle that environment) and the attendant company culture (often the number one factor in a candidate’s success).

At first glance, recruiters look for a résumé that is pristine and to the point. They only have a limited amount of time to gauge the potential of each applicant, so they need to be able to quickly review the experience, skillset, and career goals of each person that passes their desk. While it can be tempting to go overboard with adjectives and language in order to make your accomplishments shine, it's important to remember that short yet impactful phrases carry much more weight than long-winded descriptions. A résumé should demonstrate why a particular candidate is worth bringing in for an interview; therefore it should efficiently highlight their most impressive attributes.

What I often look for at first glance on a résumé is the candidate's relevant work experience. Of course, it is important to see what types of jobs the candidate has held in the past and what skills and responsibilities they had in those roles. If someone is applying for a marketing position, you need to be able to see a sales or marketing background in the resume. Not only does it tell you that he or she possesses existing valuable knowledge about the field but it also affirms if he or she will be able to deliver the outcomes that you are hoping for from said position.

Recruiters are highly productive individuals. They must sort through hundreds of resumes before selecting the best ones to offer to CEOs and supervisors, in addition to being under time pressure to locate new hires for different organizations and businesses. Since they don't have the luxury of time, many recruiters admit to using the "command + F" tool to discover specific keywords relevant to the position they are seeking. You should make sure your resume flows well and is real, even though you want to include a few keywords that are related to your experience or the position you want.

The best recruiters are searching for passion. Yes, hefty work experience is impressive, but a passion for the work will set you apart from the rest of the candidate pool. Recruiters want to see that you are interested in the job as more than just a way to pay the bills. Rather, they want to see how you'll align with the team and feel connected to the job on a higher level.

The first thing recruiters look at when they receive a résumé is the candidate’s experience. In order to stand out, candidates should make sure the experience listed on their résumé is relevant to the job opportunity. For example, if the candidate is applying for a marketing position, they should make sure their marketing experience is listed on their résumé. This is how the recruiter will get a sense of what the candidate has done and if they are a good fit for the position.

Whenever a recruiter gets hold of your resume, the first thing they question is your expertise., "Does this candidate have the expertise and capabilities to join us, perform this job efficiently, and will quickly start adding value to our strategies?" This is the question that entails what captures the employer’s eye when they go through your resume. The employer goes through what you have done with other employers since this will show whether you have some career experience or not. It’s advisable to ensure that your work history is at the top half of the first page of your resume so that it can be found quickly.

As a HR practitioner with over a decade of experience, one thing I always look first when scanning through a CV is the candidate's role and duties in their most recent job. You see, employers want to bring in talent that has practical experience relevant to the work they have applied for. However, we also want to make sure that this experience is as recent as possible. That way, it becomes easier for the candidate to adapt to the new workplace if they are selected. Besides, looking at the roles and duties a candidate performs in their most recent job helps us gauge if this person has enough workplace exposure to fit into our team and overall company culture. It also hints at how this candidate has progressed career-wise and if indeed, they will be able to develop professionally if we were to offer them the job.