For all the hours you spent updating, tweaking, editing and fixing your resume, did you know you have an average of six seconds to catch the eye of an HR manager going through applications?

 

Six seconds! Count it out — it’s nothing. It’s about the length of time most people will give a new song before deciding to either keep listening or skip to the next.

 

But don’t fret: You can make those six seconds impactful and encourage the application reviewer to keep reading.

 

Here’s how to make sure your resume includes the most important information in locations that will pass the six-second test — and lead to more interviews.

 

Keep the Z pattern in mind and highlight the most important information.

 

The human eye naturally travels in a Z pattern when looking at a document, going from upper left, across to middle right, back to the lower left. Your most important information should hit in those spots and should be really easy to find. Forget starting the top of the document with a mission statement or personal declaration; you’re applying for the job because you need a job or want to make a change. Your philosophical approach to work can be discussed during the interview but you need to get your foot in the door first.

 

Keep it simple and skimmable.

 

Your resume is supposed to attract interest and earn curiosity. The person reviewing it wants to know, at a glance, whether you have the qualifications and background that make you a fit for the job. That’s the only information that should be on your resume. Do away with narrative paragraphs and stick with brief bulleted lists, pulling out the most applicable information for the job to which you’re applying.

 

List your specialized training.

 

If you’ve earned certifications or licensing that are applicable to the position, list them. Provide the date earned, the organization that provided the certification and any additional abilities or skills picked up as enhancements to that training. You want to make your abilities stand out and any extra steps you took on your own, or any training you sought out above and beyond the minimal requirements, will make you look great. Also, if any of those certifications allow you to use credentials after your name, do it!

 

Keep your contact information at the top.

 

If the person reviewing applications wants to get in touch with you, don’t make them hunt for that information. Keep your name, phone number and email address at the very top of the page. Depending on the type of work — whether it’s a remote position or office-based — you might want to include the city and state in which you reside. Employers might pass on applications if the person doesn’t already live locally and if that information is not listed, they might be frustrated to learn it during the interview process.

 

Be consistent and clean.‘Your resume is not the time to get creative with fonts or paper. You want to use an easy-to-read font, black text on white background, so the reviewer isn’t trying to decipher fancy writing. With the exception of putting in bold font your previous titles, keep the font consistent throughout the resume. Clutter or distractions will get you tossed into the “thanks but no thanks” pile right away.

 

If these suggestions make you worried that there are so many other stories your resume can and should tell, consider filling out your LinkedIn or other professional profile. All those details are important, but they don’t need to live on the resume you use to apply to a position. Your online profile can tell the whole story of your working background and accomplishments, but you need to want them to read more and get to know you better first. The odds of that happening increases when you have a great, easy to read resume. If you’d like additional tips and pointers, or if you’d like more help in finding your next job, call Bishop & Company. Take a look at the jobs we have available and see what strikes your eye in your own six-second test, then contact our recruiters and learn more about whether you’d be a good fit. We’re ready to help you find your next great opportunity!