When you write your resume, you need to select the most important information to emphasize. Your resume will be judged on the most prominent content. It is not unusual for a resume to be rejected in the first 30 seconds it is read.
How Resumes Are Screened
When a hiring manager has a lot of resumes to review, the first priority is to identify the top contenders and eliminate the rest. If a job seeker has a background that is clearly not a fit, it’s discarded immediately. The content in the top half of the first page of the resume may be the only thing read.
If you present information at the top of your resume that is unrelated to the position you are pursuing, you run the risk of getting rejected before the hiring manager reads your entire resume.
Example
A resume I received recently demonstrates how prioritizing poorly can hurt the overall impression. Below is the professional summary from the top of the resume (with some identifying information deleted):
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
A dedicated, forward-thinking professional with experience in sales management, recruiting and supervising staff and interior design.
- Communicates effectively with diverse professionals and workforce, analyzing and evaluating situations quickly to provide options for resolution.
- Led division to ##% sales growth within # months with a closure rate of ##%.
- Experienced Kitchen Designer, familiar with all major brands of solid surface and natural stone.
- Learns new information easily and applies knowledge in practical manner to meet goals and objectives.
The structure of this section doesn’t guide the reader to a single impression. It starts by stating the individual is a “dedicated, forward-thinking professional.” This isn’t a bad way to start, but it isn’t great either. Dedicated and forward-thinking are good qualities. They don’t do a lot to separate the job seeker from other candidates. Vague qualities like this just don’t do a lot.
The next phrase lists three areas of expertise – sales management, recruiting and supervision. This starts to build an image of the job seeker. The sentence ends with an add-on: “and interior design.” This confuses the presentation. Just when the job seeker establishes an image of a sales manager, they through in interior designer.
The four bullets do little to clarify the situation. The first bullet is another general list of skills that are difficult for a hiring manager to assess the potential value. The second bullet reinforces the sales management experience with a specific accomplishment that is impressive. The third bullet then goes back to the interior design skill set. Finally, the fourth bullet gives general skills
The content of the resume’s summary isn’t a problem. The issue is how it is presented. Changing the order and emphasis can make a big difference. For example, the resume could be rewritten to emphasize the sales management background:
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Successful sales manager, experienced in recruiting and developing sales teams within the interior design field.
- Led division to ##% sales growth within # months with a closure rate of ##%.
- Communicates effectively with diverse professionals and workforce, analyzing and evaluating situations quickly to provide options for resolution.
- Dedicated, forward-thinking and adaptable professional, capable of learning and applying new information quickly to meet goals and objectives.
- Experienced Interior Designer and Kitchen Designer, familiar with all major brands of solid surface and natural stone.
This emphasizes a sales management career and makes a clear presentation for this field. The information is almost identical to the original presentation.
If the job seeker wanted a role as an interior designer instead of sales management, the summary should be written to emphasize this experience and deemphasize the sales management experience.