Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?

Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to highlight what is likely to most intrigue the employer. Before writing this section, make a list of the 5 to 10 criteria that are most likely to guide the employer's choice ? then summarize your qualifications in a way that speaks directly to the employer's interests.

The last 15 seconds?

If your resume is visually pleasing and starts with an effective summary, your reader will naturally want to scan the rest of it. At this point, the employer will look for: confirmation that you meet the job's requirements, supporting evidence for your summary section, and any intriguing details that add to the picture of what you would be like to work with.

Your job is to consider where the reader's eye is most likely to be drawn, and use these places to your advantage. They include: section headings, subheadings, the first sentence or two immediately under headings, position titles, bulleted lists (especially the top one or two items), words in bold, words in italic, and numerals (i.e. numbers that are not spelled out).

Consider all of these to be tools at your disposal when creating scan appeal. Is there an accomplishment, for example, that you want to highlight? Try putting it at the top of a bulleted list and including one or two numerals (such as "reduced costs by 10%" or "supervised a staff of 12"). If appropriate, use some bold or italic either within the item or in the wording that introduces it.

Testing for Scan Appeal

Your resume should be tested for scan appeal before any copies go out. You must be able to answer two questions? Given just 30 seconds to convince the employer to consider you, what must you bring to his or her attention? And, what does your resume actually convey in a 30-second scan?

To conduct a preliminary test yourself, review your employment strategy ? i.e. list the top five things you think are most important for the employer to know about you. Then look at the parts of your resume most likely to be seen in a scan, and make sure each item has been highlighted in some way.

For an even more telling test, give your resume to several people who don't know you well, and time them as they scan it for 30 seconds. When they are done, have them set the resume aside and jot down everything they remember.

Would the information they noticed and remembered provide compelling reasons for the employer to hire you? If the answer is yes, your resume has excellent scan appeal.

© 2005 Ruth Anderson

Ruth Anderson is the owner of Vantage Point Coaching & Consulting and author of WRITE RESUMES WITH CONFIDENCE: How to Create Outstanding Resumes and Have the Confidence to Use Them with Success. Learn more about her products and services, including the unique INTRODUCTION TO COACHING and JOB SEARCH TUNE-UP programs, at http://www.vantagepointcoaching.com or write mailto:ruth@vantagepointcoaching.com.

---

Resume Tune Up

Employers have fears, uncertainty and DOUBT (the FUD factor) over... Read More

Why It Is Impossible To Raise Your Standard Of Living Working A Job

Everything in nature has been endowed with what it needs... Read More

The Not-So-Effective Cover Letter

Here's a newsflash: Cover letters work, plain and simple. This... Read More

Your Value Proposition: A Critical Component To Having A Successful Job Search

Your value proposition is a series of statements defining your... Read More

Become A Personal Trainer

Every human body is different and a personal trainer will... Read More

How To Answer Your Call In Mid-Life

Hank Bochenski's story proves it is never too late to... Read More

Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves

Ten Questions For Entrepreneurs To Ask Themselves1.Do I have the... Read More

Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come --

Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse.... Read More

Turning Their Loss Into Your Job Gain

It isn't the end of the world, even if it... Read More

How To Create A Winning Impression In Your New Job

Congratulations! You've just been appointed to your new job. Now... Read More

Seven Success Tips For Recent Graduates Entering the Professional World

1) Build a Relationship With Your BossLike it or not,... Read More

Medical Billing Businesses Are Growing Fast And Providing A Needed Service For Doctors

You've seen the commercials and web sites about starting medical... Read More

Is a Career Change on Your Horizon?

Making a career change is nothing new in today's job... Read More

Staying In Shape

Why Lawyers Should Eat Bananas by Simon Tupman is a... Read More

The Career Athlete: What It Takes to Manage Your Career

Managing your career, just like managing your life, requires preparation... Read More

Everyone Should Have a RED BALL in the Job Search

May I explain what about what a red ball means... Read More

The 10-Step Resume Critique

Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan... Read More

Networking is the Key to Star Performance in Everything You Do.

Many people's idea of networking relates to the 'size of... Read More

Three Ways to Transition to a New Career

As a Certified Personnel Consultant working for Find Great People... Read More

Career Change: Success Tips

Successful career change is based on first making an honest... Read More

Do I Have to Provide a Salary History?

Often you see job postings with a request such as... Read More

Ten Tips to a Powerful Resume

A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts... Read More

Sample Cover Letters ... The Hidden Pitfalls

You can benefit from sample cover letters as they can... Read More

How To Find Quick, Free, Job Search Resurces

There are many free job search resources available in any... Read More

Why Are 95% of Job Applicants Not Called Back?

Have you been desperately looking for a job and keep... Read More

Ten Great Careers That Don?t Require A Four Year Degree

One of the great myths associated with the "American Dream"... Read More

How To Deal With A Difficult Boss

Most people at some point in their lives have to... Read More

Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active

Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for... Read More

Yesterdays Project Manager is Todays Project Engineer

The rapid growth of technology, greater exposure to knowledge, higher... Read More

6 Steps to Re-inventing Your Career

Meaningful work honors the deepest part of your being. It... Read More

When Should You Update Your Job Skills?

With the U.S. economy still slumping and unemployment numbers barely... Read More

Fantastic Job Fair Follow-up

Set the stage for fantastic job fair follow-up while you... Read More

Learn How To Succeed At Career Fairs

This career article will give you some great tips on... Read More