How can you make your resume easy to scan?

You can use insights from neuroscience and eye-tracking studies to make your resume easier to read. - Use sections so readers can quickly identify information, especially a headline at the top of the resume that quickly shows your focus ("Sales Professional") instead of generic headlines like "Summary of Qualifications." - Pay attention to the left side of the page as this is the main content English readers start with (we skim down the left side). - Use divider lines and/or white space to delineate sections (no, these don't mess up most ATS). If you want more info on resume design based on these ideas, check out this article: https://www.resumewritingacademy.com/blog/write-for-modern-readers

The average resume scan time is 6 seconds, so you want to quickly catch the reader's eye. However, that doesn't mean that you want to use fancy templates or language. Stay at 2 pages (unless you have significant board work, publications, etc to share) and use your results (not a fancy format) to draw the reader in.

Break it up. Use %, $ and numbers to get the attention of the reader. IE: Increased productivity by 60% over FY2021, 22 and 23 resulting in a $4mil increase in revenue to the division. Break it down. Human eyes are not the only eyes on your resume. Large corporations are relying on machine learning/AI to make matches specific to the job descriptions. Make searchable terms easier by using acronyms and spelling out the titles. IE: Instead of Military, try Department of Defense (DOD) IE: Instead of listing certs: Security+, try Security+ AND Sec+ Avoid complication if your certification is an acronym. CHRA could be Certified Human Resource Analyst or Auditor. Both very different specialties.

After a header containing your personal contact information, the major sections you need are “key skills” a summary of your experiences that are tailored to what the employer is looking for, a “professional experience” section that includes each job followed by tailored skill based bullets that target the job ad, and last, your “education” section. The format of all bullets should be: action verb + skill and experience/metrics/impact supporting information. Include awards and achievements as metrics of these. And yes, volunteer experiences count - they can be ways you developed and used skills the employer is looking for. Include in “professional experience.”

Use short "bites" of information. Try to keep paragraphs under three lines and bullet points under two lines. Avoid long lists with more than 5 bullets in a row. If done well, graphics can actually *help* the reader consume the content more quickly! For example, if you raised sales for three years in a row, a graph can communicate that in a split second -- much faster than words. But be sure to repeat this information in the text so the applicant tracking system (ATS) can read it. Finally, use tight, economical writing. Don't get overly verbose, and avoid clichés. I recommend that you *avoid* using ChatGPT/AI to write your resume. If you do, it will be overly wordy and full of clichés.

Use your resume headline to quickly grab the reader's attention - customize the headline with the title of the role that you are applying for. Otherwise, you should really only make minor tweaks to your resume for each different opportunity, so don't worry about making big changes to your resume for applying for different jobs as long as your base resume is in-line with the job description.

Customizing your resume is not about rewriting but targeting the role you are seeking. Read the JD carefully, research the company for relevant aligned details, use networking with people in the company to learn about key responsibilities that may not be on the JD, and then include this information in your resume. Also, ensure keywords (titles, skills, tools) are used in context - not just a list. Your goal? Showing you are highly qualified through the strong alignment between the JD and your resume.

In reality, someone shouldn't be targeting jobs that require a custom resume every time. You may have 2-3 different titles or specializations that are aligned with your experience and expertise. For example, a niche role (Data/Analytics Manager) or a more general one (Marketing Ops). As suggested above, the writer should add results and experience that support the needed requirements for each.

Every resume should be tailored, but it doesn’t mean a complete rewrite. Make sure to pay attention to how the job ad is structured. If your resume says “collaborators” but the ad says “multidisciplinary teams” - try to weave it in at least once. :)

Don't save all the metrics for your experience section! Add a few key results to your resume's summary to grab the reader's attention and encourage them to read further.

The HR eye tracking study by TheLadders.com showed us that using actual numbers draws the eye across the page. Use this to your advantage!!

A well written and pristine resume says “attention to detail” without you saying it. A number of errors in your document says the opposite. Use online tools like Grammarly or MS spell/grammar checker, etc AND have people look over your documents before you send them.

Don't forget to make your current position present tense and past positions past tense. Grammar checks won't pick this up as incorrect and it's one I see frequently--folks add new positions to an existing resume and forget to update the last role.

In addition to ensuring your resume is scannable by the ATS, make sure it's equally appealing to the human eye. In other words, don't cram your document full of text. Leave enough white space so your resume is not overwhelming to the recruiter or hiring manager.

It seems counterintuitive but when it comes to resumes, less is more. This means you want to be succinct and efficient with your sentences. Research shows that most hiring managers and HR executives spend about 6 - 7 seconds when they first review a resume. Keep reminding yourself that if you get selected for an interview, that's when you ca go into more detail about your experience. Think of your resume as the 'coming attractions' to the movie.