#5 I Need A Resume. Now this is The 80/20 Rule Ideal Resume Guide

Research has proved that the average hiring manager scans a CV for only six seconds before they decide if the candidate is appropriate for the job. In short, your resume only has six seconds to make the proper impression along with a potential recruiter if you want to pass the resume test.

You need to make it simple for your reader to scan and determine your most critical selling power. Take into account the top third of the resume to be a snapshot. Make sure you add everything the reader must know and understand about your credentials, job objectives as well as information on how they can reach you in case they are interested in your application.

In this chapter, we will discuss the 20/80 rule –

Where you must focus on the top 20% of your resume that will gather 80% of the attention.

You will find many things, which list down on what hiring managers will see on your CV. We have listed important elements every professional must keep in mind when making their resume.

1.  The Almost Flawless Intro

Always take note that hiring managers have only six seconds to take a short look at your resume. Be certain to put your professional summary at the top of your resume to draw attention at the beginning.

An introduction is one of the most vital segments of a resume. Hiring managers scan through resumes within seconds as they lots of things to look through. You need to ensure you offer a confident first impression as they are fast to make a decision.

You will find three different ways to begin your resume: a professional profile, a career objective, and a qualification summary. Pick the one that suits you for the job you are applying for.

Ensure this section displays your experiences and strengths too. You must utilize your resume as your chance to market what you could provide and demonstrate why they must employ you over other applicants.

2.  Consistency in your CV Formatting

Flashy gimmicks and colorful paper will not get your resume read by recruiters. Nonetheless, decent and excellent content establish a presentable format will.

An effective resume is a mix of powerful information showcased in a manner that’s simple to read.

A recruiter would need to scan your entire resume to find some key facts, which would draw their attention.

However, a recruiter won’t take the time to do that in the real world. Your resume must do that for them. A quality format showcases core areas of your background, and it attracts the recruiter to keep reading it.

It would be hard for a recruiter to get interested in a CV that doesn’t try to market itself immediately. A good format provides all the vital information up front, and it persuades the recruiter that your information is worth reading.

The purpose of formatting your resume is to establish a professional-looking and simple-to-read document. Recruiters have limited time to check your resume. Here are some vital formatting tips:

• Use necessary margins
• Choose a professional and readable font (e.g., Gill Sans, Corbel, Helvetica, Cambria, Constantia)
• Make the size of your font 10 to 12 points
• Utilize bullet points
• Feature section headers
• Request for feedback

3.  Results and Achievements

What have you achieved in the past that connects to your position for which you’re applying? Recruiters like to understand that you are ready to deal with situations that might arrive in their organizations. They want to know if you have been efficient in handling them in the past.

Check the job duties and descriptions, which are described for the new position. Focus on those duties by reflecting on your experiences at past employers.

Recruiters like to know how you have contributed to the success of your past employers. They like to see what you did was better than the average, even when your department had a bad year – that you made a good and positive contribution to the firm. Read the next tip to know more about this.

4.  Where are the Numbers?

You must utilize particular metrics to determine your achievements.

When applicable, connect dollar figures or percentages. Awards won, contracts reserved, client wins, revenue increases, efficiency improvements, and cost drops are some of the aspects you could quantify on your resume.

Quantifiable accomplishments on your resume are one of the vital things you must add to send your worth to a hiring manager. Without them, you are simply telling a hiring manager what you could perform. Why must they believe you? You are marketing yourself by supporting your claims without the presence of numbers.

Adding these numbers will allow you to present how you added worth to a company, the things you accomplished, and the gains you presented.

Remember that number does stand out amongst all the text, especially when a hiring manager is scanning through CVs. You are motivating them to spend more time checking at the document by catching their eyes with a decent scattering of numbers throughout your CV. Having this will allow them to have more time considering you for the role. After all, that’s the whole point of creating a resume in the first place.

5.  Be Specific

It would be best to highlight all your achievements within your resume under the categories and subcategories where they are most important. For instance, you might like to list your professional achievements as part of the information for your work with a current or past employer.

It’s vital to present your experience with specific duties and roles. However, citing it as achievements are more powerful. It offers the hiring manager the straight value you have shown at other companies.

I mentioned earlier about the 80/20 rule. What many candidates I have encountered focus on is the exterior but not the content of their CVs. In the case of your resume, if you focus on these 5 points which is your 20%, it will give that 80% attention to your recruiters.

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Hey, thanks for reading this post up to this sentence. Now, I know you're probably wondering, "Why do you post this article?" 

Well, I first started my career journey as a headhunter and the reason why I jumped into recruitment is that I didn't know what I want back then. I thought the best thing to do is to interview thousands of people, understanding their roles and industries. With this exposure, I was able to understand the mind of the recruiters, hiring managers, and years later had the privilege to be in various roles with top global companies.

I am forever grateful to all the people that came into my life and showed me that I have what it takes to pursue my goals. Today, I am on a mission to help driven & ambitious people to get in front of global leaders & world-changing companies.

If you think you have benefited from this sharing, I hope you can pay it forward by sharing this article and connect with me to always inspire each other. Stay tuned for more brewing on #rioslab. God bless!