Will employers respond to your resume? This quiz can tell you

Writing a compelling resume is not an easy task for most job seekers. Resume writing is a complex process, involving a lot of keyword optimization, results-quantification, and resume-writing best practices.

The existence of entire companies based on resume writing tells you what a big task it is. Why would some professionals go as far as to pay a certified resume writer two grand for a resume if it is a piece of cake to write one?

If you have written your resume, well done! We can appreciate the difficulty you went through. Before you send it out to employers, take our five-minute resume quiz and see if you will get any response for your resume.

1. How long is your resume?

Answer: No employer is willing to read a five-page resume on a busy day. The current norm is to keep your resume under three pages, maximum. Most professionals need at least two resume pages to summarize their qualifications and skills.

Exceptions: These resume lengths will vary if you work in academia. Academic resumes tend to run long since they require you to mention your publications among other qualifications. Therefore, your academic resume can stretch several pages long without scaring away employers.

2. Did you list your target job title?

Answer: Many years ago, professionals used to write objective statements for their resumes just so they could clarify which position they were applying for. Today, it is considered customary for you to simply list your target job title at the beginning of your resume, usually after your name.

3. Did you use keywords?

Answer: A resume without keywords will not fare so well in the current job market. A majority of employers use applicant tracking systems to filter candidates. Without the right keywords, your resume will not come up in online searches and employer databases.

4. Have you included lists of job duties in your resume?

Answer: Successful resumes do not mention long lists of job duties. Instead, they prioritize professional achievements. If your resume contains long paragraphs that list job duties at previous roles, it is time to break them down into short bullet points and highlight professional achievements.

5. Is your resume visually appealing?

Answer: Visual appeal is what makes a hiring manager pick up your resume from a pile and read it. Even in the modern hiring world where resumes are shared digitally, hiring managers are tempted to pay more attention to visually appealing resumes. However, visual appeal does not mean fancy resume templates loaded with heavy graphics. Most visually appealing resumes are minimalistic, clean, and modern.

6. Did you write a summary statement?

Answer: You can’t make a hiring manager read your entire resume to get a grasp of your experience. However, you can make them read a short 2-4 sentence blurb that summarizes your skills and achievements at the beginning of your resume. This is why it is important to write a summary statement for each resume you create.

7. Have you spelled out abbreviations and acronyms?

Answer: Even if you apply for jobs within the same industry, the person who is reading your resume will most of the time be an HR professional who is unfamiliar with technical acronyms, abbreviations, and other jargon. Also, applicant tracking systems have trouble picking up abbreviations and acronyms. Therefore, it is essential to spell out acronyms and abbreviations on your resume.

Do you feel that your resume may not get favorable responses from employers after going through our quiz? Then, it is time for you to get professional help for your job application at www.resumemansion.com .