Why you need to take the 10 second test to increase your chances of getting shortlisted!
Jaafar Jabbar
Director of Talent Acquisition & Global Client Partnerships at BackStretch Recruitment Group
I'm sure you've worked on your resume hard. You've tried inputting everything you feel is relevant for your profile. You've applied to a zillion places but yet your resume does not get shortlisted.
Now I don't know for certain what might be the case, but there is 1 key element that any resume needs to pass. I call it the 10 second test.
Recruiters/Hiring Managers come across hundreds of resumes each day/week. To make it easier to sort candidates they do what is called a quick scan. It just isn't feasible to read each word on a resume, instead we scan the resume for keywords to see (with a high degree of success) whether the profile needs to be shortlisted or not. The best thing is this can be done by anyone no matter what position you're applying for.
Do the following 10 second test with someone who you barely know, or is not privy to what your job history is. It's simple and doesn't take more than a few seconds.
Ready? Good!
Hand your resume to anyone that fits the description I mentioned above, once they start reading, wait 10 seconds and take it away. Ask them what they know about you from reading your resume. Chances are they'll barely know much.
No problem. Tell them you'll hand it over again, but they they have exactly 10 seconds before you take it away.
They'll probably be able to do a better job.
Use the feedback you get from their (lack) of understand to improve your resume. Most people do no read past the first half of the first page, so that is where you need to structure most of your highlighted points so anyone skimming through the resume can get a sense of your profile quick. You do NOT need to stuff more text at the start, you just need to highlight key aspects about your profile. A solid summary with no cliche statements, highlighted achievements with numbers that make you stand out.
I've written a more detailed guide on writing your resume here (with templates): https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/perfect-resume-doesnt-exist-plenty-bad-ones-do-jaafar-jabbar/?trackingId=N4LqCnkKQ2a19M4QhJowmg%3D%3D, it covers most of the general tips (including templates) to better structure your resume and increase your changes of getting shortlisted.
If your friend was unable to explain to you who you exactly were from reading for 10 seconds, chances are high that a recruiter/hiring manager would have a similar impression. So structure your resume accordingly to increase your chances of getting shortlisted.
Manager Operations | BE, MBA | Production, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance | PMP, SSGB, QMS Lead Auditor
4 年There is also an impression that most of the applications submitted via various platforms are not even viewed. Only applications from referrals are reviewed - given this 10 sec read - and even they are enough in number to hire a good candidate. Some companies have an incentive plan for their employees to refer good candidates whenever a position opens up.