Recruiters Reading Resumes..what, why, how...

How long recruiters actually spend reading resumes? Well with so many floating around, Laura Adams writes "Even the most qualified candidates with the strongest qualifications sometimes get bypassed by recruiters when they are looking to fill an open position.  Why is this?   Don’t recruiters want to interview and hire and the best of the best?

The answer to this question is, of course, yes!  Recruiters are reviewing the resumes of submitted candidates to determine which individuals appear, on paper, to be a potential match for the position.  But considering that a recruiter may get dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes for a single job opening, there is little time to carefully dig through each individual resume to see if a candidate has the “special something” the employer is seeking." more here 

Recently in the Business Insider, Vivian Giang writes about :What Recruiters Look At During The 6 Seconds They Spend On Your Resume - she says....

Although we may never know why we didn't get chosen for a job interview, a recent study is shedding some light on recruiters' decision-making behavior. According to TheLadders research, recruiters spend an average of "six seconds before they make the initial 'fit or no fit' decision" on candidates. The study used a scientific technique called “eye tracking” on 30 professional recruiters and examined their eye movements during a 10-week period to "record and analyze where and how long someone focuses when digesting a piece of information or completing a task."

Read more here! 

Are you stuck for words and ideas for your resume?

Are you stuck for words and ideas for your resume? Ever wonder when you are going to start on your resume? Well, here is a good site to get you started. It has a lot of free resume templates based on the job. One good book I would recommend is the Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer. It has a lot of very insightful tips and tricks, so that you can churn out a great looking resume. 

Writing an exciting resume that catches the attention of hiring managers is not an easy task. Employers are looking for capabilities and concrete examples of skills and abilities such as organizational leadership and involvement, a strong work ethic and a sense of commitment. Be detailed when describing your accomplishments. If you have had internships, summer jobs or academic accomplishments,  make sure to include this experience on the resume. It may seem as if it is not important but its exactly the opposite. 

Another favorite book of mine is Resumes For Dummies  The Dummies series, as much as it is simple it can bring to light the many small details that you can take for granted.  The Resume Handbook: How to Write Outstanding Resumes and Cover Letters for Every Situation  is yet another good read. It can help you to get your resume up to par so that once in the hands of interested employers you will get immediate feedback and interviews.

3 TIPS for Writing or Re-writing your RESUME !

If you are writing your resume for the first time or want to re-write your resume, there are a few good places to start. Yes, it is one of the most BORING things to do as you have to go back and recap your LIFE and put it neatly on paper or nowadays online.

Resume-Help.org says "Keep in mind, your resume is a marketing tool to get you in the company and in front of the decision maker. Once in, you will need to do the sales pitch, and close the deal. With that said, you don't need to go into detail about every accomplishment in your resume. Strive to be clear and concise, as the purpose is to generate enough interest in you to have an potential employer contact you for an interview."

3 TIPS for Writing or Re-writing your RESUME !

• Open up a Word doc and start putting down JOBS and DATES ! It is important to be accurate.
• Take the time before you start your resume to form a clear and obtainable objective.
• For the first time Resume writer like a college graduate, Kate Lorenz of CareerBuilder.com has outlined "Seven Things to Know Before Writing Your First Résumé"

"The pen is mightier than a sword" - Resume Templates

"The pen is mightier than a sword", they say, so if you in the "battle" of finding a job start clicking on the keyboard to "write" the best resume there is. A well-crafted, custom-tailored resume can help you land the job of your choice. Writing a great resume does not necessarily mean you should follow a specific resume format. Every resume is a one-of-a-kind marketing communication. It should be appropriate to your situation and do exactly what you want it to do.
A resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview.

Stuck ? Its hard to start especially if you have not worked on one for a while. There are many Resume Templates out there. Here are a 3 resources.

1. Quickstart Resume Templates by CollegeGrad.com has over 200 templates. I downloaded a few and found them very impressive. You have to agree to the terms and conditions and then you are able to download the template of your choice.
2. At JobBankUSA.com I found several resumes which were industry specific. Scroll down once you are on the page to see the list.
3. At ResumeTemplates.org I found an impressive number of high level job resumes as well as resumes for a disk jockey, camera operator etc. I think its a well managed site and has many helpful links.