Question: What's the first thing you look at on a candidate's resume?
A Timeline
"An applicant's resume tells their story. As such it should be easy to follow their timeline. If there are holes in that chronology or there are multiple overlapping projects, I'm going to need some explanation."
@KopickiAlex
Bullet-Pointed Accomplishments
"Resumes from candidates who drone on and on with marketing speak make my eyes glaze over. I look for resumes with concrete, bullet-pointed examples of accomplishments from previous jobs. For me, a simple: 'Implemented a system to reduce shipping costs by 20 percent' beats: 'Strategically involved in the expert design and implementation of innovative product-procurement logistics systems' every time."
@brittanyhodak
Job Duration
"I’m always interested in how long a candidate was at his or her previous jobs. If someone has worked in the same industry for years, but only in short bursts at different companies, they may be bringing a negative attitude or some other issue to the table. I prefer to see stable relationships with previous employers."
@simoncasuto
Revelvant Keywords
"When reviewing a potential hire's resume, I quickly scan their resume for keywords and insights that make me understand how this candidate would fare at my company. What they've done before? Are they a cultural fit? etc. Does this candidate 'get' me and my business? Customized resumes give me deeper understanding and lead to more candidate call backs, interviews, and eventual hires."
@leighrowan
Specific Numbers
"I don't want to read that you, 'accelerated growth for your department' or 'managed team members' multiple projects.' I want to see numbers that jump from the page, such as 'Grew department 37 percent within 24 months' and 'managed 14 associate editors and 4 million dollars of ad spend.' Words are open to interpretation, but numbers can be verified."
@BamComm
Attention to Detail
"Regardless of the role that we're hiring for, make sure your resume is perfect. This is your time to shine! If you lack experience, it might be ok if we see that you can structure a sentence and spell properly. If you bounced between jobs but we see that there was a potential growth curve in there, that may be OK too if your resume is well designed. Are you the perfect candidate, then spell-check!"
@itsjoshsprague
Most Recent Accomplishments
"I always scan for the very latest accomplishment the candidate has, whether it’s an academic milestone, a significant achievement in the professional world, or a powerful life experience. All lessons learned and experienced gained will still be relatively fresh with the candidate, and anything that they may bring to the table will inevitably be influenced by their most recent accomplishments."
@chrisategeka
Personality
"Resumes that simply list skills are boring and do not stand out. The first thing I look for on a candidates resume is personality. Personality is communicated through community involvement, awards and leadership. Ninety-Five percent of the time, if the skills are there and I don't see personality, I pass on the candidate."
@krisjonescom
