Resumes That Last More Than 6 Seconds

You only have 6.25 seconds for your resume to catch the attention of a recruiter. I’ll step you through how to update your resume to get the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

According to a study by the ladders and from my own personal experience, you only have about 6.25 seconds to catch the attention of a recruiter or hiring manager. So how do you last at least 7 seconds? The reason for such a quick decision is the volume of resumes that have to be processed. Based on my past 20 years of hiring, I easily review over 100 resumes for 1 hire. And I am not a recruiter, so just imagine how many resumes they are reviewing. And they only want to present the best candidates to their clients.

In this post, I will cover creating a resume from the perspective of how it is reviewed and use my own resume and template as an example. I will cover the following parts of creating a resume:

• format
• tone
• length
• header/footer
• summary section
• experience section
• education section
• additional information section

Here is my Resume Template in Microsoft Word that you can use.

3 Phases of Review

I break the review process down into 3 phases:

1. Phase 1: The initial 6 seconds. This is about first impressions. Is the resume pleasing? Can I easily find some key information?
2. Phase 2: The next 30 seconds. This is about finding those key skill sets I’m looking for.
3. Phase 3: Acceptance. This is about diving into your accomplishments and finding great candidates.

Format

The most important part of a resume is the format of the first page. It needs to be pleasing and have a layout that guides the reviewer’s eyes down the page to the most pertinent information.

The goal is for the reviewer to quickly see:

1. Your Name
2. What you do
3. Key Skills
4. Employers (company name + your role) for at least the last 3 years

After that, you get another 30 seconds to not be rejected. This decision is almost always done on the first page. The important sections are:

1. Summary
2. First-page experience summaries
3. First-page experience accomplishments

Overall Tone

Your resume should be written in third person in the past tense. It’s a professional document, and it’s just expected.

You are a doer. Use action verbs like: designed, implemented, migrated, created, managed, saved.

Length

• 1 page: junior-level positions
• 2 pages: everyone else
• 3 pages max if needed (skills list or important extras)

Header

Your name should be the most prominent thing on the page.

It should also have primary contact info: phone number, email, LinkedIn, website (optional unless you have a design portfolio).

Top of my first page:

Subsequent pages:

Footer

Your footer should contain:

• Version date (e.g., June 01, 2020 or 2020-06-01)
• Page number
• Total page count

Summary

Use this section to target what you want and highlight your strengths. It helps recruiters know how good of a match you are quickly.

Summary Skill List

Use a 1–3 column bulleted list to highlight your most relevant skills. This should be scannable in the first 6 seconds.

Experience

• Focus on accomplishments, not just responsibilities.
• Include the impact: reduced costs, improved processes, increased revenue, etc.
• Use quantifiable results where possible.

Education

• Include major(s), GPA (if still in school), honors, and relevant coursework.

Additional Information

• Certifications
• Special training
• Volunteer or charity work
• Open source contributions
• Patents

Spelling

Use tools like Grammarly and get at least two people to review it. One should be detail-oriented; the other should know your industry.

Resume vs. CV

A CV is typically longer and used for academic or medical careers.

Multiple Versions

Create one excellent resume tailored to the job. If you need multiple versions, track them with unique dates.

Final Thoughts

Your resume is the first impression you give. Make it count. Be clear, direct, and professional.

Make it scannable. Use action words. Deliver quality.