More Resume Tips... The first 24 seconds

Every person in the Human Resources world who has even a glancing responsibility for recruiting has their own pet peeves on what makes a good, or great, resume. I'm not here today to share mine but I was reading an article on LinkedIn this morning that captured a lot of my thoughts, and those I hear from other HR folks who have to sort through hundreds, if not thousands of resumes. The author, Tom Keene, is an Editor with Bloomberg Television and Radio who honestly acknowledges that he spends about 24 seconds perusing each resume. What is he looking for in those 24 seconds? Here are some of his tips:

• Tweak your resume to the specific company and position you are applying for. The days of the one resume for all occasions are long past.
• Know why you really want to work at the company you are applying with. This is more than "I heard it is a good company" or "you seem to have great benefits". Do some researh about the company not so you can impress the person you interview with but so you can clearly articulate what really motivates you to want to work there and how your skills truly apply.
• Put your "headline" at the top - what is it that truly sets you apart from everyone else? Take a tip from the advertising world. Your resume is your personal advertisement selling your personal brand. Note that Mr. Keene's notion of "Headline" is not your "Objective", or some type of summary statement - it's a brief (remember you only have 24 seconds to make an impact) synopsis of what truly differentiates you in terms of your fit for the specific position/company you are applying for.
• I categorize Mr. Keene's next tip as "know your competition". Its not simply knowing that you are competing with hundreds or thousands of other applicants all interested in the same position or company you are. One of the first rules of resume preparation is to have as many eyes as possible review your resume and critique it. But that's not good enough. Knowing your competition means having your eyes look at as many resumes of other people as you can to make your own informed judgement in terms of how well your resume stacks up in comparison. Don't just ask your friends, co-workers, and others to take a peek at your resume - ask if you can see theirs.
• And finally, as Mr. Keene correctly points out, there is no substitute for the interview. If your resume gets you the interview then it has done it's job to perfection. Resumes don't get you jobs - face-to-face interaction with people is what gets you hired.

If you are still with me it's likely taken you a little more than 90-100 seconds to read to this point. Mr. Keene would be on his 4th resume by then. Time matters, so make sure the time we spend on your resume uses time as effectively as possible!