From The Eyes Of Someone Looking At Your Resume

photo by skobo

I was reading the Evil HR Blog today when I saw a comment that really stuck out to me. The post was about visual resumes and whether they helped or hindered your application process.

While it seems the majority of the readers were against the idea of a flashy resume, one commenter, an HR professional, Lisa, had this to say:

I look at 100s of resumes everytime we post a job. The cover letter is my first cut: is there one? Does it read well with no obvious mistakes? Does it give me information that makes me want to look further? A 'no' to any of these questions leads to a 'thank you, no' response to the candidate. Only then do I look at resumes.

Since I look at resumes through Outlook, heavy formatting can really muck with my ability to read the info presented. So, plainer is better.

As you are applying for jobs, remember that you are trying to get the attention of a specific person who is looking for specific qualities and skill sets. Ensure that whatever format you do use is easy to locate and matches the needs of the company and the person from the company doing the looking.

I can see a few heads turning as you read this - that means you need to take a look at your resume and cover letter and whip them into shape.

Happy hunting Carolinas and please leave your comments, questions and ideas below and be sure to follow CarolinaJobs on Twitter.

-Greg