How long do you spend searching at a product advertisement in a magazine before you flip the page? I bet it is not longer than fifteen seconds, even if you’re interested in the product they are advertising. Pretty brutal right? Recruiter behavior isn’t much different when they are going through hundreds of resumes searching for the right applicants to invite in for a job interview.

Plus, just like everyone else:

Recruiters have deadlines

Recruiters get bored

The key to passing the all significant 30 second resume test is to make it convenient for the recruiter to find what they are searching for and keep it short and snappy.

• What Information Are Recruiters Searching For When Screening resumes?

Let’s first remind ourselves – What is the point of the resume? Is it a document to assist you sell yourself? Is it a precise summary of all your work experiences? No, it is not. The point of your resume is to get you a job interview. For your resume to achieve that objective you require understanding exactly what information the recruiter is looking for when they scan through your resume. In 15-30 seconds the recruiter is looking to find out:

Your name

The company you presently work for

Your current job description

Your skills and experience – Do these match the job description?

Your education

You require making sure this information is easy to find on page 1 of your resume. Ideally, it should all be situated on the top half of the page. Recruiters only ever scan page 1 and almost never read page 2 or beyond.

• How Do Recruiters Scan Resumes?

On the subject of scanning resumes, let’s take a closer look at how recruiters really scan each resumes they get. If you’ve ever used the SQR3 method of scanning texts at university you’ll understand what we are talking about here. Just like SQR3, recruiters will:

First scan the page for headings, sub headings, bold copy, quotes and highlights

Then evaluate this data against the key objective – In your case, does this persons skill and experience match the requirements of the job description?

Ultimately, shortlist the resume for further consideration if the above evaluation is positive in no more than 30 seconds.

• How To Conduct The 30 Second Resume Check

In order for your resume to make it through the brutal first cut you require making sure the recruiter can recognize all the information highlighted above easily in 30 seconds.

You require paying particular attention to your skills and experience. They should be easy to see and definitely need to match what is required in the job description. This is why you require different resume for every job application.

Once you’re happy you have achieved this, you should:

Ask a friend to read your resume, tell them they have 30 seconds to review it

Time them and stop them at 30 seconds

Inquire them the following queries:

What is my full name?

Where do I presently work, in what role?

What are my key skills, please list the top 4-5

What degree have I completed?

Once you’ve their answers, edit your resume and re run the check until you are happy the reader can retrieve all the key data within the so second window.

• The 30 Second Resume Checklist

In addition to the data above you should also double check the following items:

1. Readability – Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Ariel to make the resume easy on the eye.
2. No Photo or images – Do not include a photo of yourself unless you’ve been specifically asked to. Photos are a distraction and often use up at least five of your precious 30 seconds.
3. Length – Keep the resume to 2 pages.
4. Format – Save it as a word document and not a PDF format.
5. Email – Make definite you’re using a professional email address.
6. Sanity check – Run a final spelling and grammar check.

If you’re capable to run the 30 second resume check and recognize all the key items in the list above then your resume is ready to send off to recruiters. In addition to this information, you should also ensure that your resume is set up in a way that will make sure it is opted by resume screening software. This is m the first hurdle your resume will encounter before it even makes it into the hands of a recruiter.