Who's Reading Your Resume...
and Why It Matters
By Margaret Hansen, JobsInMS.com
Although you may never meet this person - unless you are called in for an interview - it's good practice to have an understanding of your resume reviewer before you send your resume. Understanding who they are and what pains they face at work will score you some hiring points.
Here are three recruiting situations gleaned from a recent employer survey that could benefit you during your next job search.
1. Small Business Majority
About 67 percent of our survey takers work for organizations with 100 or fewer employees. Smaller businesses have less bureaucracy in the hiring process, but they also have less time. Their gate person must make decisions fast. The decision to keep or toss your resume typically takes place in three to five seconds. If you pass the first cut, you'll get a whopping three to six minutes of full reading. Make those seconds and minutes count and show them that you understand their business.
2. Next!
About 57 percent of our survey takers are multi-taskers, meaning that recruiting is just one aspect of their job responsibilities. Make it easy for this person to consider you by clearly stating any relevant experience on your resume, and use persuasive arguments in your cover letter. Don't leave them guessing. Being brief and respectful during all interactions includes following their job application instructions "to a T." If they avoid explaining one less thing to you, it works in your favor.
3. Possible Opportunities
Nearly one-third of our survey takers' companies have operations in other states. What could that mean to you? It could mean advancement opportunities, greater travel potential, and the ability to expand your network into another state. Perhaps you could network your way into the company through your existing out-of-state connections. The point is: pay attention to these details, as they could help you.
Perform your research before even applying for a position. Figure out the resume reviewers' limitations. Then, be sensitive to these facts and use them to your advantage throughout the application and job hiring processes. It could win you the job.
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