Résumés

Does your résumé pass the "10-Second Rule"?

With hundreds of résumés for any job posting landing in their hands, the hiring manager or HR professional will give your résumé about 10 seconds to engage their interest during the initial read-through. This preliminary, swift analysis is the first test your résumé must pass, and it is essential that the document piqué their interest in a concise paragraph or two. This first impression determines whether your résumé lands in the "yes" or the "no" pile. You might think of this in terms of a newspaper headline. If the headline does not draw you in, you are not going to read the rest of the article.

While résumé design and layout can be subjective, the key elements are formatting, font size, use of white space and ease of readability. Without these, the most well written résumé loses impact. It is critical to use titles and headings effectively, organize the information to draw attention to your strengths, structure the document so that it is easy to read and be consistent in terms of how you present the information on your résumé.

With so much at stake, your résumé must begin with a custom-tailored career summary that quickly communicates your key skills and achievements, professional awards or recognitions, scope, fit, and value added. A Persuasive Résumé is a strategic self-promotion tool used for selling yourself to a prospective employer. It is a clearly focused image and impact device with the sole objective of securing the interview.

Resume Overview

Cover Letters

KSAs

Executive Biographies

Thank You Letters

Resume Formats

Certification