The 10 Second Rule, Now Applies to your Resume

Posted on Tuesday, June 18th, 2019

In a sea of names, your resume has less than ten seconds to make an impression on a potential employer.

It’s not your fault that you didn’t make the cut, 10 seconds is a pretty merciless time-frame to make a statement that embodies your entire work ethic and experience!

pile of papers

But, this is the reality of the modern workforce.

These 3 steps ↓ will ensure that YOU pull ahead of the pack and save your application from meeting its doom in the shredder!

  1. Make your resume a template that evolves to every job description.

Unfortunately, this is a lot of work, and not easy if the only time you have to apply for jobs is on your lunch break!

But, it’s worth it. People who are trained to scan through resumes are only going to be captivated by your page, if it begs and screams for the attention it deserves.

This requires passion and effort. It’s important to filter out the careers that you aspire to have from the jobs you would throw your hat in the ring for, just as a second thought.

It is more effective to personalize one resume than it is to simply submit a hundred, without addressing each position individually.

So, scan that job posting a bajillion times and make sure you input all the key words you find into your documents: to pass that ten second test. Tailor your resume to fit each position like a glove!

  1. Use Punchy wording and short sentences.

Don’t:

  • Sacrifice proper grammar
  • Start splicing through the page with fragments.

Do:

  • Make use of bullet points
  • Join ideas together
  • Use sub headings, titles, dates, positions and other labels to improve the ease of navigation for the reader.
  • Trim and tighten lengthy sentences
  • Use synonyms and strong vocabulary
  • Omit repetition
hand holding red pen over proofreading text
  1. Make it hard to look away from

Your resume has to be attractive. Use of white space, consistent fonts, and styles all effect the structural integrity of your resume. This site contains resume builder templates as well as tips and tricks to help “beautify” your CV, even if you’re not a graphic designer.

Graphic designer at work. Color samples.

But, be warned – not all hiring committees are awestruck by a fancy stencil – it is important to assess the formality of the position you’re applying for and use good judgement in formatting your information accordingly.

Remember, Algonquin College co-op students have access to resume workshops through the Co-op Department. Plus, you can follow what’s upcoming on HireAC.

Happy Job Hunting!


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