Recruiters Name Top Ten Criteria That Make or Break a Resume
TheLadders.com Survey Identifies Resume Essentials, Experts Offer Advice on How to Stand Out
NEW YORK, NY (March 2, 2009) - What are the most important pieces of information recruiters expect to see in an executive-level resume? And how do you design a resume to deliver them effectively? TheLadders.com, the world's leading online platform for the $100K+ job market, sought input from the experts, surveying 564 recruitment professionals on the top criteria they look for in every resume, and asking certified professional resume writers their advice on how best to package that information.
RECRUITER SURVEY
Following were the top ten resume criteria named by recruiters:
- Areas of Expertise: Recruiters said that demonstrating a strong area of expertise is what sets a candidate apart from the pack.
- Relevant Industry Experience: Recruiters want to know instantly that a candidate has a solid track record of success.
- Leadership Capabilities: Has the candidate managed a business unit? A sales team? Recruiters in the $100K+ job market are looking for proven leaders.
- A Strong Professional Summary: Akin to the liner notes on a best-selling novel, a succinct and engaging professional summary is one of the first things recruiters read on a candidate's resume.
- Education Credentials: Recruiters want to know where candidates went to school and how well they did when they were there.
- Professionalism in the Presentation: An effective, well-organized resume helps recruiters quickly and easily focus on the candidate's qualifications.
- Strong Quantitative Accomplishments: Candidates must demonstrate quantifiable accomplishments and results that show how they contributed to the bottom line.
- Technical/Business Skills: What certifications does the candidate have? If a candidate has a strong skill set in a particular area, make sure the recruiter has the technical details.
- Stability at a Company (Tenure): Has the candidate job hopped every other year or do they show a consistent track record on tenure? Commitment is important.
- Summarized Job Descriptions: Rather than providing a bullet list of duties, a candidate should summarize key responsibilities and focus on measurable results.
"The job search has never been more competitive and a generic, passive 'job description' type resume simply will not make the cut in this job market," said Tina Brasher, Certified Professional Resume Writer. "Due to the large number of resumes they receive, recruiters need to see an instant connection when reading your resume. What are your quantitative results that set you apart from your competition? What have you accomplished and for whom? How did you positively impact the bottom line? These are the most important points that you need to show to make your case."
"The vast majority of people facing career changes are immensely better qualified than their self-written resumes reveal", said Bryan Newman, Certified Professional Resume Writer. "An important key to writing a successful resume is to tell the reader what you have accomplished that makes you a better candidate for the job than others in your field. Recruiters look for candidates whose resumes are crafted around a solid list of career achievements."
Since TheLadders.com launched its Resume Service in 2006, a team of executive resume writers, who have been certified by at least one of the national resume writing associations, have written more than 25,000 executive resumes for its members. Additionally, Wendy Enelow, author of 30+ books on executive resume writing, cover letters and interviewing, provides these resume writers with ongoing training and guidance on marketing the executive level candidate.
Survey Methodology
The recruiter survey was conducted online within the U.S. by ResearchNow on behalf of TheLadders.com among 564 recruitment professionals (employed by corporations and executive search firms) who are responsible for filling $100K+ positions. The survey was conducted between November 24 and December 19, 2008. The overall results have a sampling error of +/- 4.1 percentage points.