One of a recruiter's first goals is to find out if your skills meet certain minimum qualifications. Each reader has their own understanding of what this means. Electronic ATS scanners are looking for keyword content. Recruiters may be looking for experience levels in technologies, industries, and processes. Managers may be looking for experience in leadership and in interactions with senior management, human resources staff may be looking for evidence of stability, consistency, progress, and personality strengths.

It is possible to maximize the effectiveness of a resume's content so that it will pass screening tests for the positions a candidate is qualified for, for all readers. This can all be achieved, concisely, within the first half to two thirds of the first page of a resume. With an accurate understanding of how this works a candidate can easily rise to the top of the selection process for positions which match their background. They can bypass many competing candidates in obtaining positions. Without it, candidates tend to be interviewed out of curiosity rather than interest. Effective resume content produces higher quality interviews and a better chance of winning positions.

Some of the factors recruiters look for to qualify a resume:

  • Location, and relocation information to at least the city level.
  • Identified role titles a candidate is qualified to fill.
  • The amount of time a candidate has been in the workforce full time.
  • The top skills a candidate has, in priority order.
  • The length of experience in each major skill which justifies qualification for the claimed role titles.
  • Any other exceptional skills or experience which justify the candidate's qualification for the role titles claimed.

What does this look like?

While many candidates are taught to write, and enjoy having, an introductory paragraph at the top of their resume, this delays, and obscures the qualification process. Cliché-filled, unqualified subjective information does little or nothing to qualify a candidate. Avoid using phrases which sound anything like: "results oriented professional", "extensive experience in...", "strong knowledge of...", "proven performance in...", "track record of success in...", "passionate...", "diverse skills...", "capable in....", "exceptional communicator", "compelling leader". While a candidate may have these attributes, they are best presented indirectly as part of their experience, or defined clearly by showing the length of time the skills were used and the context they were used in.