How Do Recruiters Really Scan Resumes; 11 Resume Mistakes to Avoid

BusinessInsider.com posted an article about recruiters' decision-making behaviors. TheLadders research found that it takes employers an average of six seconds to determine whether you are a 'fit or no fit' for a position! Your responsibilities and accomplishments under each job carry less weight (in other words, recruiters only skim those bullet points).

The study used a scientific technique called “eye tracking” on 30 professional recruiters and examined their eye movements during a 10-week period to "record and analyze where and how long someone focuses when digesting a piece of information or completing a task."

In the short time that they spend with your resume, the study showed recruiters will look at your name, current title and company, current position start and end dates, previous title and company, previous position start and end dates, and education.

Not sure how to draft a proper resume? Make sure you don't make these eleven mistakes.

1. Get rid of the objective.
   
2. Cut out all the irrelevant work experiences.
   
3. Don't include personal information.
   
4. Don't let your resume exceed one page.
   
5. Don't list your hobbies.
   
6. Don't give them the chance to guess your age.
   
7. Don't write your resume in the third person.
   
8. Don't include references ('references upon request' is outdated).
   
9. Don't include a less-than-professional email address.
   
10. There is no need to identify 'phone' and 'email'.
    
11. Don't include your current business phone number.