You’ve heard it said that content is king. And that may be true in most situations. But when it comes to resumes, formatting and layout are just as important.
According to a recent study by TheLadders.com, recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds looking over a resume. And during those 6 seconds they make a decision on whether the candidate is a possible fit or not. That’s right, you spent hours on your resume for 6 seconds in the spotlight. 6 seconds that determines whether you get an interview or not. With so much relying on such a short amount of time, it’s imperative that you make the most relevant information easy to find.
Below is a heat map that tracked the eyes of the 30 recruiters that were included in the study. As you can see, the resume on the right, which has better formatting, was more thoroughly reviewed then the resume on the left. A more thoroughly reviewed resume means the recruiter will be able to find the information they are looking for. And if a recruiter is able to find the information they are looking for, they are more likely to call the candidate in for a interview. Content may be king, but formatting is a close second, especially during your job search.
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