Eye tracking study provides résumé writing insight
With the current status of the job market, jobseekers need all the help they can get. A career-matching service company, called TheLadders, published the results of a study they conducted using eye tracking to “clarify recruiter decision-making.” The study sought to reveal where recruiters look on a résumé, how much time they spend glancing over content, and whether a résumé produced through their service was perceived differently.
According to the results, there is a consistent scan path recruiters tend to follow as they peruse résumé content. Heatmaps revealed 6 key areas at which recruiters spent 80% of their time looking:
- Name
- Current job title & company
- Previous job title & company
- Previous position start & end times
- Current position start & end times
- Education
How long do you think you have to make a first impression? If you guessed 10 seconds, not quite! The study found you only have 6 seconds before recruiters make their “fit/no fit” decision. This means it’s a good idea to make sure these elements above are present, easy to identify, and logically organized. There should be a clear visual hierarchy to make it as easy as possible to locate them as recruiters skim the content.
Beyond these 6 items, the heatmaps showed just minimal scanning and focus as the recruiters looked for keywords relevant to the job description. In other words, chunky, fluffy text about all your accomplishments and skills is just filler. Use bullet points and clear action descriptors to make your talents easily read rather than burying them in block paragraphs.
Of course, the results pointed to a professionally crafted résumé as more effective, but simply following the recommendations that came from this eye tracking study should be enough to help you land an interview.
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