Study Says Resumes Must Impress In 6 Seconds
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Looking for a job provides a lot of pressure, especially for those already without work. But imagine having to prove yourself in just seconds. That is all the time that many job applicants are given in these days of high unemployment. As the days, months and years go by for unemployed workers, the job hunt comes down to seconds -- six seconds to be exact.
A new study using eye-tracking software found that recruiters spend just six seconds looking at a resume. In that tiny window of time, an employer will decide to either explore a candidate further, or toss that resume to the side. "It's very intense. As you probably already know, it's an employer's market," said Ava Orr with Tarrant County Workforce Solutions.
The unemployment rate in Texas is hovering around seven percent, which means many applicants are hard at work, looking for work. Eisha White has been without a steady job for nearly a year. "I need a career, not a job," the 31-year-old said. She was one of dozens job seekers learning to hone their resume at Tarrant County Workforce Solutions in Fort Worth.
A resume can stand out by following a few simple rules: be clear about the job you want, get to the point, and be brief. "We want to make sure that we can tell on just one page that we are the right candidate," said Orr. Most employers only want a good overview of your qualifications on a resume. More specific details can be addressed in an interview.
Once your resume gets past that first six seconds, employment experts said, the next most important attribute is your confidence. "Stick with it and not to just assume that you're going to be hired," Orr explained. "Have a positive attitude, a positive outlook, and get help. Network -- tell everybody that you know, former employers, competitors."
"Last week, I came close," said White, "but I want to come a lot closer to that job."
Employment experts also encourage creativity, or even volunteering for short-term internships, shadowing others at businesses where you would like to work. After all, every effort -- and every second -- counts when you're looking for a job.
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