These days, recruiters and hiring managers receive dozens — sometimes hundreds — of resumes for most job listings. How do they manage all of this paper?

They weed out the bulk of those resumes with a quick First Glance Test. Eye-tracking studies by Ladders found recruiters spend merely 6 to 7 seconds on their initial scan of a resume.

Research-backed data on how many resumes are kept vs weeded out is hard to find and out of date, but one thing you can count on: very few resumes will make the first cut.

Does your resume pass the First Glance Test?

6 Steps to a Resume that Survives the First Glance Test

1. Cover Up!

Include a cover letter specifically written for the job and company to which you are applying. Make it clear, concise, and organized to be easily scanned.

2. Get Real

Rather than the tired, generic resume objective of “An interesting position with a growing company,” write a Professional Summary or Profile which emphasizes your experience and why you seek this particular position.

3. Flaunt Your Best Features

Just under your Summary, create a bulleted section featuring your qualifications that specifically apply to the job requirements. Include keywords from the job description.

4. Be Easy on the Eyes

Remember, recruiters and hiring managers are people, too! Format your resume to be clear and scan-able. Make it easy to find the important and compelling details, eliminating the unnecessary, the dull and the redundant.

• Break up text with bullets and bold
• Organize your resume into distinct sections, using lines or white space to separate them
• Use a large enough font to prevent eye strain.
• Avoid paragraphs—keep descriptions concise

5. Prove It

Clearly communicate that you can do this job. Include experience and training that satisfy the job description. Quantify your accomplishments. If you glaringly lack some expertise, state your plan to build the required skill prior to hiring or in conjunction with your work once hired.

6. Avoid This Killer Mistake

Nothing will eliminate you from this first round faster than inaccuracies. Most employers state that they stop reading when they encounter typos and spelling mistakes.

To win Round One, make your resume easily scan-able in 6 to 7 seconds. Draw the reader to the most relevant information: the proof that you can do this job.

Got that? Now level up your resume ready for Round Two! –>