. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate poo

In this soft economy employers receive reams of resumes. As the number of job hunters increases exponentially, there are significantly fewer recruiters to evaluate them. The role of screening resumes sounds simple – until you actually realize that resume readers and resume writers frequently don’t speak the same language. During tough job markets some candidates purposely obscure a negative job record or try to build up skills that aren’t really there. In addition, many candidates simply don’t know how to present their impressive skills and experience in a readable and interesting way. You can’t change how people write their resumes, but you can learn how to crack the resume code.

In my 28 years leading Paul-Tittle Search Group, an executive search firm based in McLean, Virginia, I have found that generally only 10% of the resumes screened for a particular position reflect strong qualifications, and approximately 70% are clearly not a fit.

The remaining 20% leave many unanswered questions because they lack clarity. Even finicky hiring executives often revert to lengthy cumbersome tomes when putting together their own credentials.

An experienced resume screener spends no more than 20-30 seconds on an initial resume review. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate pool

language. During tough job markets some candidates purposely obscure a negative job record or try to build up skills that aren’t really there. In addition, many candidates simply don’t know how to present their impressive skills and experience in a readable and interesting way. You can’t change how people write their resumes, but you can learn how to crack the resume code.

In my 28 years leading Paul-Tittle Search Group, an executive search firm based in McLean, Virginia, I have found that generally only 10% of the resumes screened for a particular position reflect strong qualifications, and approximately 70% are clearly not a fit.

The remaining 20% leave many unanswered questions because they lack clarity. Even finicky hiring executives often revert to lengthy cumbersome tomes when putting together their own credentials.

An experienced resume screener spends no more than 20-30 seconds on an initial resume review. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate poo

their resumes, but you can learn how to crack the resume code.

In my 28 years leading Paul-Tittle Search Group, an executive search firm based in McLean, Virginia, I have found that generally only 10% of the resumes screened for a particular position reflect strong qualifications, and approximately 70% are clearly not a fit.

The remaining 20% leave many unanswered questions because they lack clarity. Even finicky hiring executives often revert to lengthy cumbersome tomes when putting together their own credentials.

An experienced resume screener spends no more than 20-30 seconds on an initial resume review. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate poo

learly not a fit.

The remaining 20% leave many unanswered questions because they lack clarity. Even finicky hiring executives often revert to lengthy cumbersome tomes when putting together their own credentials.

An experienced resume screener spends no more than 20-30 seconds on an initial resume review. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate poo

. That’s half a minute in which to decide whether or not the applicant is a realistic contender, half a minute in which they hold a human being’s immediate vocational fate in their hands.

Using some simple “code-breaking” skills will help you mine that ambiguous 20% and achieve a much stronger candidate pool without wasting a lot of precious time.

• Disregard stationary. First, the easy stuff. Ignore expensive paper, logos, letterhead and fancy folders. Sometimes the thinnest resumes are on the thickest paper.
• Big-head shots. Unless screening resumes of models or actors, be wary of photos on resumes. Photos are good indicators of large egos.
• Brief Introductions. A short cover letter should indicate that the candidate knows something about your company, the open position, and what skills and accomplishments they bring. Resumes that follow lengthy cover letters seldom get read.
• Name-dropping. Invoking the name of one of the resume reader’s co-workers in the cover letter may or may not be a good idea, depending upon the reviewer’s level of esteem for the individual.
• Long and short of it. There is no right length for a resume, but a single page is generally too short for most people with substantive experience, or the print is too small to read.
• Summing it all up. A summary paragraph should include number of years of experience, special certifications, and a general overview of expertise, accomplishments and management skills.
• Looking back. Experience should