5 Super Tips to Get an Interview Based on Your Resume

Think about this: Employers and recruiters get thousands of resumes sent when they announce a vacancy, and they have to wade through all that to shortlist a precious few for an interview. What would you do if you were them? You would find a way to scan through the resumes at the highest speed possible – and make your first shortlist based on the information you gather through this scanning.

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Employers do indeed scan the resumes they get, and they take about 10 seconds to scan each one. Count out loud and see just how long 10 seconds is. In those 10 seconds your resume should be able to not only impress the recruiters, but also convey all pertinent information about your perfect match for the vacancy announced. Here are a few tips that will help you do just that:

1. Keep it Short - Your resume, which by the way means 'summary,' should not exceed 2 pages in length. Preferably it should be just one page, but a 2 page resume is also okay if you feel it is necessary.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Have it Formatted - The text should have a title, and you should highlight the important and relevant factors in your CV such as qualifications, matching these to the job, and list your previous jobs with key achievements. The formatting should be done in such a manner that it will stand out immediately.
   
   
3. Make it Easy to Scan - This is very similar to writing for the internet. Keep it short, in paragraphs no larger than 4-5 lines, sentences using only the necessary words and absolutely no fluff, giving all the important information in the first three-quarters of the page. The recruiters should be able to get the idea of how well you match the job requirements within 10 seconds.
   
   
4. Spell Check and Write Correct Grammar - There is nothing more annoying to employers than spelling and grammatical mistakes when you are seeking a job. It shows you in a very poor light, and unless you are a NASA aerospace engineer or something as rare and brilliant as that, your resume will likely be rejected if it has any spelling or grammar issues.
   
   
5. Customize Your Resume According to the Job Requirements - It is not optimal to just change the employer's name on each CV; you will need to make it look like your CV is the best ever match to the vacancy announced. Reword your resume to highlight your experience that pertains to each particular vacancy. Customizing your resume might take a little time, but it is among the best spent time, for this effort might be just the thing that will get you an interview letter.

See the following articles for more information:

• 21 Major Interview Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
  
• The Best Way to Prepare for a Job Search and Interviews
  
• How to Talk About Other Interviews in Your Interviews
  
• How to Answer the Tell Me About Yourself Interview Question
  
• How to Answer the Do You Have Any Questions for Me Interview Question

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