The importance of how your resume looks and how it is written may be better understood if you are aware that the person reading it will spend an average of 30 seconds to do so. Even a skilled speed reader would be hard pressed to take in every word in your resume in a matter of seconds.
YouTube hosts millions of videos, most of which are approximately 5 minutes in length. According to most studies, you have approximately 10 seconds to gain or lose the viewers attention!
Many studies are suggesting people’s attention spans are decreasing and although the amount of time reported varies, it is only by a matter of seconds. Whether you have written a resume or a book cover, produced a video or a commercial, a new website or a blog, you only have a few seconds to gain the attention of your audience! Any initial discomfort, a misspelled word, improper grammar, an unattractive format or expression is just the excuse needed to drop it and move on to the next. Getting the attention is one thing but keeping it requires something extraordinary and, as with any initial impression, you don’t get a second chance.
A few seconds is all you have to entice the reader or viewer to stay with it and give you the opportunity to make an impact. How confident are you with your resume? Remember, there’s no second chance. Play it safe and call us for a free critique your resume.