Making your resume skimmable is critical in today’s fast-paced job market, where many recruiters and hiring managers are spending mere seconds reviewing each application.
A well-structured, easy-to-read resume not only captures the reader’s attention but also effectively highlights your qualifications.
However, revising and polishing a resume you’ve likely already spent countless hours on can feel like an unnecessary task.
Do you really need to make your resume skimmable? If so, what is the best way to do so?
In this article, I share:
- Why you want to make your resume skimmable
- How to make your resume easier to read
- Quick ways to simplify your resume writing process
Advantages Of Making Your Resume Skimmable
Before covering how to condense your resume, let’s discuss why you might want a more skimmable document.
- Guarantee a great first impression with prospective employers: You only get one chance to make a first impression, and your resume is often the first point of contact when reaching out, so you want to make it the best one possible
- Ensure that the ATS correctly parses your resume: Many of the following tips are focused on making your resume easy for application tracking systems to parse. These systems are akin to digital filing cabinets that receive and sort resumes.
- Increase your chances of landing an interview: If your resume is difficult to read, recruiters or hiring managers will likely move on to the next candidate, especially in a competitive job market.
- Make it easy to be considered for other roles: A skimmable, easy-to-read resume allows sourcers and recruiters to easily consider you for other open roles within the company. This is particularly important at larger companies where candidates are evaluated for multiple positions. You want to make it easy for the company to find you in their applicant tracking system (ATS).
- Improve your job search confidence: Being proud of a well-crafted resume can bolster your confidence during a challenging job search.
By understanding the advantages of a skimmable resume, you can start creating a document that captures recruiters’ attention and effectively communicates your qualifications.
How To Make Your Resume Easier To Read
Now that we’ve discussed the advantages of making your resume easier to read, let’s explore strategies for making it easier to skim.
Add a title to your resume.
Instead of using “summary,” begin your resume with the title of the role you’re targeting. If you’ve never held the exact title, you can add “Target Role” before it. For example, “Target Role: Chief Product Officer.”
This is also a great opportunity to strategically insert keywords into your resume.
Use clear section headers.
Make your section headers straightforward and easy to read. This helps recruiters quickly locate critical sections such as your professional experience, education, and skills.
While you might be tempted to use fancy language, I recommend against it. Recruiters and sourcers are often reading hundreds of resumes each day, so you want to make it as easy as possible for them to find the information they’re looking for.
Add subheadings, if necessary.
If you have more than 5 bullets under a role or employer, consider using subheadings. This not only helps organize the content for the reader but also provides another element you can quickly customize for each application.
Add a splash of color.
You can use color to draw the reader’s attention to your most impressive information. Consider using color to highlight your section headings, employers, job titles, or important keywords.
Deploy bold text.
Similarly, bold text can be used (sparingly) to help the reader quickly find the most important information in your document
Avoid overusing bold text; if everything is bolded, the reader won’t know where to focus their attention.
Leverage bullet points judiciously.
Lengthy paragraphs are a big no-no on resumes. Use bullet points to present information clearly and concisely.
Rearrange your bullets based on each job you’re applying for. You can front-load each bullet point with a bolded keyword phrase, such as:
- Product Management
- Technical Product Leadership
- Cross-functional Collaboration
- Executive Influencing
This approach enhances readability and effectively highlights your relevant, transferable skills.
Tailor your resume for each application.
Customizing your resume for each job posting can seem intimidating, often due to a lack of concrete advice on how to do it effectively and quickly.
I recommend setting a timer for 20 minutes, then treating your resume like a Mad Libs puzzle and swapping out relevant keywords. Use language from the job description; there’s no need to get overly creative.
Employ ample white space.
Using ample white space makes your resume easy to skim. Add space between sections and job entries to clearly delineate the different parts and improve readability.
While I strongly dislike wasting paper, printing out your resume can help you identify areas that may be difficult to skim at first glance and see which content grabs the reader’s attention first.
Additionally, be sure to view your resume on your phone, as many recruiters, headhunters, and hiring managers will likely see the document on a mobile device first.
How To Simplify The Resume Writing Process
Shortening your resume while enhancing its impact can often feel overwhelming. To help you navigate this process with ease and confidence, here are some effective strategies to simplify your resume writing experience:
Simplify formatting with a focus on readability.
To streamline your resume, start by selecting all text (Ctrl+A), going to the Home tab, and clicking the “Clear All Formatting” button. Then, apply simple formatting.
Bold the most important information, such as section headers, employers, job titles, and keywords. Don’t overthink this process; many services try to sell fancy resume templates that aren’t necessary for the typical job seeker and often don’t parse correctly in applicant tracking systems.
Ask yourself: Would you rather have a pretty document that recruiters can’t read in their database, or a simple one they can easily search?
Avoid the mistake of sacrificing content for style in the quest for a “pretty” resume.
[Read: 30+ Quick Ways To Shorten Your Resume That’s Too Long]
Leverage the power of ChatGPT.
If you’re struggling to condense your resume, you can ask ChatGPT to shorten specific bullet points without losing their meaning or impact.
For example, one of my clients asked it to “Please shorten this bullet point for my resume.” This approach ensures clarity and brevity.
Instead of asking ChatGPT to edit your entire resume all at once, approach it section by section. This method allows for more refined feedback and insights, ensuring that each part of your resume is polished effectively.
Another of my clients used ChatGPT to generate 3 variations of each bullet point, allowing her to see different options and choose the one that most closely aligned with her voice.
By leveraging ChatGPT in these ways, you can enhance your resume while keeping your unique style.
[Read: 3 Things You Need To Know Before Using ChatGPT To Write Your Resume]
Seek guidance from a mentor experienced in recruiting.
Find a mentor who has experience in recruiting or hiring to help you improve your resume. Focus on identifying what is truly necessary and adds value, and then determine what can be cut.
You can ask questions like:
- “If there were one sentence that must stay on the resume, what would it be and why?”
- “If you had to remove a bullet point, which one would you choose and why?”
You can repeat this process with several people to see what common themes emerge. It’s worth noting whether their feedback regarding your document is similar or different.
Partner with a career coach on your resume.
As you seek out advice on your resume, it’s important to remember that any single opinion will not represent all recruiters and hiring managers.
Consider hiring someone to help you write your resume. I recommend speaking with a career coach who is experienced in your industry and can provide broader insights.
[Read: “Can I Hire Someone To Find Me A Job?” Answered]
Summary
While it takes time and effort to make your resume more skimmable, the investment is worth it. Not only will you create a great first impression in a saturated job market, but you’ll also ensure that the ATS correctly parses your resume, significantly improving your chances of landing an interview and being considered for other roles within the company.
If you find that your resume is difficult to read or simply want to make it stand out, try a few (or all) of the strategies outlined in this article. And if you’d like the support of a professional, please feel free to schedule a consultation. I’m here for you! You’ve got this!
