Resume reading done in a flash - Your Life - executive survey - tips for improving resume writing - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Sept, 2003

In the same amount of time it takes you to make your morning coffee, most prospective employers decide whether or not they want to interview you for a job, suggests a survey by Accountemps, a Menlo Park, Calif., temporary staffing service for accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. Fifty-six percent of executives polled said they spend five minutes or less reviewing each resume they receive for an advertised position. Nearly one-quarter of respondents said they spend no more than two minutes reading one.

"Because resumes are reviewed so swiftly, it's essential that they're succinct, error-free, and relevant," stresses Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Managing Your Career for Dummies. "This is also why developing more than one resume is a good practice--the more targeted the information, the more likely you will make a favorable impression." To improve your chances of passing the initial resume-screening process, Messmer otters the following tips:

* Seek a second opinion. Ask a trusted friend or colleague to review it

* Get to the point. Consider including a specific, highly condensed summary of your professional background, skills, and attributes at the top.

* Emphasize achievements. Cite accomplishments in previous positions rather than just listing job duties. For example, the fact that you implemented cost-cutting measures that reduced your department's expenses by 10% is more meaningful to a prospective employer than simply stating that you managed a budget.