I’m probably not going to read your résumé. Sorry.
I feel bad saying that, but honestly most of you don’t deserve to have your résumés read. Yep, those sorry lists of accomplishments your career services department had you prepare aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on (or bytes on your hard drive).
Now I have a LOT to say on résumé formatting, but that’s for another post. This post is about me not even reading your résumé. There are two reasons I’m not going to read it.
First, I don’t have time to read it. I’m busy and yes we have a position we need to fill, but that only makes me more busy. On top of that, HR didn’t just post the job to great job boards like LaraJobs, no no no. It’s on every sleazy tech job board out there.
I have thousands of résumés to go through. Thousands of horrible résumés, that all look the same. Now you may not want to even use a résumé anymore, but that also is for another post! Let’s stay focused here; my not having time to go through all these résumés leads me to my second point.
As the hiring manager I’m going to judge the book by it’s cover. I need to be sold on why I should read your résumé. I’m not even going to consider reading it until I’ve been sold on why I should.
The bad news for you is you have only a few seconds to sell me on it. I’ve outlined the process I’m going to go through so that you can understand it better. I’m also going to assume the job submission process is digital.
Does the subject line grab me?
Sure, you can put the job title as the subject line. It’s not HORRIBLE to do that, but it also earns you zero points. Think creatively! Most technical jobs require creativity, adaptability, good writing in one form or another. The subject line is the first hook. Caveat: if I’ve instructed you in the job post to use a particular subject line, you’d better use that subject line, or I’m not reading it. But if I haven’t made any particular requests, consider it an invitation to distinguish yourself.
Does your opening indicate you’ve done your homework?
Tops on my list is to filter out job applicants who are too lazy to write me an at least partially custom cover letter (email). If you’re too lazy to do any research or customization to the specific job, you’re gone.
The first place I’m going to look is how you address me. Is it:
Dear Hiring Manager
Yikes, I hope not. This may be acceptable when responding to a completely generic mega corp listing, but if it’s a small business or if you’ve been given any indication of who the hiring manager is this won’t do at all. Let’s counter the above with the opening our content person Alyssa (who also writes on this blog) sent in when applying to us:
Hi Ian, Jamie, and the rest of the UserScape team!
Ah, see. In one line I know this email is customized to us, I know she researched us and found out that it’s not only me running the company but that my wife is the co-founder. I’m now certain to at least read through the rest of the cover letter and most likely the résumé as well.
Show some passion
I want to FEEL your desire to work with us. I can find anyone to fill a slot in the org chart, that’s easy. Finding the person who’s passionate about what they do and who wants to bring that passion to my company is much harder. This is your chance to shine.
It should indicate you’ve taken your time and really thought about the position and how your skills relate to it. This means your letter will need to be custom for each job. Sorry.
Is it convincing?
I want you to sell me. Sell me on why I should keep reading. Sell me on why I should double click on this PDF and see what you’re all about. The cover letter is not the transport layer for your résumé!! It’s your résumé’s salesman. If it fails to sell me on why I should take another few minutes and read your résumé, you’re done.
Is your résumé something other than a link to a webpage or a PDF?
It is? Not reading it. Sorry. I mean, I suppose it’s possible I might read it if your cover letter was really good, but if you’re spending that much time on your cover letter take that extra 30 seconds and make a PDF. Don’t send a Word doc an Excel spreadsheet (yes, I’ve seen this!), or some other weirdo format.
If you do send me to a website, it damn well better be a good website. It can be a service that makes nice résumé sites (though if it’s a tech job, being on your own site is a plus) but it better not be some junked up About.me page.
Résumé formatting
I can’t get into the formatting of your résumé here, but here are some basics that, if neglected, will likely prevent me from reading it.
- The font needs to be a readable size.
- There needs to be enough white space that it’s easy to read
- For anything other than an entry level person it should probably be 2 pages long. Yes, 2 pages exactly.
I’m too busy
I really am too busy to read résumés, so it’s very possible I’ll simply miss yours, or start to read the cover letter and get distracted, or be in a foul mood when I first got it and dismiss it.
If you don’t hear back in a week or 10 days, go ahead and follow up. Follow up 1 time. Not every day, not every other day, not once a week for months. Follow up one time just to be sure it was given fair consideration.
I want to read it. I really do.
The thing is, I really am trying to hire somebody. I really do want to read a résumé and be blown away. But don’t assume hiring managers are going to read it just because you send it to us. We’re not. We can’t! You have to stand apart from the crowd (it’s a big crowd), and you have to do it from the moment of first contact. Don’t waste any opportunity to impress. Show me something that makes me want to see what’s next. Do that, and I’ll probably read your résumé, even if I don’t read anybody else’s.
Ian Landsman
Latest posts by Ian Landsman (see all)
- Why I’m Not Going to Read Your Resume - August 12, 2014
Hi Ian,
Even if I did my research on the company, how do I know I want to work for/with the company if we haven’t even met? The job description and promises are not enough for me.
I think one of the most important things when it comes to changing jobs is the atmosphere of the working place, which is mainly determined by the co-workers. I think, in general, it is not possible to research these things without speaking to each other.
What are your thoughts on this?
Pete
Hi Pete,
Well, this article is really only about the very early stages. You won’t know if you really want to work there 100% until you go through interviews with the company and meet the people. However, usually if you’re applying to a job that sounds interesting you’re excited about it. That should come through.
I wouldn’t expect you to have researched the personal lives of every employee, that gets weird
but the burden (for good or bad) is on you to convince me I should move to the next step with you. Now, later on the burden will shift to me as the hiring manager to convince you that this is the best place for you, but you have to get to that stage.
Hi Pete!
I just wanted to add to Ian’s response, from the perspective of a job seeker, like you. I suppose when I applied for this job what I was really conveying was not excitement to work with UserScape. It was excitement at the opportunity to get to know them better and discuss the position further. I knew enough about the job and company even at the earliest stages to know that I wanted to know more. I think you’re right that you can come off as a little disingenuous if you’re claiming “This is my dream job and you are my dream company!” before you’ve spoken to anybody. But certainly you can say “This job post really appeals to me, what I’ve read about your company makes me want to meet you, and I’m excited about the possibilities here.”
Hope that helps!
Hi Alyssa and Ian,
Thanks for you replies. I like this sentence:
“This job post really appeals to me, what I’ve read about your company makes me want to meet you, and I’m excited about the possibilities here.”
I might have misunderstood Ian when he said “I want to feel your desire to work with us.” Later, he said in his comment: “if you’re applying to a job that sounds interesting you’re excited about it. That should come through”. And it sounds much better for me.
It is something like you have said. 
Now you have given good tips for the candidates who apply for the jobs (I won’t, because I’ve got a job:), so Ian, you might get more ‘shining’ cover letters that make you read more and more resumes.
Best of luck with finding the right ones!
Pete
This is something i could call very usable post Ian. Its much easier to understand why so many of my job searching ended up without any response
Everything you wrote does make a sense.
Best to you and Jamie