Sitting down to create your resume can be a daunting task as most people don’t know where to begin. You can take weeks of hard work to end up with a resume that will catch the eye of employers. Your resume must match your potential hiring managers and recruiters’ expectations as well as showcase your work.

It should convey that you’re the right fit for the job and easy to read. The hard truth is that you have very little time to impress recruiters. Employers only care about the value you can bring to their business. Here is a list of the most important things that hiring managers and employers will want to see on your resume.

Ease Of Reading

Resumes should have a legible font with normal-sized margins. It’s best to stick with the old-fashioned, traditional way in which a resume is arranged and set out. Generally, employers want to see if you can put a presentable document together. Ensure that your formatting is consistent and all of the expected information is in one place. It’s critical to make sure that your resume is straightforward, clear, and easy to read.

Scanability

Hiring managers, employers, and recruiters don’t read every single thing you put on your resume, and they just don’t have the time. Instead, they’re quickly scanning your resume looking for job titles, important keywords, and important facts that will let them know if you’re a good fit. You’ll want to make sure this information is easy to find. Put the focus on only the relevant information and leave adequate spacing between lines for easy scanability.

Qualifications

The number one goal of an employer is to hire the candidate that is the most qualified for the job. Make a note of the specific qualifications they are asking for on the job posting and tailor your resume around that. Example, if the potential employer is looking for a candidate who is detail-oriented, then include your ability to manage multiple projects and organizational skills.

If you look at most generic resume examples, they list tedious day-to-day tasks. If you stick to just this format, your resume will likely get put at the bottom of the pile. Employers care more about what you will accomplish once hired. Focus more on your achievements especially if you’ve implemented systems or procedures that helped the company save money or generated revenue. The most relevant accomplishments should be the most visible on your resume; these are the types that you should use as an example.

Avoid These Deal-Breakers

Recruiters and hiring managers will reject your resume if you make these mistakes that are easily preventable. It’s tough to catch your own typos. Ask a family member or friend to give your resume a second look. There is software available online that will scan and check your document for mis-spellings and punctuation. While you want to showcase your accomplishments, avoid bragging and using poor word choices. Confusing formatting, wordiness, typos, and illegible fonts will make your resume unreadable and force recruiters and hiring managers to pass on it.