Reading Between the Lines of your Resume

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We’ve all seen this popular resume heat map from Business Insider showing which parts of a resume recruiters and hiring managers zone in on. But do you know what they are truly evaluating when they see each component? Once you understand what hiring managers infer from your resume, you will be better able to create a great resume and more equipped to qualify it in an interview or inside a cover letter.


Current and Past Positions
What do you do now, and how have you grown?

Your current position tells recruiters a lot about what you, as a candidate, can bring to their chile phone number library company. Hiring managers will often check to see if an applicant has a title similar to the open position, as it will show expertise and comprehension of what needs to be done. Recruiters will also scan for the companies you have worked with, which can help to identify industry experience.

When moving from the first position to the second position, a hiring manager will be checking to see if you have grown in title. This would help reveal additional responsibilities and upward mobility. Recruiters are looking for ambitious, motivated individuals who are looking ahead. This will help reveal if a candidate is a big picture thinker, how they are regarded in their field, and capability for growth.

Often times, recruiters using Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, will search for the exact title of the position they hope to fill to bring those candidates forward. If you do not have that job title, or a similar one, in your resume, consider adding it to a career summary, so you are not ruled out. For example, if I was a long time Operations Associate looking to become a Human Resources Director, my career summary could include a line, such as: Enthused to further specialize as Human Resources Director after implementing a successful company wide training program.