When you submit your resume for a job application, it’s often the first impression you make on a potential employer. Or if you submit a job application to our team – your first impression on our recruiting team!
Understanding how recruiters review resumes can help you put together a document that stands out and effectively tells your career story.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of myths out there that recruiters don’t read resumes, auto reject candidates, and will dismiss every candidate that doesn’t perfectly fit a job description (not true!).
Here’s a breakdown of what recruiters typically look for when evaluating your resume.
We can’t speak for every recruiting team, but our recruiters do read the resumes we receive – and there’s actually few “automatic” disqualifiers that land your resume in the “no” pile.
Here are a few of those factors that might lead to yourresume being automatically dismissed from consideration:
Work Authorization: If you’re not authorized to workin the country where the job is based, this could be a disqualifying factor unless the company is willing to sponsor a work visa.
While a decent number of the companies we work with are open to sponsorship, not everyone can – especially startups or companies that are a bit less established. Our advice to job seekers who find themselves in this category is to apply to companies that are known for employee sponsorship.
If you find that the list of companies that meet your criteria and are also willing to provide sponsorship is smaller, your strategy here maybe to
Experience Level: Applying for a role that requires significantly more experience than you possess can also be a red flag. For example, a junior engineer applying for an engineering manager role might be seen as overreaching and an overestimation of their skills unless there’s a compelling reason behind the application.
Location: Being located far from the job’s location and unwilling to relocate can also work against you, especially if the company requires onsite presence (and many of our companies are requiring this in today’s market). However, with the rise of remote work, this is becoming less of an issue in many industries.
One of the first things a recruiter will check on your resume is the timeline of your employment. This includes the duration of each position you’ve held, as well as the progression of your career over time.
Consistent employment with clear progression is a positive indicator of stability and growth. However, recruiters understand that not everyone follows a linear career path, so don’t worry if your timeline has some variations or if you’ve tried out new careers—just be prepared to explain them if necessary.
For example, let’s say that you worked as a business analyst before transferring into software engineering. That’s perfectly acceptable – you may just want to include a note in your application that explains why you became interested in software engineering, and why you’re interested in this specific role.
Remember – having a couple short stints at companies as you try to uncover what’s right for you is totally acceptable, but it becomes more of a red flag when this is a consistent pattern.
The next thing we look at after dates of employment is which companies you’ve worked with. For some clients, we’re looking for names we recognize – some of our clients want to hire from specific companies so they know their candidates will have the experience they need, for example.
But other clients are looking for startup experience and small company experience and want to meet candidates who have enjoyed working in these environments. So depending on client, we’re looking at all kinds of work experiences and companies.
Gaps in employment can raise a red flag, but they’re not necessarily a dealbreaker. Recruiters will notice if you have significant breaks in your work history, but what matters most is how you address these gaps.
Whether you took time off to care for a family member, travel, pursue further education, or if you were simply searching for the right role, it’s important to be honest and provide context.
We understand that life happens. People no longer work for companies for 30 years in a stretch, and that gaps can be a part of a candidate’s career journey.
The way that recruiters look at gaps and communicate them to our clients is with this context in mind.
But if you have more frequent gaps, or longer gaps – this is always something to address with a recruiter or with a job coach. And if you’ve worked for several companies but left after a short period of time, we encourage candidates to spend time thinking about what they’re looking for in their next role. Reflection and pausing can be valuable here.
Recruiters look for resumes that tell a cohesive story—one that aligns your past experiences with your future career aspirations. Your resume should reflect not just what you’ve done, but also where you want to goin your career.
Highlight experiences and skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for and make sure they connect logically to your desired career path. This helps the recruiter see you as a strong candidate for the role, with a clear direction and purpose.
Does your background in B2B sales tell the story of someone wanting to move into a sales director position that we’re hiring for? Does a software engineer who’s held a leadership role at their last company but wanted to do something more tell the story of someone who’s perfect for a founding engineer role? These are the types of questions we ask ourselves when we look at your resume.
One of the most important aspects recruiters focus on is whether your resume highlights achievements over mere job responsibilities. Describing what you accomplished in each role is far more impactful than listing out daily tasks. For instance, saying, “I helped my company achieve 100%of my yearly quota in nine months” shows your ability to drive results and adds value to your candidacy. Or if you’re not in sales - did you launch a new product or feature in record time that was widely adopted by your consumer base, or reduce the number of support tickets from customers?
Quantifiable achievements demonstrate your impact and give the recruiter a reason to take your application seriously.
Understanding what recruiters focus on when reviewing resumes can help you tailor your resume to make a strong impression. By keeping these insights in mind, you can increase your chances of catching a recruiter’s eye and advancing in the hiring process.
Let our team help you get where you need to be.
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