The 30-second resume test recruiters actually use

The average first pass over a resume is measured in seconds. Design yours to win that glance.

The test

Hand your resume to someone for 30 seconds, then take it back and ask: what's my most recent role, and what am I good at? If they can't answer, neither can a recruiter.

Fix the top third

• Name + target title at the top, not a vague objective.
• A three-line summary of what you do and your best result.
• Most recent role first, with two or three outcome-driven bullets.

If the top third doesn't sell you, the rest never gets read.