What Do Recruiters *Actually* Look for? The 7-Second Resume Scan
The 7-Second Scan: Your First and Only Impression
You've spent hours, maybe even days, perfecting your resume. You've agonized over every word and bullet point. But the harsh reality is that the average recruiter will spend just 7 seconds on their initial review of that document. It's a shocking and often frustrating statistic for job seekers, but understanding what happens during that 7-second scan is the key to creating a resume that makes it to the 'yes' pile.
In this brief window, recruiters are not reading your resume; they are scanning it. They are making a rapid, almost subconscious, judgment about whether you are a plausible fit. Their goal is to quickly filter out the 90% of applicants who are clearly unqualified, so they can spend more time on the promising 10%. To pass this initial test, your resume needs to be incredibly easy to scan and must immediately highlight your value. Here’s exactly what they're looking for.
The Recruiter's Scanning Pattern (The 'F' Pattern)
Eye-tracking studies have shown that recruiters tend to scan resumes in an 'F' pattern. They read across the top, then scan down the left side of the page, and then read across the middle of the page. This means the information at the top and on the left side of your resume is the most critical.
The 6 Things They Scan For in 7 Seconds
During this rapid scan, a recruiter is trying to answer six key questions:
1. Name and Contact Info: Is it present, clear, and professional? Does your email address look professional (e.g., firstname.lastname@email.com, not partyking2004@email.com)? This is a basic check for professionalism.
2. Current Title and Company: Where are you working now, and what is your current role? This immediately gives them context about your current level and area of expertise.
3. Previous Title and Company: What was your role before your current one? They are looking for a logical career trajectory. Does your career path show growth and progression?
4. Start and End Dates: How long have you been in your roles? Are there significant, unexplained gaps in your employment? Frequent job-hopping (multiple jobs lasting less than a year) can be a red flag.
5. Education: Do you have the minimum required degree or certifications for the role? For many jobs, this is a simple checkbox requirement.
6. Keywords: This is a subconscious scan for relevant skills and technologies. If they are hiring a 'Digital Marketing Manager,' their eyes will naturally be looking for words like 'SEO,' 'PPC,' 'Google Analytics,' and 'Content Strategy.'
If your resume fails to provide clear, positive answers to these six questions within the first 7 seconds, it is highly likely to be discarded. Only if you pass this initial scan will the recruiter slow down and actually read your professional summary and your accomplishment-based bullet points.