By Betsy Wertheimer, VP Executive Search, Gibson Consultants
April 2025 – You may have heard it said that experienced recruiters and talent acquisition/HR people spend 15 seconds on average reading a resume.
Before I got into search work 22 years ago, my reaction was, “That’s preposterous…and unjust. How could anyone, even the fastest reader, fully appreciate the majesty of my accomplishments in 15 seconds? My resume should be savored – pour a fresh cup of coffee and settle in – not rushed through.”
Of course, now I realize I was wrong. I’m not the fastest reader in the building but, when viewing a resume for the first time, I give it a quick scan. I do this to get an impression.
As with meeting someone in person, via video, or on the phone, a first impression strongly influences the ultimate assessment of the person. From glancing at a resume, I get that impression. I can usually tell the trajectory of the person’s career. It quickly becomes clear whether the person is on the rise, drifting along, or back-sliding. For example, has the candidate done well for a substantial length of time with one employer, but failed to replicate that at several “short stays?” Has there been a trend of promotions, success, and increasing responsibility? If so, has that trajectory of success flattened, indicating a plateau? As importantly, is the candidate at the level desired by my client?
If I like what I see, I’ll spend more time with the resume and read it more closely. If I still like what I see, I’ll keep reading. But only if I’m motivated by that first impression. This may seem unfair, but it’s the practical reality.
Knowing that most search professionals work this way, you can (and should) write your resume to play to this reality. An effective resume should be an attempt to get you to the next step in the hiring process, not to get you the job. Too often resumes are developed as written appeals for the job, with paragraphs and paragraphs, sometimes pages, outlining chapter and verse of one’s career. That information is for the interviews, not for the resume. And the resume is what gets you to the interview stage.
And please resist the temptation to clutter your resume with jargon and keywords to appeal to AI readers. In this recruiter’s opinion, applying for posted jobs and submitting your resume in a vacuum with no context is a waste of time. Rather than hoping to emerge successfully from the AI black box, make your job-hunting efforts count by using personal connections and writing directly to people who can hire you.
A good resume should be a tease without being too cryptic. It should be factual, pointed, and accomplishment-oriented, but limited in length and depth, making good use of white space. It should simply accomplish one thing: motivate the reader to action. The reader should feel, “Now THIS is someone I want to speak with.” But it all starts with creating the right first impression…quickly. It may take several drafts and feedback from friends and trusted advisors, but it’s worth the effort. As you know, you rarely get a second chance.
About the Author
Betsy is a Vice President, Executive Search focused on placing senior executives in the digital health, payer and group insurance markets.
Before joining Gibson Consultants in 2003, Betsy had an 18-year career with Aetna. She held positions ranging from account executive and marketing manager, to vice president of account management, vice president of sales, and ultimately general manager.
As general manager, Betsy was responsible for a 1.2 million-member health plan, which was rated the #1 plan in the state by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Directing a staff of 240, Betsy oversaw departments that included Medicare and commercial sales and service, provider relations, network management, quality management and local operations.
