Job searching can often be a long, time-consuming process. It can be frustrating to submit your resume to hundreds of openings and most recruiters don’t even look at your application. It is a common misconception that recruiters spend their entire day looking over resumes and job applications. Knowing the job responsibilities of a recruiter and what employers are looking for in your resume can help you raise the chances of success you find in your job searching process.
What do recruiters do?
While recruiters do spend time looking at candidate’s resumes and applications, the job isn’t as simple as you may think.
A single job posting can receive anywhere from 100 to 1,000 applications. If a recruiter were to try to look at every resume submitted, it would take weeks if not months. Recruiters are evaluated on how well their candidate’s skills match with the job posting, typically this means finding candidates who have 5-10 skills that specifically match the job posting. Recruiters are not just skimming every resume they look at; they are doing precision work.
Recruiters are also protecting hiring managers from resume fraud. They are trying to find the best fit candidate for the job. Only about 3% of applicants make it through to the hiring manager.
What are employers looking for in your resume?
What attributes are employers looking for when reviewing your resume? According to employer responses to the NACE 2025 Job Outlook, these are the top skills they want to see:
- Problem solving skills
- Teamwork skills
- Communication skills
- Initiative
- Strong work ethic
- Technical skills
You can address these skills through internship experience, classroom projects, personal projects, and other campus opportunities such as clubs and volunteer work.
The takeaway?
Understand that recruiters are doing more than just skimming through resumes. They are looking for candidates with specific qualifications, candidates that have potential to fit in well with the company and the listed position. What can you do? Make sure you have included the skills in the resume that the job requires and create an action plan.
- Tell a compelling story
- Be intentional about where and how you apply for a job
- Find ways to connect directly (think “LinkedIn”) with hiring managers
- Understand and respect the recruiter’s incredibly complex job