Not very much.

Research shows most recruiters look at a resume for not more than 30 seconds.

I know that sucks. You spend a lot of time & effort in making sure your resume is well prepared, accurate and attractive. You make sure it’s professional and yet not common, makes you stand out and yet not sound boastful. Some even hire specialists to help them make a resume that does all the above.

Here are the reasons:

1. With the online method of application, anyone can apply to as many jobs they like in a simple click. This may be good when you are applying, but it is disastrous for HR. The number of resumes that flow in for any position is large!

2. Everybody applies. There seems to be no think and apply strategy here. Since it is so easy to apply (monster, for e.g. lets you apply to a number of jobs together!) some don’t even read what the requirements are.

What do you need to do?

1. Apply only to jobs that you really are interested in. Don’t send your resume to everything that comes up on your job search.

2. Know what the recruiter is looking for. You will see this in the candidate specifications.
a. If the recruiter has specified an area of expertise, highlight that.
b. If the emphasis is on experience, bold that.
c. If the thrust is on a particular company or location, lead with that.

3. See how your summary looks. Most sites (Naukri, monster, Timesjobs) have a summary of your resume sent to the recruiter. She may not go further than that if the summary does not talk about what she is looking for.

4. Make your resume stand out.