Recruiters do not read resumes line by line. They scan. And in that first scan, most decisions are already made.
What recruiters look at first
1. Name and title
2. Summary or first lines
3. Recent experience
4. Visible skills
The biggest skip triggers
- No clear role positioning
- Dense text blocks
- Generic summary
- Unfocused experience
- Too much irrelevant detail
Clarity beats completeness
Fewer roles, fewer bullets, clearer outcomes.
Visual simplicity matters
One column, predictable structure, clean spacing.
The 10-second test
Can my role be understood instantly?
Is my strongest proof visible immediately?
Does this invite further reading?
Next step: open the builder and review your resume as if you were in a hurry.