The Fifteen Second Proof Techniques

After you have gone through the initial résumé review and revision, use this technique to verify the final results. Provide your résumé to a group of reviewers, ranging from professors to industry contacts to friends. But when you give them your résumé, restrict them to only fifteen seconds. Ask them to take just fifteen seconds to review the résumé, then ask them what they remembered about it.

You will often be surprised what jumps off the page in those fifteen seconds. Keep in mind that fifteen seconds is usually the maximum amount of time your résumé will be given in the initial screen. If the key facts and points do not make their impact, you may need to change the ordering or emphasis to insure that they do. It is only when your résumé is able to pass this fifteen second proof that it is truly ready for prime time.