Most of the recruiters, who are hard pressed for time for delivering results to their internal and external clients, never look at any Resume for more than a couple of seconds to dig out the information relevant to the assignment under consideration.
So, while designing a Resume, the first and most important thing for you is to make relevant information visible to the recruiters and within those few seconds.
Being a recruiter for more than a decade and half, some of the strategies coming to my mind are:
1. Make only 2 or 3 page Resume
Recruiters don't have time to read the entire Resume and they normally flip through the first few pages very quickly to find our relevant information.
So, ideally, a 2 page Resume is most appropriate. However, if you find it difficult to accommodate your details in 2 pages, add just one more page only.
2. Focus on the first page
Every recruiter, while matching a Resume against a particular position, always focus more on the first page for checking out relevant information. Their interest to capture information from the subsequent pages goes down substantially.
So, strategically, you must make the first page of your Resume simple but attractive with relevant information pertaining to the position you have applied -- clearly visible.
3. Go for a simple Resume Template
Anything simple is always visible, because people can easily find out what they are looking for and also understand the messages with less effort. Same rule applies here also.
So, while designing your Resume, always avoid flashy and complex templates and use the most simple format.
4. Put bird's eye view of career in the beginning
Recruiters are always interested to first know the names of the companies you have worked for so far. Making this information - if interesting - available in the beginning of your CV would make them spend little more time on your application.
So, make a simple chart, writing down the names of the companies you have worked for, along with your designation, function and duration of stay over there. It should just be a bird's eye view of your career.
5. A brief on responsibility in each assignment and corresponding achievements.
Recruiters, after registering names of the companies you have worked in so far in their mind, would now look for what have you done in those companies and also your achievements that are pertinent to the job under consideration.
So your next step should be to write a few lines about your job responsibility in each assignment, followed by your achievements. Keep it short and to the point, and restrict it to the first page.
Once you design a simple but information bearing first page, the next and final step would be to provide more information that are related to your professional life including your qualifications and the training programs you have attended.
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