Former Google engineer and HR recruiter Farah Sharghi reveals the reasons why some resumes are rejected before even being fully reviewed. She points out that recruiters typically spend only 6 seconds scanning a resume, and if a job seeker makes a common mistake, it can instantly make the resume unappealing, leading to being eliminated without even being seen, missing out on the opportunity for an interview.
Sharghi has been working in talent recruitment for over 10 years, having recruited hardware engineers, cybersecurity engineers, display hardware engineers, SoC architects, and game developers for the Google X “Moonshot Factory” and talent for companies like Uber and TikTok. She currently works as a career coach and public speaker.
She has observed that in the past, as long as job seekers demonstrated enthusiasm and potential for growth, they had a chance of being hired, and companies were willing to invest time in training. However, with tighter budgets, employers now prefer candidates who can hit the ground running upon joining the company. She notes that many job seekers have not adapted their job search approach to this change, still emphasizing their willingness to learn and grow in resumes and cover letters, which can cause recruiters to overlook them.
According to Sharghi, behind every job opening, there are specific problems that companies are eager to solve. When reviewing job postings, job seekers should not just focus on the job duties but also consider why the position exists and what issues the company aims to address. A good resume can showcase one’s experience and demonstrate the ability to solve these problems.
She suggests preparing a resume with three key points:
(1) Detail the responsibilities and contributions at previous companies that led to improvements and outcomes.
For example, if a task originally took 12 days to complete but was finished in 3 days under your supervision, this achievement should be highlighted in the resume. Sharghi advises against vague descriptions of career experiences and encourages clear, confident explanations of job responsibilities while avoiding excessive use of jargon.
(2) Provide context for every data point in the resume, explaining how the numbers were derived and why achieving those results was challenging.
For instance, stating a “40% revenue growth” should include benchmarks, product specifics, the initial revenue amount, target goals, etc. Disconnected numbers make it difficult to gauge a job seeker’s actual accomplishments.
(3) Eliminate generic adjectives.
With only 6 seconds to grab a recruiter’s attention, common phrases like “detail-oriented” or “team player” are too generic and easily overlooked. Sharghi recommends replacing vague claims like “strong communication skills” with concrete examples of experiences, such as “facilitating meetings for engineering, legal, and product teams weekly for 18 months,” showcasing cross-team collaboration abilities.
Sharghi emphasizes that there are still companies willing to invest in training new hires, but job seekers need to know where to look. Observing if a company has a robust training system, including campus recruitment personnel, internships, rotation programs, and onboarding processes, is important.
She points out that if a job labeled as “entry-level” is managed by general recruiters without any training or development plans behind it, the company may not be looking to nurture talent but simply seeking cost-effective hires.
Moreover, if a job seeker has accumulated years of work experience, companies typically prioritize professionalism and accomplishments over growth potential. However, when considering an internal job transfer within a current company, employers still value an employee’s potential for development as the company is already familiar with their past performance.
This article was referenced from CNBC’s reporting.