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Resume Statistics to Keep In Mind

Want to know how you can make your resume stand out from the crowd? Check out these resume statistics and see how you can improve your resume today.

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By Ho Lin 4 minute read

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Resume Statistics

One of the most unique ways to better understand how to write a resume is by using resume statistics. Resume statistics can give you a better idea of how other people are looking for a new job and what career advice you should be incorporating into your resume as well. If you’re looking for quantifiable results in your job hunting endeavor, you need to draw on job search statistics. Here’s how you can improve your resume templates by listening to resume statistics.

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Basic Resume Statistics

Resume statistics start with the actual way you construct your resume. Here are a few points to consider when you’re preparing to write a resume:

  • The average resume word count is around 490 when including two-page resumes, or 380 at the single-page cutoff.
  • Around 25% of hiring managers only spend 30 seconds or less reviewing a resume.
  • Job seekers consider these to be the top factors when looking for a new job:
    • Career growth
    • Health benefits
    • Compensation
  • Only about half of job seekers include a cover letter.

What do these statistics say about writing a resume for a job posting? First of all, shorter is better. You can’t fit a lot of information in a single resume page with only 380 words. Plus, when as many as 25% of hiring managers look at your resume for less than half a minute, you need to get across that information as quickly as possible if you’re hoping for a job offer.

Soft Skills Recruiters Love To See on a Resume

Soft skills are an important starting point when listing your key skills. These skills revolve around the way you communicate with other people and the way you handle yourself. They’re personality-based skills. Here are a few of the soft skills that might make you more likely to land a job interview:

  • Communication skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Time management
  • Teamwork
  • Creativity
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Work ethic
  • Adaptability
  • Attention to detail
  • Leadership skills

You’ll often see these skills listed in the job description of an open position.

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Hard Skills Recruiters Love To See on a Resume

What about hard skills? While soft skills are all about your personality, hard skills are specific knowledge that applies to the job you’re applying for. Here are a few of the most common hard skills you might see on a resume:

  • Data analysis
  • Social media
  • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
  • Project management
  • Team management
  • Digital marketing
  • Troubleshooting
  • Resource management
  • Web analytics
  • Operating systems

It’s important to remember that hard skills will naturally vary depending on the job. If you’re applying to be a professional resume writer, you’re probably going to need to know how to use Microsoft Office. If you’re applying to be a data scientist, you’ll need to know how to use machine learning algorithms and write in Python and SQL. Your industry will have an impact on the hard skills you use, so don’t feel like you need to use all of these skills.

FAQ: Resume Statistics

Have questions? We’re here to help.

There are typically four common mistakes that may make a hiring manager reject your resume outright, often without looking at any of the actual content. Avoid these mistakes if you want to get a job offer:

 

  • Poor grammar, typos, and misspelled words
  • An unprofessional email address
  • Lack of quantifiable information
  • Poor resume formatting

 

You can fix many of these problems with the resume builder at ResumeHelp. If you’re willing to use extra tools, you can avoid most of the common resume mistakes.

More than 70% of resumes are rejected, and a common reason for this rejection is that the resumes don’t make it past the applicant tracking system (ATS). ATS is an automated process to make it easier for a hiring manager to fill a position. With ATS, if a resume doesn’t have the right number of resume keywords, it never even makes it to the hiring manager. You can avoid this problem by actively looking for more keywords and .

Yes. Around 45% of people applying to a job opening don’t even include a cover letter with their resume, which means that you can stand out from almost half of the applicants on average if you write a cover letter. This is just one more reason why cover letters are so important even today.

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WRITTEN BY Ho Lin

Ho Lin is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and editor with two decades of experience in content strategy, creation, and development. He holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins University and his background includes experience aiding military veterans as they transition to civilian careers.

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