Recruiter
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Evidence library

Research

What does the evidence actually say? Find the studies, recruiter experiments, and platform documentation behind the advice.

Find your question

From file to feedback

Three things to check in a resume.

A file can be easy for software to read and still leave a recruiter unsure what you did. Check both the formatting and the content.

  1. 01The file

    Can the text be extracted?

    Selectable text and clear sections help software read your resume.

  2. 02The scan

    Can a recruiter find what matters?

    Make your job titles, dates, responsibilities, and results easy to find.

  3. 03The judgment

    Is the experience relevant?

    A recruiter looks for relevant experience, your part in the work, and the results.

Your report helps you revise. It points out details that are missing or hard to find and suggests what to change first.

Four findings worth acting on

See what each source found, what it does not establish, and what to do with the advice.

Finding 01

Do spelling mistakes actually change the decision?

Repeated errors lowered recruiters' ratings in a 2023 experiment. Five errors reduced the average invitation rating by 1.85 points on a 0–10 scale. These were hypothetical decisions, not observed callbacks.

How to use this finding

The report reviews your experience and how you explain it. Follow it with a separate spelling check; it is not a dedicated proofreader.

See our explanation Read the study

Source

Sterkens et al., PLOS ONE (2023)

Factorial survey experiment with 445 genuine recruiters evaluating resumes across eight occupations.

Claims under review

Three resume rules that need to go.

Each sounds certain. The research is more specific.

01

Every recruiter spends exactly six seconds on a resume.

Treat the opening as high-value space, but do not write for a stopwatch. No study establishes one universal timer or scan path.

See the research
02

An ATS rejects a resume because it does not reach a magic score.

Make the file easy to parse and the evidence easy to find. There is no universal ATS score shared across employers and platforms.

See the research
03

A resume should always fit on one page.

Use a second page when it adds experience that matters for the role. Cut repetition before shrinking the text to fit one page.

See the research

Apply it to your resume

Your report uses the same evidence standards to show what is clear, what needs more context, and what to fix first.

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