The hidden resume metric that predicts whether you'll get an interview

"Do you know that the longer a decision-maker views your résumé, the more likely it is that you'll get an interview? Recent research combined eye-tracking and machine learning to understand résumé decisions better. The most actionable conclusion was that Experience section dwell time predicts interview invitations. That's next-level information. We've had eye-tracking studies for years. They tell us what readers look at, but give no additional meaning. Now, by applying AI, we know which sections of the résumé matter the most for getting interviews."

"People don't read word by word. They scan, looking for information relevant to their needs. Large blocks of text lose readers because they're hard to scan. In How People Read Online: The Eyetracking Evidence Report, The Nielsen Norman Group, a user experience firm, described a wall of text as "a major repellent that instantly makes users think twice about engaging." To avoid that, limit résumé text blocks to three lines, four if you must. Nothing else about your résumé matters if people won't read it."

Longer viewing of a résumé increases the chance of receiving an interview. Combining eye-tracking with machine learning reveals that Experience section dwell time predicts interview invitations. Eye-tracking alone indicates where readers look but lacks outcome meaning; AI links viewing patterns to interview decisions. Design and content choices can make the Experience section more engaging: avoid large blocks of text, limit text blocks to three lines (four if necessary), use clear section labels, and structure content for quick scanning since many readers assess worth in under a second.

Read at Fast Company