The hidden résumé metric that predicts whether you’ll get an interview
And how to make your CV hit the mark.
Here's a more casual take on that resume advice:
It's not just what's on your resume—it's how long someone actually *looks* at it. Recent research using eye-tracking and AI found something pretty simple: the more time hiring managers spend on your Experience section, the more likely they'll call you.
I've been in the hiring game for over 25 years and spent the last decade writing executive resumes. Back when I was doing searches, my go-to question after interviews was always, "So, how long were you there?" That told me everything about how the interview really went. Turns out, the same logic applies to your resume—if you can get them to linger, you're golden.
So let's cut the corporate speak and talk about how to make your Experience section impossible to skim past.
**1. Break Up Those Text Blocks**
Nobody reads every word. We all scan for the good stuff. Giant paragraphs? Instant turn-off. The Nielsen Norman Group (they study how people read online) calls them "walls of text" that make people bounce immediately.
Keep each block to **three lines max**—four if you're desperate. Seriously, nothing else matters if they won't even read it.
**2. Put Experience Front and Center**
Label your sections clearly: Professional Experience, Education, Skills, etc. But here's the key: **put Experience right after your summary**.
Why? Because people decide in *less than a second* whether your resume is worth their time. They need to see you can do the job *now*, not wade through fluff first.
**3. Keep Your Structure Simple**
For each role, use the same format:
- Company name (left margin)
- Quick company description
- Location
- Your job title (left margin)
- Dates
- **Scope paragraph** (what you were responsible for)
- **Impact bullets** (what you actually achieved)
Don't mix scope and results. Tell them what your job was, *then* show how you crushed it. Making them connect the dots is how you lose them.
**4. Lead With What They Care About**
Find out what the job actually requires—read postings, talk to people, ask AI tools. Then **order your bullet points** based on *their* biggest needs, not what you're most proud of.
It's not about you yet. It's about showing them you get what they need, right now.
**5. Give It Some Breathing Room**
White space isn't wasted space—it's what makes people willing to read. Minimums to live by:
- ¾ inch margins top and bottom
- 1-inch margins on the sides
- 0.5 spaces between bullet points
If you're running out of room, edit your content. Don't cram it in. A crowded resume screams, "I don't know what's important, so here's everything."
The person reading your resume is judging you. Fast. They're asking: "Is this person worth more of my time?" Make it stupid-easy for them to say yes, and they'll slow down. Keep it tight, relevant, and clean. That's how you get the call.