The 7-Second Rule: Why Humans Rarely See Your Resume

It's a sobering statistic: the average recruiter spends about seven seconds looking at a resume before deciding whether to keep it or toss it. But that's only if your resume reaches them in the first place.

The Great Filter

Before a hiring manager ever opens your PDF, it has likely already been ranked by an automated system. If you aren't in the top 5% of that ranking, your resume is effectively invisible.

Why Humans Discard Resumes Fast

When a human finally does look, they are scanning for specific visual anchors: Job titles, company names, and dates. If the layout is cluttered or the information is buried, you've lost your 7-second window.

Design matters as much as content. Use this website to make your resumes betterby combining professional, minimalist design with high-impact, AI-optimized content that captures attention instantly.