Why Your Resume Gets Rejected in 6 Seconds
Markus Fink
January 13, 2026 · 7 min read
The average recruiter spends just 6 seconds scanning your resume before deciding whether to continue reading or move to the next candidate. In those brief moments, your entire career is being judged. Understanding what happens in those 6 seconds can transform your job search.
Upload your resume for instant AI-powered analysis
The 6-Second Reality Check
Research from eye-tracking studies shows that recruiters follow a remarkably consistent pattern. They look at your name, current title, current company, start and end dates, previous title, previous company, and education. That’s it. Everything else gets skipped in the initial scan.
This means all those carefully crafted bullet points about your achievements? They don’t get read unless you pass the 6-second test first.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
1. Cluttered Formatting
When a recruiter’s eyes hit a wall of text, they bounce. Dense paragraphs, tiny fonts, and cramped margins signal that you don’t understand professional communication. White space isn’t wasted space—it’s what makes your resume readable.
2. Burying Your Best Work
Your most impressive achievement shouldn’t be on page two. It shouldn’t even be in your third bullet point. Lead with impact. If you increased revenue by 40%, that goes at the top.
3. Generic Job Descriptions
”Responsible for managing projects” tells me nothing. “Led 5-person team to deliver $2M platform migration 2 weeks ahead of schedule” tells me everything. Specificity builds credibility.
4. Missing Keywords
ATS systems reject 75% of resumes before humans ever see them. If the job description says “React” and your resume says “front-end frameworks,” you’ve already lost.
What Actually Works
The resumes that survive the 6-second test share common traits. They have clear visual hierarchy with your name and title immediately visible. They show progression through increasingly senior roles. And they quantify achievements with real numbers.
Most importantly, they’re tailored. A generic resume is a rejected resume. Every application should be customized for the specific role you’re targeting.
Fix Your Resume Now
Tools to Fix These Issues
Don’t let these common mistakes cost you interviews:
The Bottom Line
Your resume isn’t a comprehensive history of your career. It’s a marketing document designed to get you an interview. Treat those 6 seconds as your only opportunity to make an impression—because often, they are.