What makes a recruiter take a closer look at a resume? According to Anil Agarwal, founder and CEO of InCruiter, it comes down to how clearly candidates communicate their suitability for a role.From avoiding vague job descriptions to highlighting achievements, he explains below what candidates should keep in mind when writing their resumes.“An ideal resume should answer one question quickly: why should a recruiter consider you for this role?” Agarwal tells indianexpress.com.Keep the “layout clean” and highlight your relevant experience and achievements — so that they are easy to spot.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.“For example, a software developer should highlight the technologies they have used and the products or features they have built, rather than simply listing programming languages. Freshers can showcase internships, projects and practical skills. ”Your resume, as Agarwal explains, doesn’t need a fancy template or multiple pages; it needs to communicate a candidate’s value quickly—within a quick scan.Story continues below this adWhat resume mistakes make recruiters lose interest? Resume turn-offs include spelling errors, irrelevant skills, lengthy paragraphs and exaggerated claims“A frequent issue is that candidates describe what their job involved but leave out what they achieved,” Agarwal points out.Similarly, spelling errors, irrelevant skills, lengthy paragraphs and exaggerated claims can also weaken an application.Consider two descriptions for a sales role. One candidate writes, “Responsible for managing client relationships.” Another says, “Managed 30 client accounts and improved renewal rates.” The second gives a recruiter something concrete to evaluate.The same problem arises when candidates describe their work too vaguely. Writing “Handled recruitment activities”, for instance, does not tell a recruiter whether the candidate hired five people or fifty. A more specific description, such as “Managed end-to-end hiring for 20 positions across technology and sales”, gives a clearer picture of the scale of the work.Story continues below this ad“Candidates often have good experience, but when their resumes lack specific examples, recruiters have little reason to distinguish them from other applicants.”Why do generic descriptions fail to impress recruiters?“Because almost anyone can write them,” Agarwal says, citing common resume phrases such as “managed projects”, “worked with clients”, and “responsible for development”.He illustrates the difference with a marketing example. Instead of writing “Handled social media”, a candidate could say, “Managed LinkedIn campaigns that increased engagement by 25% in three months.” This tells the recruiter more about the candidate’s contribution.The same principle applies to personal qualities. Terms such as “hard-working”, “team player”, and “excellent communicator” are common, but they don’t show how someone has put those qualities into practice.“Recruiters want evidence, not just adjectives,” Agarwal says.Story continues below this adInstead of calling themselves a team player, candidates can describe how they worked with designers and developers to deliver a project before a deadline. Similarly, they can demonstrate their ability to manage competing priorities by explaining how they met a delivery date while handling multiple tasks.How should candidates use numbers to highlight achievements? “Recruiters don’t expect every task to have impressive numbers attached, but they do need specific examples that explain what you did and why it mattered.”“Use numbers when they help explain the scale or impact of your work,” Agarwal advises.Instead of writing “Improved customer satisfaction”, a candidate could say, “Reduced average customer response time from 24 hours to 8 hours.” Freshers can also provide context by mentioning a project completed by a team of four or an application tested across 100 scenarios.“Rather than calling yourself “hard-working,” explain how you managed three competing priorities to meet a delivery date.”Story continues below this adHowever, Agarwal cautions against inventing figures to make a resume look impressive. If an achievement cannot be quantified, candidates should explain the problem they solved, their contribution and the outcome.Can AI resume screening tools automatically reject candidates?Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to organise applications and help recruiters identify candidates whose skills and experience match a role. Agarwal explains that some systems apply predefined filters, while AI-enabled tools may help rank or summarise applications.“Not every system automatically rejects resumes,” Agarwal assures.He recommends using clear headings, a readable format and relevant keywords from the job description, provided they accurately reflect the candidate’s experience.For example, if a role requires Python and SQL, candidates who have used these skills should mention relevant projects or work experience. They should avoid keyword stuffing or claiming skills they cannot demonstrate in an interview.Story continues below this ad“Candidates often want to include everything they have done, from every tool they have learned to every responsibility they have handled. But recruiters are looking for evidence that matches the role they need to fill. A candidate with ten listed technologies may be less convincing than someone who explains how they used three of them to solve a real problem.”Also Read | The ‘chutti’ irony: Why professionals in India are taking leave just to finish office workWhat can candidates do to improve their chances of being shortlisted? “Candidates often have good experience, but when their resumes lack specific examples, recruiters have little reason to distinguish them from other applicants.”“Treat your resume as an application for one specific job, not a career autobiography,” Agarwal says.He recommends reading the job description, identifying the skills that matter most, and bringing relevant experience to the top. Instead of writing “worked on app development”, candidates should explain which feature they built and what problem it solved.Before submitting an application, candidates should remove outdated information, keep bullet points concise, and check their contact details, employment dates, spelling, and formatting.Story continues below this adAbove all, Agarwal advises candidates not to exaggerate their skills to get shortlisted. Recruiters may explore those claims during interviews, so every statement on a resume should be something the candidate can confidently explain and support.‘Job interview’ has been trending on Google for the past 24 hours.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.