The amount of time you spend on your resume says a lot

​We've all seen resumes that look like they were thrown together in 15-20 minutes:

• The font size is the same throughout. The name at the top is the same Arial 12 as the outdated "References available upon request" at the bottom.

• The summary at the top starts off with the same bland "Dynamic, results-driven manager..." that pretty much everyone else uses.

• There's virtually no valuable information beyond job titles and company names. What is there is simply copied from job to job, since, you know, the responsibilities were the same in each role.

• Education at the bottom just lists a college or university, with no indication of what was studied, for how long, or whether a degree was obtained.

• The whole thing takes up, maybe, two-thirds of a page.

We've all seen them and we know they don't make a great impression. The person could be exceptionally talented and successful, but their resume says they didn't care enough to put some real effort into it.

Do you think they're going to get contacted for an interview?

Well, it's always a question of supply and demand, but I would doubt it.

"Effort" is definitely something that will come across on your resume - either good or bad. A quick glance will tell the reader how dedicated you were to the process, and, in turn, how interested and passionate you are about the position you're applying for.

As I always say - job applicants are evaluated on their work history and other qualifications, but also their conduct AND EFFORT throughout the application process.

Bottom line: the content on your resume AND the effort you put into it are both important:

• If it looks like you put zero effort into it and the information you provide fails to impress, your search will be a long one.

• If it looks like you did all you could to create a professional, polished resume, AND the information you provide is compelling and meets their expectations, the interviews and offers will come.

Best of luck!