Hot Tip Tuesday #46

What Employers Actually Notice First (and it’s not fonts or pretty colours!)

When people start applying for jobs, they often assume the biggest decider is how perfect their resume looks. We see it all the time: hours spent rearranging sections, polishing sentences, debating whether the headings should be slightly darker.

But when you talk to employers — and we talk to a lot of them — the things they pay attention to first are much simpler, and much more within your reach.

For starters, they notice whether you’ve actually taken the application seriously. Not in a strict or intimidating way — just in the sense that you’ve read what the job involves and you’ve made an honest attempt to speak to it. Employers can absolutely tell when someone fires off the same generic resume to every job in a 50km radius. They can also tell when someone’s made the effort to show, even briefly, “Yes, I get what this job is about, and here’s why I’m interested.”

They also pay close attention to how you communicate before anything gets to the interview stage. If they call you and you answer politely, or you return the voicemail promptly, that stands out far more than people think. The same goes for emailing back when promised, attaching the right documents, or asking a straightforward question when you’re unsure about something. Employers aren't grading your writing style — they’re looking for signs you’ll be reliable once you’re on the job.

And when you apply, they’re not scrutinising your employment history for perfection. What they’re looking for is a sense of your attitude: are you someone who’s willing to learn, willing to show up, willing to give things a go? A resume can’t display personality, but it absolutely can show effort, clarity, and a bit of pride in how you present yourself.

The funny thing is, the parts people stress about — fonts, icons, layouts — barely register. A clean, readable resume is perfectly fine. No one has ever been hired because their headings were particularly stunning (unless you're a graphic designer!)

What employers notice first is whether you seem like someone they can depend on. Everything else, including the font, comes a distant second.

If you'd like help shaping your resume or your approach to job applications, visit the Glenorchy Jobs Hub. We’ll help you focus on what actually matters — and none of it involves spending your evening adjusting line spacing.