The 3 Things Recruiters Notice in 6 Seconds (And How to Fix Your Resume)

I’m Michael Daleo, an aerospace engineer and founder of FormAWin. Over the years, I’ve reviewed thousands of engineering resumes, and I’ll let you in on a harsh reality: recruiters at places like NASA, SpaceX, and Lockheed Martin spend about six seconds looking at your resume before deciding to toss it or keep reading. If you aren't catching their attention in those first six seconds, you're getting auto-rejected—no matter how good your GPA is. Here are the three things recruiters actually notice in that brief window, and exactly how to fix your resume today. **1. Job Target Clarity** When a recruiter glances at your document, they should instantly know what role you want. If your header just says "Mechanical Engineering Student," you're forcing them to guess. Instead, use a targeted title that matches the job description: "Aerospace Engineering Intern | Propulsion & Structures." It immediately signals that you are a direct match for the requisition. **2. Quantified Impact** Engineering hiring managers don't want a laundry list of your classes or basic job duties. They look for numbers. Did you design a payload component? What was the weight reduction? Did you lead a senior design team? How many people? Change a weak bullet like "Worked on CubeSat project" to "Led 5-person team to design and manufacture CubeSat payload mount, reducing overall weight by 12%." Numbers pop off the page and prove you can deliver tangible results. **3. Relevant Technical Keywords in Context** ATS software and human recruiters scan for specific tools and methodologies. If the job description asks for CATIA, Python, or GD&T, those exact words need to be visible. But don't just bury them in a "skills" section at the bottom. Integrate them into your project descriptions so they naturally show up in the bullet points recruiters read first. Stop sending the same generic document to every company. If you want to land interviews at top aerospace and tech firms, you need a resume built specifically for the six-second scan. This is exactly what we teach at FormAWin—how to engineer your career strategy and job search execution from the ground up to land your dream role.