The Effect of Resumes’ Level of Concreteness on Candidate Evaluation

As the most commonly used selection tool, resumes influence whether applicants are invited to interview. We draw upon construal level theory to hypothesize that resumes convey information about how candidates think (i.e. more abstractly or more concretely), which in turn shapes recruiter’s decisions. Using archival data from a large elite full-time MBA program, we provide evidence that job candidates who framed their resumes more concretely were more likely to be invited to interview for an entry-level position.