How Long Should Your Résumé Be?

2012-07-12
From: MSN Careers
Reacutesumeacutes are a subject of great debate in the career world. What to include, what not to include serif or sans serif font what color paper which jobs to highlight? And, more commonly in today’s job market, how long should the reacutesumeacute be? Does it matter?
We asked reacutesumeacute experts for their take on whether job seekers should use a one- or two-page reacutesumeacute and why it matters. Here’s what they had to say:
The argument: One page
quotMany people feel that a longer reacutesumeacute makes them look more accomplished or important — not so. Recent college grads and those who have only had one to two jobs don’t need more than one page. Avoid excessive spacing to fill up the page as well and instead flesh out your skill sets, even if you think you have none due to little experience.quot –Kristen Fischer, author of quotRamen Noodles, Rent and Reacutesumeacutes: An After-College Guide to Lifequot
quotSomeone newer to the work force may have a one-page reacutesumeacute, with a more seasoned employee having two or more. Most experienced employees cannot fit their work history onto one page, and that’s fine. What is critical is that the important information stands out: a very brief summary of who you are, what you’re looking for, your key accomplishments and strengths, which tells the employer why they should hire you. This should be captured at the beginning of your reacutesumeacute in the top quarter of the page — then the employer could quickly scan where you worked and when, along with more details listed under each position.quot –Michelle D. Roccia, senior vice president of corporate organizational development from Winter, Wyman
quotI personally believe that a one-page reacutesumeacute, for the most part, is the way to go — unless you are a very senior executive with a number of accomplishments through your long career. Otherwise, short and focused is better.quot –Jim Joseph, author of quotThe Experience Effectquot and president of Lippe Taylor
quotRemember the length Golden Rule:You want your reacutesumeacute to highlight your best attributes, andhiringauthorities shouldn’t have to search for them on your reacutesumeacute. For this reason,stick to the one-page rule and carry over to a second page only if your experience warrants it. This will force you to choose only the most important information for your reacutesumeacute.quot– Alexis Lane, reacutesumeacute writing specialist at Snelling Staffing – The Wyckoff Group
quotWhile I understand that most candidates want a two-page reacutesumeacute (or longer), I happen to know that employers put the most focus on a candidate’s first page. Their attention starts to wane before they even flip the page. Therefore, appropriate and strategic editing is a smart move. Most job seekers find it difficult to be so objective about their lengthy and accomplishment-based history, so here’s a good tip to keep in mind: Job seekers have to think of themselves as a product and their reacutesumeacute their marketing campaign. Any good marketing director knows to focus on their target consumer while creating a marketing campaign, right? Same thing applies here. You aren’t writing your reacutesumeacute for yourself, but rather, for your potential employers.quot — Lauren Milligan, reacutesumeacute expert and job coach at ResuMayday
quotA one-page reacutesumeacute is needed to get you in the door. At the outset of the process, most companies are using software to scan for keywords and subsequently weeding out those who haven’t included them. A two-page reacutesumeacute is necessary once you’ve gotten in the door and are sitting in front of a human being. That said, it should not be dense. Bullet points are preferable to paragraphs.quot –Frances Cole Jones, author of quotThe Wow Factor: The 33 Things You Must (and Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today’s Business Worldquot
quotLess is always more when it comes to reacutesumeacutes today, with one page preferable, as overworked HR departments need to process information faster and are mostly using electronic solutions to identify candidates to start with anyway. On top of this, the more experience you put on there, the more dollar signs begin to flash in hiring managers’ heads, and they worry about what it’s going to cost to acquire such an experienced candidate.quot– Scott Steinberg, CEO, lead analyst, TechSavvy Global
quotIt does matter, but primarily in relation to the quality of the content. Do not try to create a two-page reacutesumeacute if you really only have related experiences that fill up one page. Using bigger font and wider space margins do not help your cause. Similarly, if you have a long, impressive career of related professional achievements, there is no need to try to shrink it all down onto one page. Having said all of that, do not go longer than three pages. You should be able to be able to present the best of the best in less than three pages, and if you must, you can add a note ‘Additional work history provided upon request.’quot –Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs
The argument: Two pages
quotA two-page reacutesumeacute is important. Given the nature of today’s job search, applicants are searching via the Internet and using job boards or a company’s website as the first touch. HR professionals and recruiters are either sifting through the reacutesumeacutes or reacutesumeacutes are searched automatically via a computer program. The more information you provide, the better your chances for a call back.quot –Allison Rapaport, founder of www.hospitaldreamjobs.com
quotIt is important to remember that whoever will be looking at your reacutesumeacute will probably be looking at 50-100 others, so first impressions are critical. Like Goldilocks tasting the porridge, a two-page reacutesumeacute is ‘just about right.’ A one-page reacutesumeacute gives the impression that you do not have a lot of experience. Anything more than two pages gives the impression that you are ‘all over the place’ and simply don’t have the ability to focus. Managers want to be reassured that you can zero in on what you need to do and get it done.quot– Mario Almonte, managing partner, Herman and Almonte PR
The argument: It doesn’t matter
quotI am less concerned about a one-page reacutesumeacute than assuring that a candidate for employment provides the necessary information in a concise, direct manner. It’s the qualifications that need to get noticed. Tell the employer what you can do for them. Be concise but keep it to two pages. Grab their attention first and foremost. Design your reacutesumeacute to bring out what the employer is seeking and align these requirements to your own personal strengths. Don’t sell yourself –short — quite literally.quot –Wendy Powell, author of quotManagement Experience Acquiredquot
quotIt really comes down to relevant content. If you have the experience needed to back up the position you’re seeking, then you need to share it. If it’s more than two pages, then let it flow. If it’s just fluff to fill blank paper, limit that fluff to the pertinent information. Experienced hiring managers are very good at identifying fabricated contentquot–Joel Rudy, chief operating officer of Photographic Solutions Inc.
quotJob seekers focus on the wrong thing when they obsess about whether hiring managers prefer a one- or two-pagereacutesumeacute. Job seekers with great experience, skills,industry connections and attitudes can stop worrying about the one- versus two-page reacutesumeacute dilemma and be assured that hiring managers are not going to rule out a terrific candidate for sending a two-page reacutesumeacute instead of a one-page reacutesumeacute.quot –Janet Civitelli, Ph.D., workplace psychologist and founder of career advice website VocationVillage.com
quotYour reacutesumeacuteisyour introduction to a new company. It says volumes about you before you ever get a chance to and may decide if you get to say anything yourself. One or two pages don’t really matter, but two pages in most cases are all you need. Reacutesumeacutes should incorporate both responsibilities and accomplishments, conveyed in specific and measurable form — how did you make or save your company money?quot– Ira Bershard, Kaye Bassman
quotI’ve seen stacks and stacks of reacutesumeacutes and have strong opinions on how they should be organized and written. As far as number of pages required for a reacutesumeacute, the idea that everything should fit on one page is dated. Don’t leave key experience out just because you’re trying to keep it to one page. But do make sure all of the key important experience is on the first page and highlighted appropriately. A good way to accomplish this is by creating a ‘career highlights’ section at the beginning of your reacutesumeacute.quot–Jenna (Gruhala) Oltersdorf, principal, Snackbox
quotA two-page reacutesumeacute full of fluff and padding kills interest. Yet a one-page reacutesumeacute that
leaves out compelling selling points shortchanges both the applicant and the hiring company. The length of your reacutesumeacute should be determined by how long you can keep the story you’re telling compelling. You need to pique enough interest to generate an interview, not hide your strengths in a pile of unimpressive blather and puffery.quot –Barry Maher is the author of quotFilling the Glassquot
quotAlthough I do prefer to see a one-page reacutesumeacute, it’s a mild preference and I definitely think this issue gets overemphasized. I have hired applicants that submitted a two-page reacutesumeacute and would do so again in the future. My best advice is to keep in mind that hiring managers often scan reacutesumeacutes for only 20-30 seconds each. Because of this, the wording of your bullet points is crucial they must be succinct and attention-grabbing.Also, consider placing a bulleted list of work accomplishments (from all jobs) at the top of your reacutesumeacute.This technique is gaining more and more popularity as it can really help to grab the attention of the manager that is scanning the reacutesumeacutes.quot –Kris Alban, director of strategic partnerships, iGrad
The verdict:The length of your reacutesumeacute will vary based on your experience. If you’re a new graduate or you have less experience, keep your reacutesumeacute to one page. If you’re a seasoned employee in the work force, it’s OK to have your reacutesumeacute a little longer.
No matter how many pages you choose to include, make sure to include all of your pertinent career information on the first page — and in the top portion — of the document.

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