Resume (Pages?)

[liquid1010]

So I'm polishing up my resume to move down a new career path, and was hoping for some suggestions. How many pages do you believe a resume should be? Currently my application is a 3pg pdf document, with the first page being a cover letter, and the last two being my resume.

The other question would be, if I started at a company, and then got a promotion to my current position.... would I list both jobs, or just the position I am in now?

[Palmiros]

get to the point. don't list too much previous history, view it from the employers point of view not yours

[BrknFngrs]

keep it to the point, my professional resume is the same length as yours (1+2). If whats on their isn't going to help you get the job get rid of it. As for how to list jobs, I would say yes, list both positions with the same company.

[CaptainReboot]

List enough to cover 2 pages (not including cover). Don't list every job you've ever been at. If you have some kind of post secondary degree, don't bother listing your high school diploma, as that's pretty much assumed. (unless you did like IB or something). It just takes up room. I would list both positions if it fits, as it shows that you got promoted, which is always good.

I hire for my IT department and you wouldn't believe how many 5+ pages I get. I don't even look at anything that is over 2 pages.

[92_VTEC_lude]

Originally posted by CaptainReboot


I hire for my IT department and you wouldn't believe how many 5+ pages I get. I don't even look at anything that is over 2 pages.

listen to him because it is so true, no one want to read 5 pages resume when you have a stack of 50+ resumes on your table...

[ZorroAMG]

If your resume is over 3 pages it won't even be read. It screams you clearly have never applied for an adult job.

2 pages + cover FTW....using normal sized font.

There is valuable info in this thread.

[CaptainReboot]

Keep it simple. No fancy bullets, borders, etc.. As mentioned above, no fancy fonts that makes it hard to read. Do not shrink the font either just so you can squeeze in more. 10 - 12 font size.

Leave white spaces on the left side if you can. Don't stretch every bullet point to the left margin, as that just makes it look cluttered.

Leave out the "References Upon Request" section. It's also assumed that you will give it to them when they ask for it. That wastes valuable space. Also, what I like is a quick summary at the top of the resume after your "Objective" section that highlights what you've done in your different positions. That's a good way to put past experience on if you don't have room to list the complete job description.

Presentation is very important in a resume, which is why the 2 page + cover rule is important .

[Trini]

1-2 pages

[Doozer]

When I finished university, a bio-sci degree is pretty vague. I had several different resumes which were tailored to specific career directions. On each resume, I only listed jobs/details that I thought would be advantageous in that career path. Of course, some things (interests, etc) stayed the same no matter what.

Since that time, I've done a lot of hiring, and agree with pretty much everything already said. No more than 2 pages for the resume, and don't give everyone the same generic cover letter. Spend the 15 minutes tailoring the cover to the company (include the company name in the cover, and say why you're interested in THAT company).


When a cover letter comes across my desk that says "I'm interested in your company because I like the work you did with AAA and I think I could be an asset because of my work with BBB", it will get a lot more attention than some generic "to whomever" cover.

[celly]

I never let my personal resume get beyond 2 pages. Focus on your most recent employment and don't go much further back than 10 years.

I do a lot of hiring and while 1 pagers can be good, I some times find them vague. Avoid "fluff" like personal interests and don't try and baffle an employer with bullshit. They see it every time and you'll end of on the "PFO" file pretty quick if you do it. If you're at 3 pages, condense it down.

While a resume is a valuable document, don't underestimate the value of your cover letter. I specifically ask for cover letters in my job descriptions and I tend to overlook those who don't do good cover letters. That's the part where you get to distinguish yourself from other applicants. The advice given in the post prior to this re: cover letters is excellent.

I read somewhere that the average recruiter spends less than 60 seconds on any resume and it might even be less. That's about what I do. I always spend more time on what they have to say on the cover letter because it separates to excellent candidates to the one who just sends out a cookie cutter application.

[mekeni]

2 pages max

[TomcoPDR]

Just enough that's relevant to the job you're applying to, leave out the Tim Hortons, BP's... if you're applying for an office job or something. (where you don't need "cash handling" as an experience)

[Godfuader]

I use only 1 page now. To the point and relevent info only. In my opinion there is no need for "objectives" in the resume...thats what the cover letter is for. I just list:

Education (Degree + relevent accreditations and certifications)

Professional experience; If you are using a past employment that is similar to the position applying for....use space on this and have only 2 past jobs...if past experience is not directly related...use 3.

Volunteer experience. Always use numbers and cause-and-effect statements.

Languages, Interests & Other skills <-- VERY important. You can use hobbies as well. My fiance on her applications for top tier grad schools lists random hobbies like cooking. You would be surprised how much of an ice-breaker it can be, and shows a human aspect.

[n00bit]

Quality not quantity. Please don't think there is some requirement because there isn't one. A friend told me his company would chuck resumes if you didn't say you enjoyed playing soccer. So just write down what you think will "sell" you.

[blinkme_210]

Please only include your most recent 2/3 jobs. I don't want to read the jobs you've had since you were 16, like who the hell cares. The more jobs you list, that just shows me you lack commitment, and/or you have problems working with colleagues.

[Schwa]

I'm also tired of seeing the same old shit your guidance counselor told you to write like "great with people, good teamwork skills but can work independently"

Who the hell doesn't write that?

Please quantify your skills instead of writing generic statements.

[Antonito]

Originally posted by Schwa
I'm also tired of seeing the same old shit your guidance counselor told you to write like &quot;great with people, good teamwork skills but can work independently&quot;

Who the hell doesn't write that?

Please quantify your skills instead of writing generic statements.

That used to drive me fucking nuts. I mean, most of the time it's a lie anyways.

Don't list a job that is only a month or 2 long, unless it is a contract job or work study or something. I got a resume once that had about 50 jobs listed, the longest one was maybe a month. How the guy could remember all the details of each job, yet didn't have the mental capacity to last more than 2 weeks at a fish cannery, I'll never know

[Gainsbarre]

Originally posted by Schwa
I'm also tired of seeing the same old shit your guidance counselor told you to write like &quot;great with people, good teamwork skills but can work independently&quot;

Who the hell doesn't write that?

Please quantify your skills instead of writing generic statements.

My favourite is "strong MS Word skills" (or something along those lines) and the resume isn't even formatted properly (e.g. the bullet points are not in alignment and so on).

[redline]

As someone that hires people i will not even look at a resume over two pages and perfer one page.

But know what is perfer in the industry you are appling for and build your resume accordingly.

[msommers]

Originally posted by Doozer
When I finished university, a bio-sci degree is pretty vague.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your current career?

Lot of good resume info in this thread but page length should be a given. Just put yourself in a employer's shoes and consider how annoying your 10 page resume would be to read.