How long should your resume be? The answer to this question is not easy and will vary depending on who you ask. Most recruiters and hiring managers don’t mind reading a resume that is longer than one page if the job-seeker has enough relevant experience and information to justify the length. So, how do you know if you are “worthy” of a longer resume?
The answer lies in several different factors:
Experience: Entry-level or recent college grads should probably stick to one page. If you find yourself going over, think about what is relevant to the jobs you are applying for. The first thing to get rid of is anything from before college. That summer job at your favorite store in the mall may have paid for your first car, but it has nothing to do with the job at an accounting firm that you are applying for.
The general rule is that if you have 5-10 years of experience, your resume can be 2 (max 3) pages. Again, you can get rid of that job right out of college that has nothing to do with what you’re doing now. You should also try and fill at least 1/2 of the second page to avoid having too much “blank, white space.” This length allows you to include enough information about your experiences to show that you are qualified for the position.
Senior level executives can get away with having a three (or more) page resume. At this level, you are most likely going to have a long history with several companies. Also, recruiters are probably getting fewer applicants for these positions and will take more time to carefully review each resume.
Industry: If you are in the technical or engineering field, you will need a longer resume to demonstrate all your areas of knowledge. However, you should still consider getting rid of content that is not relevant to the position. Other industries that tend to call for longer resumes are academic and scientific. People in these industries tend to have publications, patents, research, or speaking engagements. These things are important in those industries because they show both accomplishment and involvement.
Content: Your resume should highlight your key experiences and be concise enough to catch the reader’s attention. If your resume is long but has a lot of good, relevant information, it is going to be read through thoroughly. If it is long, but doesn’t immediately catch the recruiter’s eye, they probably won’t make it past the first page. Use good judgment with what you include and remember that “less is more.” Remember, if your resume makes a good first impression then you will have an opportunity to discuss your experience further in an interview.
Number of Employers: Most companies don’t want to see that you’ve got three pages worth of employers in ten years. However, as mentioned above, it depends on how long you have been working. If you have had six employers, but they show how you have moved up the corporate ladder, then that can say that you are ambitious and hard-working. A resume that shows you jumping around from company to company to do practically the same job is probably not going to look too good to the person reading it. Again, consider each position’s relevance to the job you are applying for.
DON’T:
- Make the font size on your resume so small that you need a magnifying glass to read it. You also should avoid changing the margin size.
- End a page with only half a thought. For example, all of the information for a position should be on the same page.
- Use the same resume for every job (add and delete irrelevant things for each position, this should allow you to keep your resume at a decent length).
- Fill up your resume with personal information (hobbies, community involvement, etc.) These things should only be used in small doses as fillers if your resume doesn’t meet the one-page mark (or if they are relevant to the position).
- List every job you’ve had since high school.
