Is Your Resume Too Long?
Q. Is it acceptable to have a resume longer than two pages?
With rare exception two pages is still the generally accepted maximum length. I have helped thousands with their resume and I can’t think of a time when we couldn’t fit all of the relevant information on two pages.
Remember, the purpose of a resume is to demonstrate to the reader that your experience and background aligns with the position. It isn’t an autobiography. It doesn’t have to include everything you have done in 25 years. It is a summary, usually in a bullet point format. All a resume really needs is the right information necessary to get an interview. It isn’t designed to get a job.
Generally, your experience from 20 years ago or more is no longer critical. If it is one might wonder if it is the right job in the first place. So I recommend summarizing this by simply indicating the name of the company, your position title and the years you worked there. Save the space to make sure that you list the important accomplishments that align with the company’s needs and will catch the reader’s eye.
I find that if more candidates would customize their resumes to the needs of the position they would get more interviews. Too often candidates make a one size fits all generic resume. Instead of a long resume covering every aspect of your career consider having a two page resume that is specific to the position. This might require more than one resume, but as long as everything is honest there is nothing wrong with this.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
If you would like to know if your job search is fully utilized and you are doing the right things, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resource link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Tags: Resume, Resume format, resume key words, Resume Keyword Search, Resume Mistakes, Resume style, Resume Techniques, Resume Writing, Resumes
Resume | bradremillard January 31, 2012
About the Author
Brad Remillard is a founding Partner of IMPACT Hiring Solutions, co-author of "You're NOT the Person I Hired", and "This is NOT the Position I Accepted". Brad is an award-winning international speaker, retained executive recruiter, and expert on hiring and retaining top talent, and executive job search.
2 Comments
Other Links to this Post
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
By Jim McMahon, January 31, 2012 @ 7:47 am
Noticed increase in resumes, as many are adding a -1- paragraph biography, written in the 3rd person, at the end of the resume. Any tips on how this paragraph can add flavor for the interviewer?
2 Pg Resume’, plus cover letter, plus either the Fax Cover Sheet or Email Cover sheet, equates to 4 pgs.
By shawn, February 13, 2012 @ 10:59 pm
People do increase the length of the resume by including some unnecessary information in the resume which makes the the resume dull and unreadable.