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How Long Should Your Resume Be

Light One Page Resume Template

Resume Tips: How Long Should Your Resume Be?

The Light Resume Template by Gilang Tito Dharmawan at Behance is simple, spare, and inviting. Its a one-page resume template that draws the reader in and promises quick access to pertinent info.

The link is here.

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Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. Youre the perfect candidate and well prove it. Use the ResumeLab builder now.

List Experiences At The Most Well

If you were part of lets say a 2-year project with Facebook, Google, or any other big company, then you definitely wouldn’t want to disregard writing this on your resume.

A shorter resume filled with experiences across companies with high brand awareness is like seeing gold for a recruiter. Exactly the wow recruiters are looking for in your resume.

Case Study: Gals One Page Resume

With over a decade of experience, Gal was searching for a new job in business development.

From starting his own company to leading software solutions all the way to speaking three languages, you could say he was spoiled for choice.

Most people would say that 10+ years of experience = two pages.

But, Gal took a different approach.

On one page, he successfully told the recruiter who he was, why he was motivated for this job, the experience hed bring, and how he would make an impact.

Amidst the fog like Gal, you will hear different opinions about how long your resume should be. For someone with over 10 years of experience, most professionals and job seekers around will expect to have a two-page resume.

That doesnt necessarily mean you should.

Since Gals resume was one page, it was completely different to the rest of the other applicants. In other words, it was a gateway to standing out from the crowd and getting his voice heard among the chaos.

Be like Gal and get hired for the competitive job posting at your dream company by using Enhancvs free resume builder. Use the same one-page formula now below!

It only takes a few minutes!

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How Long Should A Cv Be

Were going to say it before you ask:

Yes, in the USA, a CV is different from a resume.

A resume is customized to each individual job you are applying to and is strictly one page.

A CV, on the other hand, covers the in-depths of your career and academic journey. It is usually used in Academia.

Because the goal and nature of a CV are different than that of a resume, you shouldnt necessarily strive for the shortest pitch possible.

Most recruiters agree that the average golden length for a CV is two or three pages.

However, depending on your years of experience, accomplishments, training, and education, it can go up to eight pages.

Not sure if you need a CV or a resume? Check out our guide that explains the difference between the two.

The Ideal Resume Length Depends On You

How Long Should a Resume Be? Ideal Resume Length

Are you a student or new graduate with qualifications that dont quite fit on one page? Go to two. Are you a CEO with a penchant for getting to the point? Try a one-page resume. The rule is there is no rule.

Dagliano recommends removing resume length from the equation. Ask yourself:

  • Is the content relevant?
  • Is the theme consistent and clear?
  • Is the information current?
  • Does it distinguish you from the competition?
  • Is it well written and grammatically correct?

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Case Study: Mias Three Page Research Assistant Resume

Mia has been working in immunology for many years.

From her undergraduate work to her current postdoctoral work Her drive to make a difference in the world has produced publications, presentations, and awards.

In her pursuit of postdoctoral research, demonstrating her expertise in the field is an absolute must. There are also expectations of an academic resume to put simply, having the correct style and streamlining your design.

To produce a resume to satisfy these conditions as well as discussing her previous work, a three-page resume was needed.

So far with all the case studies, have you noticed any similarities?

Firstly, theyre modern resumes which stand out. Above all, its the resume design and the way it highlights key information such as your certifications and different types of skills by using appropriate visual aspects. This is what makes them so compelling for the hiring manager.

Chances are, the recruiters at your company arent used to seeing a modern resume like this. So, making an impression and getting your foot in the door isnt difficult.

If youre unsure what to write and trying to cope with writers block, Enhancv makes the entire resume building process easier for you.

When youre using any of these proven examples, you have a resume in front of you thats gotten someone hired in the most competitive spaces. More importantly, they could just be like you.

These resume templates are free.

How To Get Your Resume Noticed

Eye-tracking research has shown that an HR professional will review your resume for a mere seven seconds, and companies are increasingly using automation to screen resumes.

  • The days of sending a generic CV are out. You need to be able to stand out and make the connection that lands an interview.
  • Experts share five fresh and practical ways you can do this: 1) Outsmart the robots 2) Show off your skills 3) Dont restrict your work experience to just work 4) Let the numbers do the talking and 5) Keep your cover letter personal.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here.

How long does it take a recruiter to decide if youre right for a job? Its actually around seven seconds, according to eye-tracking research. To put that into perspective, close your eyes and take two deep breaths. Thats the time, on average, hiring managers spend skimming your resume, sizing up your history, hopes, and dreams before either tossing it into the trash or moving you to the next round of the application process.

For those of us just entering the workforce or looking to make a career transition, one thing is clear: We need to find ways to stand out and fast. While there is a plethora of guidance on the Internet surrounding how to be a great candidate, it can be contradictory or confusing depending on where and when you look.

Here is what Ive learned:

Also Check: Listing Courses On Resume

Include A Career Note In A Senior

If you only held one or two positions before the 15-year cut-off, you can provide a short career note that mentions the roles and titles you held.

This format gives you some flexibility, as you may decide to summarize a few very similar roles into a short blurb to keep your resume length under two pages. For instance, you may say that your earlier experience includes … executive assistant work for companies including Company A, Company B, and Company C. If you worked with some name-drop worthy clients, you have the ability to work those details into a blurb like this as well. However, the rule of thumb is to keep this note short and sweet, so eliminate unnecessary details such as employment dates.

Click on the following link to see the entire two-page sample resume for a senior professional.

Remove Graphics And Photo

How long should your resume be?

Try to remove the unnecessary graphical elements from your resume. Not only they take up space but they arent of much importance to the recruiter. It may matter if the recruiter is seeing the resume online, but physically not only will the resume printing cost a lot but all the sweat oozed out in graphics wont impress the recruiter there if the content is not good. Most of the top company recuiters will tend to not make any decision if the candidate have a photo in there resume. The reason being, they could get judged of being racist in the future.

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Questions To Ask Before Writing Your Resume

  • What is your purpose in writing a resume? Are you changing jobs in the same career area or are you changing careers? It will make a difference in how you organize your resume.
  • What type of job are you seeking? It can help to have a specific objective or use the position to craft a targeted resume.
  • What type of person and experience are required for the job? You can find this information through research, informational interviewing and networking.
  • What skills and abilities do you have to offer an employer and what ones will you stress? Focus on those that support the experience and qualities they are seeking that is specific to the position.

Use Italicized Vs Bolded

One last trick you can try is reducing the number of bolded words you have throughout your resume.

This may help if your resume currently has one or two lines that are spilling over to another page.

If you are trying to emphasize a point, try changing the bolded words to italicized to see how much space that saves you.

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What Is A Resume

A resume is a written document of everything that relates to your work history. Your resume can include your experience, skills, achievements, education and qualifications. As your resume is often the first impression that your potential employer will have of you, its also one of the most important documents that you will ever create.

The resume is most often used as a tool to secure the first job interview. Upon applying for a job, you will usually have to submit your resume to a hiring manager, HR manager or recruiter. Based on their impression of your resume, he or she will decide whether to call you in for an interview.

Your resume needs to be up to date, meticulously correct, and its essential to land a job – you cant / wont secure a first interview without it.

Hiring Managers Want Clear Career Stories

Long Resume: Why Resume Length Matters in Your Job Search

Second, a study by TopResume found that employers value resumes that provide a strong career narrative. In other words, recruiters want to see more than merely a timeline of your professional and educational experience they want to be able to read your resume like a story. In order to create that story, your resume requires additional components such as a professional summary, a section to list your relevant experience, skills etc. all of which take up more space.

Read Also: Is It Okay For A Resume To Be Two Pages

How To Trim Your Resume To One Page

First off, let me be clear that there are some situations in which it makes sense to have a resume longer than a single page.

However, generally speaking, you’ll be more likely to end up with a resume that effectively communicates your abilities and relevant experience if you put some time into trying to edit it down to one page.

Remember that Ladders study mentioned earlier? Your resume has less than 8 seconds to make an impression every word on that page needs to be there for a reason.

I’d suggest focussing on the following when trimming down your resume. You

  • Remove any work experience that isn’t strongly related to the role you’re applying for. However, you should proceed with caution if this will leave unexplained gaps in your work history – as that can be a red flag to employers.
  • Reduce the descriptions of your roles and responsibilities to short dot-points that communicate only the most relevant responsibilities you held in that position, as related to the position you’re applying for.
  • Remove any extraneous details. For example – if you’ve graduated university, then you shouldn’t be including your high school, or high school grades on your resume.
  • To summarise, your resume should be a focussed, targeted document that is designed to showcase your most relevant experience for the job you’re applying for.

    Photo by JJ Ying on Unsplash

    Why Was One Page The Right Choice

    Catching attention

    Gal had all the experience in the world, but his aim wasnt listing as much as possible in his work experience section, skills section or education section.

    His aim was to catch HRs attention.

    Recruiters can look at resumes for less than 7.4 seconds. Having a long, drawn-out resume might be the difference between the No and the Maybe pile.

    Gals one-pager gives a quick, non-exhaustive record of his work history and talents. He knew once he secured an interview he could get the job. Catching the attention of the recruiter with a succinct resume was therefore vital.

    Staying concise

    There was no need to include multiple pages as Gals descriptions were concise and to-the-point.

    He went into detail on his most recent job and kept other relevant experience down to two bullet points. His industry expertise was conveyed quickly using one-word visuals too.

    Business development is rooted in your ability to communicate and do so as effectively as possible. Gal knew recruiters would be looking for a short few words on how he has led previous businesses to success.

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    Do Not Use A Bitmoji Or Other Alternative To A Photo

    âIâm stumped by this trend,â says Caitlin, Zipjobâs Marketing Manager. âI love seeing creative displays of personality on a resume, but Bitmoji are cartoons. Stand out from the applicant pool in other ways that will earn you more respect.â

    From a technical standpoint, as with other graphics, Bitmoji turn into jumbled nonsense to an ATS. Unlike logos or artistic headersâwhich can be appropriate for graphic designer resumes in print formâBitmoji never have a place on a resume.

    Keep your cartoon self firmly in the realm of social media and informal communication: your professional resume document is neither.

    Why Does It Matter

    How Long Should a Resume Be?

    Look at it this way, you want to always write a resume that fits your current status. You cant just write a really long resume and be a fresh graduate. If you just write about every task you did rather than what you achieved, the resume will just be repetitive. It is the quality that matters, not the quantity.

    On the other hand, if you are squeezing everything together, that isn’t good either. You wouldn’t want to write texts that are very small and can’t be read, just to make the words “fit in”.

    If you are not writing something unique that not many can achieve, something that really will shock the hiring manager, then most likely you have no need to make the resume longer than it should be.

    I remember once when I applied to a job, where there were a few applicants, and I had a resume that was over 2 pages long, with only 1 year of experience. The hiring manager told me that if there were more applicants, he wouldn’t have seen my resume, all because it was too long, based on the years of experience I had.

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    How Long Should Your Resume Be

    Ideally, a resume should be one pageespecially for students, new graduates and professionals with one to 10 years of experience.

    Besides, What is a CV vs resume?

    The CV presents a full history of your academic credentials, so the length of the document is variable. In contrast, a resume presents a concise picture of your skills and qualifications for a specific position, so length tends to be shorter and dictated by years of experience .

    As well as Is it OK to have a 4 page resume? When deciding how long your resume should be, keep in mind that the hiring manager will only be looking at it for a few seconds. A resume thats 3, 4, or 5 pages will usually be a turn off to a hiring manager. Do everyone a favor by only including your most impressive, relevant, and recent information on your resume.

    Furthermore How many jobs should you list on your resume?

    How Many Jobs Should You List on a Resume? You should list as many jobs on your resume as you can assuming they are all relevant and youre not going beyond the 10-15 year limit. The number of jobs typically varies between 7 and 3. As long as each job or position is relevant, you shouldnt worry about the exact number.

    Do employers like colorful resumes?

    The answer is yes. As long as the contrast between the text and background is high, using color wont prevent your resume from being scanned. Conservative use of colors on your resume is acceptable to Applicant Tracking Systems.

    Change Your Resumes Formatting

    If your resume has wide margins and a large font, youâre going to have a hard time fitting all the information you need on two pages. After clarifying the content, read our advice on resume margins and font size, as well as the top 10 resume fonts. This will help your resume appear balanced, relevant, and easy to read.

    Many people opt to use templates they find online. The templates you find on Etsy, Canva, or other sites are often very visually appealing and use a lot of white space however, multiple columns can confuse ATS scans so proceed with caution.

    âIf your resume includes more than a square inch of white space at any point, adjust your settings. Thatâs valuable real estate! Play with the margins, tabs, and justification settings,â advises Caitlin.

    Note: white space refers to spaces without content, no matter what color youâve opted to use or any lines youâve incorporated into your resume.

    Finally, be wary of any site or resume builder that offers a subscription service for resume templatesâtheyâre notorious for charging unknowing job seekers month after month. When in doubt, DIY your resume or hire a reputable service.

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