How To Reduce Your Cv Size
1) Is it all relevant?
Remember: you dont need to include everything. Youre advertising yourself for a role, not giving them your life story.
Take your employment history: while the paper round you did when you were 14 may have built your confidence, unless youre going for the job of senior paper delivery boy, your employer probably wont need to know.
The same goes for your interests. You may like eating out, and long walks along the beach but the reality is that the person reading your CV probably doesnt care. We all enjoy socialising with friends.
Keep it pertinent and, above all, relevant.
3) Are you afraid of the white space?
Nearly all recruiters will be skim reading your CV, so always avoid trying to cram as much information in as possible.
You need to grab their attention, and keep them interested. Presentation can be just as important as the content. Dont be afraid of the gaps. Be bold. Use bullet points
Keep the focus on what you want them to see, and draw attention to any key facts or bits of information that may be relevant. Leave out everything else.
And whilst you may think that moving the margins and changing the typeface is a clever way around this, itll only make your CV stand out for the wrong reasons.
5) Are you getting straight to the point?
This not only reduces length, it also makes sentences more active, giving your accomplishments greater authority. Play to your strengths, but get straight to the point.
What Is The Format For Personal Statement
Format Your Personal Statement Correctly Single-space your personal statement with standard cover letter spacing. Write 5 to 8 paragraphs and 700 to 1,000 words. Choose a respected cover letter font like Arial, Helvetica, or Cambria. Put your name and contact info in a cover letter heading at the top.
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Two Page Resume Format
This two page resume example was written by a candidate whos applying to become the personal assistant for a local politician. Shes had plenty of personal assistant experience, but she hasnt worked in politics for eight years. So she uses a two-page resume format to showcase all her relevant experience:
Page 1
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Simple Professional One Page Resume Template
This Simple Professional Resume Template and CV Template is straightforward and effective. It uses design to stand out in a good way. Like the Modern one-page resume template above, its divided for easy readings, with attention-getting headings. The big name and dark heading give it oomph.
Expert Hint: Not all Free Resume Builders are ATS friendly. To make sure your creative resume reaches a human reader, send it directly to the recruiter’s inbox.
When Is It Acceptable
Several instances were discussed above where a resume can be longer than 2 pages.
A federal resume is often 4-6 pages long.
If the role you are interested in requires a CV , it will likely be over 2 pages long because of the additional information you will need to include.
As a freelancer or executive, sometimes 2 pages is not quite enough space, and going to a third page is necessary. Just keep the information applicable to the role you are applying to.
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When It’s Acceptable To Have A Three
There are some fields that require a long resume due to the inclusion of research, publications, and detailed projects. Those often involve people in science, medicine, academia, and engineering.
Even then, itâs advisable to keep your resume at two pages unless you have relevant information the hiring manager would want to see. You can include additional information on your LinkedIn profile, online portfolio, or a personal website.
Note: this advice is specifically for people writing a resume. If you’re not applying for a corporate job in the US or Canada, you may want to brush up on when to use a CV instead.
So how can you cut your resume down to two pages? You need to remove irrelevant and outdated information. Here are some tips to trim your resume down to be more effective.
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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How Long Should A Resume Be
A resume should typically be only one page in length. However, there are certain circumstances under which a two-page resume is acceptable. As long as all the information that is included is important and relevant to the employer, resume length is secondary. Your top priorities when writing your resume is readability and relevance.
Related: How Long Should a Resume Be?
Add A Separate Header To Page Two
Add a header to the second page of your resume. Include your full name, phone number, email address and the words “Page Two” to make it clear that this is part of your resume. The font should be the same style that you used on Page One, but should be smaller than the font you used throughout the rest of the resume.
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How Many Pages A Resume Should Be
How long should your resume be? The answer is that the length of your resume depends on a number of factors. It depends on how much experience you have and what level candidate you are. If you’re an entry-level candidate, a page should be plenty.
For more experienced candidates, it’s fine to have a longer resume. Read below for more detailed information on how long your resume should be, and tips for making your resume the perfect length.
How Many Years Of Experience Should You Put On A Resume
The level of the position you are applying for can also determine the amount of experience to include on your resume. Senior roles can have up to 15 years of experience or more if the information can boost your candidacy. If you are applying for a mid-level position, a 10-year employment history is ideal.
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When You Have More Than 10 Years Of Experience
If you have 10 or more years of experience in your industry with multiple employers, or a history of promotion and professional achievement, you should definitely use a two-page resume. This will give you the room you need to describe the accomplishments and contributions that will set you apart from your competition.
How Far Back Should A Resume Go
If you have a long work history, you should only go a maximum of 10 to 15 years back.
Unless it was something outstanding, the recruiter doesnt need to know what you were doing 20 years ago. Chances are, the jobs from the beginning of your career arent as impressive as the ones youve held more recently.
For example, theres no need to mention you were a market research assistant 18 years ago if you were head of marketing 3 years ago.
Pro Tip:
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Can A Resume Be 2 Pages
Yes, a resume can be two pages long. A two-page resume is a good choice if you have more than 6 years of relevant job experience. In this case, a two-page resume may even be necessary to convey all of the critical information an employer needs to know. Also, two-page resumes are usually accepted for academia and grad school applications.
Focus On Your Most Recent Experience
Your potential employer wants to see your most recent skills and experience. You donât need to include an internship from 15 years ago! If you havenât used those skills since then, they are not going to help you land this job.
This applies to the work experience descriptions on your resume, as well. If you had the same responsibilities under multiple entries, consider including it only under the position you held most recently.
Put the focus on your most recent professional experience. In general, you shouldnât include any jobs from over 15 years ago. This will help you keep the focus on what youâre capable of now, as well as minimize age bias.
Exception: education. Your hard-earned degrees are almost always relevant, no matter how long ago you earned them.
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Youre Hoping To Attract The Attention Of A Recruiter
Many senior managers and executive-level professionals work with recruiters to source coveted positions. The same is true for companies that are looking for very specific candidates to fill critical roles. This makes it important for job-seekers to find effective recruiters to land them dream gigs. And in a competitive market, you need to stand out more than ever.
According to Amanda Augustine, a career expert for TopResume, a 2018 study revealed that recruiters typically prefer two-page resumes over one page, regardless of their job level. Though this doesnt mean you should automatically try to fill two pages if you dont have content, it should alleviate some of the stress you feel when going from a single to a double-sided. Many believe since recruiters spend only a hot second blazing through resumes, it should be as short as possible. The opposite is actually true, Augustine says. You want your resume to cover the important details that support your candidacy as succinctly as possible, she continues. However, the last thing you want to do is cram valuable information into a single page with a tiny font size and narrow margins. Given that recruiters skim over resumes in such a short amount of time, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to quickly pull out the details that matter most to themwithout going cross-eyed in the process. A two-page resume will often allow you to create the necessary white space to strike this visual balance.
Should A Resume Be One Page
A resume should be one page in length. A ‘two page resume’ is OK if you can’t cut it shorter without hurting the message. Professionals with lots of experience in technical professions often need a two page resume.
Think who youre up against. If youve got accomplishments thatll blow the manager away, dont cut them. That said, most managers spend six seconds reading resumes. If you can stuff all your goodies in a single page resume, do it. Most resumes shouldnt be 3 pages.
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Format Tips For A Two
There are a few considerations for a two-page resume that are worth some thought:
All the reasons to hire you need to be on the first page. Just as the summary should contain the key messages of your resume, the first page should contain the very best bits. It should be reverse-chronological to show the most recent roles, the skills section needs to be here and ideally a couple of your most recent roles.
Both pages should be packed with relevant keywords and achievements. While the first page is important to grab a clients attention, this doesnt mean that page two should drop off in intensity. The roles might be a little less recent, but that doesnt mean that your accomplishments are worth less.
List additional information education, certifications, etc, on page two. Your future employer will definitely be interested in your education and personal development, so they will certainly move on to page two to find these aspects of your application. It is expected that they are at the end of any resume they will be found.
Dont feel that you have to fill page two entirely. This is a controversial one. Some people might say that if page two is not full of content, an employer could conclude that you do not have much else to talk about. Others feel that it is more important to only include the most relevant parts of your application as that will dictate the content of the interview. Dont include unimpressive filler phrases.
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Remove Irrelevant Or Optional Information
You might have included some optional sections like hobbies and interests or volunteer experience. If this information doesnt make your resume more relevant or valuable to the employer, consider removing it. Here are a few additional pieces of information you might consider removing:
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Proficiency in skills the employer will likely expect you to have like Microsoft suite or soft skills like teamwork
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Phrases such as references available upon request
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Your physical address
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Out-of-date education information such as your high school if you have an associates or bachelors degree
Doesnt It Make More Sense To Print Resumes Double
While it may seem like you are doing your employer a favor by handing them a single piece of paper instead of two, it could also make things tedious. One-sided resumes are traditional and account for almost all resumes given to employers. If one resume is double-sided, an employer may think a page is missing.
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Creating A Multi Page Resume
In some cases, you might need an even longer resume. For example, a three-page resume is common among candidates for executive positions, like CEO.
And if youre applying for a graduate program or teaching position in an academic setting , youll need to create a curriculum vitae instead of a resume.
These two documents are similar, but a CV also includes sections for your publications, conferences youve participated in, and research projects.
Knowing how a CV compares with a resume is important if youre still unsure which application document you need.
Finally, another case where a resume can be more than two pages long is if youre writing a federal resume. This standardized resume type is used specifically for federal jobs, and requires many more details than normally needed.
Focus On The Last 10 Years
Unless there is a position you held more than 10 years ago that you think would help you get this particular job, concentrate your work history on the last 10 years of your career. Within each description, highlight your most noteworthy accomplishments, specifically the ones where you can quantify your results. For example, “Increased sales revenue by 25% over six months.”
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Do You Need A Two Page Resume Format
If youre like me, you might have one page only! ingrained in your brain when it comes to how long a resume should be.
If youre like me, you might have one page only! ingrained in your brain when it comes to how long a resume should be. However, once youve been in the workforce for several years, your one-page resume is likely bursting at the seams. Is a two page resume the answer? Turns out, its not as taboo as you may have thought.
Place This Information On The Second Page
Additional Work Experience
Continue presenting your work experience on the second page. Don’t fill this area with fluff for the sake of building more content. Everything on your resume should be there for a reason. It should demonstrate that you are the right candidate for the job. If it’s just providing filler, it should not be there.
Education and Training
Not everyone can put a college degree on their resume. This is not an insurmountable obstacle. It is great if you can list a college and a degree, but if you can’t take a careful look at classes, workshops and online training you may have completed. List certifications you have obtained, whether they were earned through a degree program or during on-the-job training.
You can also include information about a degree program you are currently enrolled in. For example, you can state, “Graduate studies in in progress” or “Master’s Degree in anticipated” and give the date.
There is some discussion as to whether you should give the date you earned your degree. Nothing demonstrates a lack of experience more than a recently earned degree. On the other side, nothing shows age more quickly than a degree that was earned over 20 years ago. It is your decision. Not including the date is recommended by most state WorkSource offices.
Professional Associations
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