ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > December > 19
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
One, two or three-page résumé?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How long should my résumé be?
Congratulations on your knowledge in even considering how long a résumé should be! This question puts you miles ahead of your competition. Most people do not consider length in terms of writing a good résumé. Here are a few things that will assist you in determining your personal needs in terms of résumé length.
You might consider a one-page résumé if: * You are right out of school or are just beginning your career (less than 9-10 years). * You’ve been a loyal employee with only a few jobs. * You’ve had a position (like real estate agent or mortgage associate) that does not change much in terms of typical responsibilities. * You are going for a sales job. People reading resume for a sales position prefer a short resume with numbers and percentages.
You may want to think of a two-page résumé if: * You’ve had more than 9-10 years of experience relevant to the position that you are seeking. * You are making a career change and need to explain your career history that will assist you in that effort as well as explain your successes throughout your career. * You’ve had many changes in your career and have decided on a job that you had in the past. This layout usually requires a “Relevant Career History” and “Professional Career History” to emphasize key skills.
A three-page résumémay be a consideration if: * You are going for an executive role -Vice President, Director, President or C-level roles. Employers looking to fill these types of jobs want to know a lot about their candidates. * You are a scientist, professor, or doctor that needs to list all publications and speaking engagements (usually referenced as a CV). * You have a lot of technical or engineering skills that will need to be listed to prove your qualifications for the job.
