A few weeks ago, maybe even a few months ago, I responded to a Facebook post of a friend who was asking for advice on the appropriate length of a resume. She was particularly interested in knowing if having a resume longer than one page would actually hurt her chances of getting a job. As I was skimming through the answers that she was being given, it amazed me how many people have such a misconception about resumes. I was seeing things such as “It should always be one page,” and “Nope! If it’s more than one page they won’t even look at it.” That last one actually made my eye twitch, because there was a time where I, too, fell for that lie. Part of what I do involves looking over and adjusting resumes for a lot of candidates, making them appropriate and relevant for our clients to see. So I can be the first one to tell you that a one page resume is not the be-all and end-all of resumes. Since I am still learning myself, I decided to do a quick survey around the office with some of our top recruiters in order to find out what is really essential within a resume. Here are some key things you should consider when putting together your resume.

1. How many pages?
   The truth is: it depends. Although it truly bugged me when I heard someone say that if your resume is more than one page “no one will look at it,” there are situations in which your resume should in fact be no longer than one page. But in most cases, it can be. After my survey, we can safely come to the conclusion that the magic number, if you will, is two pages, but never more than three. But don’t take it from me; take a look at some of our recruiters’ responses:

   “It really depends on the years of experience the candidate has worked in a related field and their area of expertise.  In Finance & Accounting, a resume really should not be more than 2 pages.” – Debbie Kriess, Managing Partner at FinancialPeople Staffing – Pittsburgh.

    “Length depends on experience level.  Someone with five or less years of experience could probably get it on one page.  In IT, it’s not uncommon for someone to have a three page resume but I really don’t recommend any longer than that. For someone with 10-20 years of experience, I would expect a two page resume.” – Brooke DeLucia, Technical Recruiter / Manager at ComputerPeople Staffing.

   “A new college grad/entry level candidate: one page.  Someone with 10+ years of relevant experience: 2-3 pages. Beyond three you risk losing the attention of the reader.” – Kara Bermingham, Managing Partner at MedicalPeople Staffing.

    “A recent college graduate should most likely have a one page resume, where as an experienced professional (10+ yrs.) could very well have a three page resume. I do believe, however that three should be the limit.” – Faith Drew, Research Analyst at FinancialPeople Staffing.

   “A one page resume is perfect for early to mid-career employees but a two page resume is fine for people who are further along in their career. Except for rare exceptions, a three page or longer resume usually is not a good idea.” – Beth Courtney, Sr. Technical Sourcing Specialist at ComputerPeople Staffing.
   

2. How should it be written?
   

   Too often I’ve come across a lot of resumes that look either too cluttered, have too much space, are not formatted properly or are just plain difficult to read. This would also include having too much jargon or words that seem out of place; i.e. words to make you sound “smarter.” Founder and CEO of Human Workplace, Liz Ryan, talks about this aspect and explains how your resume should have a “human voice,” and should not be laid out as if it’s some form of legal document. What you want to do is make sure that your resume is easy to read by organizing it appropriately, having a proper format, have a “human voice,” and being precise. Here are some tips from our recruiters:
   

    “Most people scan resumes – you want it to flow and have bolded or underlined words that highlight the important parts such as job title and company.” – Faith Drew.

    “Drop the objective! Use a summary style paragraph that pinpoints the role you are looking for along with your areas of expertise and what you can bring to the table. It’s like a quick “sell” that is meant to draw the reader in and make them want to learn more about you.” – Brooke DeLucia.
   

   “If a resume has long paragraphs without a break, it’s very unappealing to read and I often skip over that section. I like to see bullets (but not too many) and enough white space between sections that it’s easy to read. I’d much rather read a well-spaced 2 page resume than a one pager that’s all crammed together. Also VERY important to check for typos and remember that spell-check doesn’t catch everything. Have someone else proofread your resume for typos, misspellings, etc. ” – Beth Courtney.

3. What should I put in it?
   So now you have an idea of how long your resume should be and how it should be written, but you’re not sure what exactly you should actually put in it. A lot of people, myself included, have believed the notion that you should put all of your experience on your resume, explaining what your responsibilities were during each position. However, while this is important, I will say that something we often forget is to include results in our resumes. A results-oriented resume will be a lot more appealing to a recruiter than a resume that simply states “I was in charge of accounts receivables.” Showing results, such as “I increased sales profit by 10% using procedure ABC,” shows the recruiters not only what you’re capable of but also what makes you valuable. Here are some additional tips from our recruiters on content:

   “(These are specific to a Technical resume), Skills section containing keywords/skills – Allows me to quickly skim the resume to see if the candidate has the basic skill set for a specific position. Highlight Accomplishments – To me this is important because it shows how the candidate differentiated themselves from their peers.” – Kevin Pyle, Technical Recruiter at ComputerPeople Staffing.

   “chronological work history, is usually the best way to go unless you are trying to change careers.  If so, a transitional resume which highlights skills may be the preferred way to go, just be sure to include work history at the bottom.” – Beth

   “For Technical resumes, it’s important to list the relevant technology ‘buzzwords’ in context with each job.  It’s good to have a Technical Skills section as a general overview but you still need to show where you used a particular skill and what you did with it.  Try framing your bullets as ‘Project, Action, Result,’ (saved or made the company money, saved time, improved a process or service)”. – Brooke DeLucia

   “Don’t forget accomplishments!  Does your resume sound like a generic HR job description? Your resume should set you apart from your competition and be very personal to you and the unique attributes and accomplishments you bring to the table.” – Brooke DeLucia

   “A resume should include key technical skills, and should be a mix of accomplishments and tactical day to day responsibilities” – Debbie Kriess

   “Dates – resumes that do not have dates of employment are a huge red flag. I want to see when you worked at certain companies, take note of any gaps in employment, and know if you are currently employed or unemployed” – Faith Drew

Now that you’ve gotten some tips, you can go ahead and make sure that your resume is in top shape. Make sure that you have someone else proof-read your resume, to ensure that all typos and inconsistencies are taken care of, and don’t forget to include important elements such as achievements and skills! Happy writing! 🙂

By Nayadee Wilson