As a recruiter, one of the crucial frequent questions job seekers ask me is, “how many pages should my resume be?”
There’s quite a lot of conflicting recommendation about when one-page resumes are finest, when two-page resumes are higher, and the primary objective of your resume to start with! So I’m going to clear this up…
This article will clarify how lengthy a resume needs to be for professionals, faculty college students, and extra. After studying this web page, you’re going to know what number of pages to make your resume.
I’m additionally going to share a few of my BEST ideas for the way tweak your resume to get extra interviews when making use of for jobs, so be sure that to learn till the tip.
Let’s get began…
How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be?
Your resume needs to be the shortest quantity of pages attainable whereas nonetheless speaking your worth and related expertise for the position you’ve utilized for. Your resume ought to by no means comprise useless phrases or paragraphs, however you shouldn’t really feel restricted to a particular web page size or phrase depend in the event you really feel you’ve got extra related expertise, accomplishments, or {qualifications} to share.
Never put irrelevant or pointless data in your resume to make it longer
Don’t attempt to fill your resume with fluff or attempt to make it longer. No hiring supervisor goes to determine to interview you since you had an extended resume than another person.
(I’ll clarify the #1 factor they do search for, and the #1 factor your resume should do to get interviews in a second, so hold studying).
The solely exception to the rule above is that if your resume content material isn’t even reaching the underside of web page one. In that case, attempt to make your resume fill a full web page, as a result of that simply seems to be higher.
But in any other case, try to be writing related abilities, expertise, and different {qualifications} that you just really feel exhibit you’ll be a very good match for the position you’ve utilized for. (That final half is the important thing… you all the time wish to be “tailoring” your resume to the job description.)
But when you’ve put all of the related data you possibly can, cease. Adding irrelevant info only for the sake of constructing your resume longer is NOT going to impress any hiring managers or recruiters.
Your resume has one major objective: To present the employer that you’ve the abilities and expertise to step into their position and achieve success.
So if one thing isn’t serving to you do this, then it’s hurting you (by making it tougher for the hiring supervisor to identify the related data)!
For instance, in the event you held an irrelevant job 15 years in the past and have constructed a wholly completely different profession since then, take it off!
Or in the event you’re itemizing 25 abilities however solely 10 are related to your present profession, take these different 15 off!
By leaving them on there, you’re simply making it HARDER for the hiring supervisor or recruiter to seek out the related data that may make them wish to interview you. So by leaving irrelevant data in your resume, you’re costing your self interviews.
How lengthy ought to a resume be for a university pupil?
For the standard pupil or recent grad beginning their job hunt, a one-page resume is usually sufficient. It’s virtually all the time attainable to place your related training, technical abilities, internships and previous work expertise in a single web page as an entry-level job seeker.
However, there are exceptions. If you held a number of jobs and internships, or in the event you’re a PhD pupil who has revealed papers and analysis, then you could end up utilizing a two-page resume whilst an entry-level job seeker. This is appropriate and won’t value you jobs.
How lengthy ought to a resume be for an expert?
Knowledgeable can often match their expertise right into a one-page resume in the 5 to seven years of their profession. After that, you’ll sometimes begin to want a two-page resume in order to incorporate the entire vital info. Job seekers who’re managers or Executives will want a two-page or perhaps a three-page resume.
Your resume may additionally have extra pages primarily based on how technical your discipline of labor is, whether or not licenses/certifications are required, and many others.
This is why you must comply with the ideas from the primary portion of this text and all the time suppose critically about every bit of your resume. Ask your self, “Is this information helping me prove that I’ll be successful in this next position?” If the reply is, “no,” then take into account eradicating that piece.
How many phrases ought to a resume be?
Counting the phrases in your resume isn’t useful in acquiring a brand new place. This isn’t a related issue for hiring managers and won’t allow you to get extra job interviews. Because of this, there isn’t a actual quantity for what number of phrases your resume needs to be and there’s no purpose to be monitoring your phrase depend when writing a resume.
Focus on highlighting previous work, accomplishments, and abilities to show you’ll be able to step into this subsequent job and succeed. Word depend isn’t related.
How far again ought to a resume go?
If you’re an skilled candidate, you could begin to marvel how far again your resume ought to go, too.
So let’s discuss when you can begin eradicating previous jobs.
As a common rule of thumb, if a previous position isn’t related for the roles you’re making use of for now, and is greater than 10 years previous, then you possibly can take away it.
So in the event you’re an Executive, you would possibly wish to begin your resume work historical past with the start of your administration profession or your first position in your present business. There’s no want to return additional.
If you are feeling the job nonetheless demonstrates your capability to succeed in the positions you’re making use of to in your present job hunt, then depart it.
There’s no set rule for the way far again your resume ought to go. The backside line is: If a previous job helps you present the corporate that you just’re an ideal match, then depart it. If it’s not related to your present profession and isn’t serving to you win the interview, then lower that have.
Never Sacrifice Resume Formatting and Readability to Fit a Certain Page Length
As a recruiter, I’ve heard tales of candidates shrinking their font, altering spacing, and many others., in order to suit their content material onto one web page.
Don’t ever sacrifice the readability or the general formatting of your resume simply to suit it right into a sure variety of pages.
In excessive circumstances, I’ve seen a candidate shrink their font to a tiny dimension (like font dimension 8 or 9) as a result of somebody informed them, “your resume should be one page long”. That’s unhealthy profession recommendation, and as coated above, it relies on your actual scenario.
Focus on sharing invaluable content material, hold your formatting nice, well-spaced, and simple to learn for hiring managers, and also you’ll get extra interviews!
That brings me to my subsequent tip for resume web page size and formatting…
Use ample spacing and quick, easily-readable paragraphs when writing your resume
Nothing turns a hiring supervisor or recruiter off sooner than a resume with enormous blocks of textual content. (See instance under).
Instead of formatting your resume like this, put extra content material into bullet-format, or cut up up giant paragraphs into two or three smaller paragraphs with some white area in between. (Most persons are higher off utilizing bullets although, and one quick paragraph earlier than the bullets to explain the general position).
Example of how the web page would look:
For extra full resume work historical past examples, read this article.
Sections to Include on Your Resume to Get More Interviews
Now that you understand how lengthy a resume needs to be, I’m going to share some recommendations on what to place in your resume if you wish to get interviews!
Writing nice content material in your resume is way extra vital than worrying about what number of pages your resume needs to be.
And irrespective of how lengthy your resume finally ends up being, there are some key items to all the time embody if you wish to get extra interviews. So right here they’re…
First, you’ll need an ideal resume abstract paragraph. You can find examples here.
Next, be sure to have a GREAT work experience section total. This is the primary place I look on most resumes as a recruiter (I skip proper right down to it!)
Skills aren’t as vital, as a result of employers desire to see WHERE you used every ability and did every process in your profession. So focus principally in your employment historical past and bullets to exhibit your worth to employers… However when you’ve executed that, a Skills section continues to be helpful to incorporate. It helps you add related key phrases to your resume and present the corporate your high abilities at-a-glance.
And you’ll additionally wish to embody an Education part the place you spotlight any levels and certifications you’ve got. Those are the primary items I’d suggest together with.
For extra assist placing all of this collectively, learn this full article on must-have resume sections and how to title them.
We even have an in depth article going into extra element on what to put on a resume and how to structure/order everything.
So that’s one other useful resource that may allow you to be sure to’re getting probably the most out of the area in your resume, whether or not it’s one web page, two pages, or extra.
Conclusion: How Long Should a Resume Be?
If you research and comply with the recommendation above, you’ll have an efficient resume with the correct amount of pages to your scenario!
Just keep in mind – your resume is about exhibiting off your most related {qualifications} and abilities to land you the interview. Never get wrapped up in counting pages and lose sight of that major goal.
If you get distracted and begin worrying an excessive amount of about how lengthy your resume needs to be; it would simply turn out to be a distraction that stops you from writing the perfect resume attainable.
The backside line: Your resume needs to be as many pages as vital to point out your related {qualifications} and show that you may be an ideal match for this job you selected to use for. Once you’ve executed that, it shouldn’t be any longer.