2 page maximum for resumes ?? or not ?

[malecoke]

I've always been taught/told to keep my resume brief, preferbly a 2 page limit since HR ppl doesnt wanna go thru a 10page biography.

Yesterday I gave my resume to a family friend to help me apply to a local bank as a teller, and the feedback he gave me was I gotta write more instead of less. He told me that HR ppl will automatically ignore the ones that are short and go for the ones that are like 3-4 pages long first.

Is this true ??

Just a lil fyi....
My first page included my name&contact on top, 3 jobs with 4-5 briefs points for each job and a 2.5line of objective.
Second page has my education background, revelant skills and other community activities that im involved in.
Total comes to 2 pages full, font 12 with the standard margins.

[flyinggonzo]

One page resume.

Longer resumes are only used in very specific circumstances in North America.

[DaFonz]

Wrong. If you're applying for a bank teller, your resume should be no longer than one page - you simply dont have the experience.

[faken]

Entry level positions always one page.

Upper Management positions you could have more then one or two pages.

The way I see it. The higher the position you are applying for, the longer your resume :).

[dealtacular]

One or two pages is fine. It doesn't have to be just one, even for entry level (provided you actually have enough content). I have always had a two page resume, and I don't feel I have been held back in life because of this.

Beyond two pages is almost always too much, except for some positions in academia (where really you would submit a CV).

[ZoomZoom2006]

Either One or Two FULL-Page resume
told by IBM HR people and similar things from the school career center
I thought two was already an extreme...

[AcidBomber]

No more than 2 pages for sure... :|

[7jai]

2 page resume is alright. just make sure the content is relevant, and dont add experience that makes no sense to the job you are applying for.

also, take the advice of a previous poster. make sure its either one FULL page...or two FULL pages. don't do 1 + 1/2 pages.

[malecoke]

thanks for the reassurance guys....thought i was outdated or sthg with resume requirements...always been told to stick with 2 pages...

[poedua]

I..
My first page included my name&contact on top, 3 jobs with 4-5 briefs points for each job and a 2.5line of objective.

Second page has my education background, revelant skills and other community activities that im involved in.

Total comes to 2 pages full, font 12 with the standard margins.

Depends.

If each of those jobs above are simply part-time / summer jobs you've had while at school, then you can probably do a very effective 1 page resume....instead of a 2 full page resume may which seem ' padded ' with unnecessary or bloated content.

[nhui06]

The average recruiter spends less than 10 seconds on your resume and most start from the top and look only at the first half, if nothing interested then they pass it. Therefore, it doesn't matter how long your resume is (2 pages still the max), just make sure you have highlighted your skills and achievement at the top half of your resume or else they won't even read the bottom half of your first page. Focus on selling yourself in less than 5-10 seconds rather than worryingh about your page length

[Birdman]

thanks for the reassurance guys....thought i was outdated or sthg with resume requirements...always been told to stick with 2 pages...


A lot of good information from people who actually do the hiring was discussed here:

Resume Discussion (http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=618988)

[manho]

The only resumes i've seen thats more than 2 pages are academic resumes (ie. professors)

[TotallyKiller]

Tell your friend to look up the difference between a resume and a CV.

[BananaHunter]

Resumes are read by people (hopefully), not machines. Some prefer 1 page, some prefer 2 pages. It's not really the pages that makes all the difference. It's the content. If you only have 1 page worth of "good" stuff, 1 page is enough. If the job reqs are very demanding, and you have 2 pages of good exp, then perhaps 2 pages is better. While some managers will throw out long resumes, they always have the option to not continue reading. Some can make a decision to interview you based on just the 1st page, even though your resume is 3 pages.

So no, there's no hard and fast rule for resume page numbers. Use your judgement. And common sense does tell us that the most important stuff all fits into 1-2 pages. That's why people always say 1-2 pages. But it's much more flexible than you think depending on the position.

[ZoomZoom2006]

Entry level positions always one page.

Upper Management positions you could have more then one or two pages.

The way I see it. The higher the position you are applying for, the longer your resume :).

huh...I heard oppositely...entry level resume is expected to be longer since you do not have some valuable working experience so everything else should be put into the resume, GPA, campus activities, many interns, awards etc.

An upper level hire should only conclude a very basic education background and the most recent job's description -- the firm you might have worked for 10 or 20 years. All the rest do not matter any more.

I know it can be completely different in a University hire, those profs have longer and longer CVs because they have more and more publications.

[ZoomZoom2006]

Tell your friend to look up the difference between a resume and a CV.

CV emphasize acadamic staffs more than a resume and you do not have to describe anything else, such as volunteers jobs, competitions n' interns, in details -- usually just write one or two lines each. I think, in mose of cases, only universities want to see a CV and I saw only one employeer in the past year asks for resume 'OR CV'.

[poedua]

huh...I heard oppositely...entry level resume is expected to be longer since you do not have some valuable working experience so everything else should be put into the resume, GPA, campus activities, many interns, awards etc.

Which should EASILY fit onto 1 page.

[nalababe]

First, a CV and Resume are two different beasts. A CV is all encompassing and even for a highschool teacher cold reach 5 or 6 pages.

But for a resume, a good rule of thumb is no more than 1 page for every 5 years of working.

The problem is that early in their career, people want to explain what they have done. When we read resumes, if you have titled yourself correctly, we know what that role entails. What we want are the accomplishments...ex

[IQGreg]

Yes, two pages is typically the standard maximum length for a resume.

A resume is supposed to summarize you, and give the reader an idea of your skills, experience, and what you can provide them with. Ultimately it's meant to get you an interview where you can elaborate and tell your story in more detail.

Go longer than two pages and you risk things not getting read. Unless you are an EXTREMELY accomplished person, you shouldn't need any more than 2 pages, and even still....

Bottom line: If you can't sell yourself in two pages, going longer probably isn't going to help.

[sleepyguy]

I'm sure this is not the norm but my Bro's resume was 4pgs. Yes, that's right 4 friggin pages! LoL! He's an professional Engineer and with that ridiculous resmume he's make quite a living now :)

I guess to each their own. 1 or 2 pages are usually common practice. Anything entry level should be 1 page though. -sg

[ZoomZoom2006]

Which should EASILY fit onto 1 page.

I dun think this applies to every case...Resume, not CV, asks for some details...so let's say maybe 3 lines for one activity and similar length for each award from competitions...mine's gonna be like almost 1 full page. plus education background, qualification, working exp...

>_< the good thing is we dun hav to write the 20-page resume. I saw a lot of 20 pages CV from my profs..that is crazy

[ZoomZoom2006]

First, a CV and Resume are two different beasts. A CV is all encompassing and even for a highschool teacher cold reach 5 or 6 pages.

But for a resume, a good rule of thumb is no more than 1 page for every 5 years of working.

The problem is that early in their career, people want to explain what they have done. When we read resumes, if you have titled yourself correctly, we know what that role entails. What we want are the accomplishments...ex

yea, true.

but accomplishments alone could take a lot of the space for an entry level resume, and, even with the same title, the role can vary a lot from one firm to another. Anywas, I think 1 page is perfect and 2 is acceptable.

My teacher on my 3rd year, who was Rogers and Kraft VP, said her resume gets cut shorter and shorter when she gets more experience but I am not sure whether this is common.

This reminds me one interesting thing she mentioned -- a decade ago, when she went to a firm, I forget the name, and the boss did not even wanna interview her because she's from UofT not harvard...-.-b

[nalababe]

yea, true.

but accomplishments alone could take a lot of the space for an entry level resume, and, even with the same title, the role can vary a lot from one firm to another. Anywas, I think 1 page is perfect and 2 is acceptable.

My teacher on my 3rd year, who was Rogers and Kraft VP, said her resume gets cut shorter and shorter when she gets more experience but I am not sure whether this is common.

This reminds me one interesting thing she mentioned -- a decade ago, when she went to a firm, I forget the name, and the boss did not even wanna interview her because she's from UofT not harvard...-.-b

It is because as an entry level candidate, you don't understand what an accomplishment actually is.....from a corporate point of view. For most student jobs, coops, your accomplishment could be defined by one line...more detail could rightfully be put in the cover letter.

Brevity is a skill. Getting information across with the least amount of effort is a tremendous skill...10+ years experience and I get get interviews at the drop of a hat with a one page resume.....I am just cracking into a second page...fwiw, now middle-senior management in a diagnostics company

[poedua]

I dun think this applies to every case...Resume, not CV, asks for some details...so let's say maybe 3 lines for one activity and similar length for each award from competitions...mine's gonna be like almost 1 full page. plus education background, qualification, working exp...

I never said it did.

But in this case, I'd say 1 page most certainly applies for an " entry level resume " in which you " do not have some valuable working experience ".

[ZoomZoom2006]

I never said it did.

But in this case, I'd say 1 page most certainly applies for an " entry level resume " in which you " do not have some valuable working experience ".

rite becuz we dun hav the relevent and valuable working experience, we need to put as many as possible competition rewards and volunteers activities on the resume to stand out. Otherwise, all we hav left is the GPA and the school name. But, well, yea, different from person-to-person, it can be 1 page or more.

[ZoomZoom2006]

It is because as an entry level candidate, you don't understand what an accomplishment actually is.....from a corporate point of view. For most student jobs, coops, your accomplishment could be defined by one line...more detail could rightfully be put in the cover letter.

Brevity is a skill. Getting information across with the least amount of effort is a tremendous skill...10+ years experience and I get get interviews at the drop of a hat with a one page resume.....I am just cracking into a second page...fwiw, now middle-senior management in a diagnostics company

I assumed the accomplishment is the 'contributions and results' you brought to your previous employment and that is what I was told in the career center and correct me if anything wrong in my mind. I am not a pro and appreciate to advice from more experienced people. :)

I put something like 'improved some evaluation models for better project evaulation in specific markets to prevent the company from taking some multi-million project etc etc' Will this be an accomplishment that a firm-side likes?

:cheesygri btw, something off-topic, do you feel the recession in the States slows down your company? Cuz I talked to some directors and owners in pharmaceutical n' biotech service companies both in Toronto and Vancouver and I heard only bad news and many of them are considering to spin-off and I am sad since I was hoping to get a spot in that industry.

[poedua]

rite becuz we dun hav the relevent and valuable working experience, we need to put as many as possible competition rewards and volunteers activities on the resume to stand out. Otherwise, all we hav left is the GPA and the school name. But, well, yea, different from person-to-person, it can be 1 page or more.

Well, even if you don't have " relevant and valuable working experience " and even with " many possible competition rewards and volunteers activities " - given this sort of background - it is very unlikely anyone should have to go beyond 1 page IMO.

That's all I'm saying.

[ZoomZoom2006]

Well, even if you don't have " relevant and valuable working experience " and even with " many possible competition rewards and volunteers activities " - given this sort of background - it is very unlikely anyone should have to go beyond 1 page IMO.

That's all I'm saying.

With more than five executive positions in campus clubs plus 8+ competition awards...It's impossible to keep it in one page; plus also education background along with test scores/in-progress certificates, and a couple lines of qualification we must have and contact info etc. I only saw one friend could keep it in one page since she had no campus positions & competitions but only three volunteer things and one part-time job. Anyways...I dun think 1 or 2 page makes a significant difference, wut's inside is more important. (as long as it's not a 20-page :cheesygri )

[geronimo]

I think a two-page resume is fine. I went to UTSC's resume critique and the advisor told me that my resume was fine for the entry-level position to which I was applying.

Of course being terse is a good skill to have, but one needn't be overly worried about reducing their resume to one page.

[poedua]

With more than five executive positions in campus clubs plus 8+ competition awards...It's impossible to keep it in one page; plus also education background along with test scores/in-progress certificates, and a couple lines of qualification we must have and contact info etc. I only saw one friend could keep it in one page since she had no campus positions & competitions but only three volunteer things and one part-time job. Anyways...I dun think 1 or 2 page makes a significant difference, wut's inside is more important. (as long as it's not a 20-page :cheesygri )

" impossible " ?

Too funny !:lol:

Give me a break......that's nonsense IMO.

A 1 page resume can comfortably fit 40 lines of text - with all the appropriate spacing - including your info above.

( This is assuming you know how to write effectively / concisely of course. ;) )

For example,

Name etc. .............................2 - 5 lines

Education...............................5 - 8 lines

Competitions / Awards.........10 lines

Clubs / Experience................20 lines

[dealtacular]

" impossible " ?

Too funny !:lol:

Give me a break......that's nonsense IMO.

A 1 page resume can comfortably fit 40 lines of text - with all the appropriate spacing - including your info above.

( This is assuming you know how to write effectively / concisely of course. ;) )

For example,

Name etc. .............................2 - 5 lines

Education...............................5 - 8 lines

Competitions / Awards.........10 lines

Clubs / Experience................20 lines

It can fit 40 lines, but I don't know about comfortably. Personally, I prefer to keep blank lines between each section, and extra spacing between each position to make it much easier on the eyes when you read it. I also like to have my name and headings a bit larger.

When I was involved in hiring, I found that it was dependant on the qualifications. Some students do have quite a few accomplishments or extracurriculars to list, and I always preferred to see a bit more detail. Concise is good - if a resume is over 2 pages, I think usually that is too much, but often, I found 1 page did not give me enough information about a candidate, or it did but it was way too difficult to read because of poor spacing or a very small font.

[poedua]

It can fit 40 lines, but I don't know about comfortably.

Fair enough.

I can see that everyone might have a different opinion on what ' comfortably ' represents.

But based on the many resumes I've ever seen - 40 lines can be presented on a 1 page resume without much trouble at all - and still look great I might add.

Personally, I prefer to keep blank lines between each section, and extra spacing between each position to make it much easier on the eyes when you read it. I also like to have my name and headings a bit larger.

As do I...I'm a real stickler for extra spacing and the visual blocking of text on resumes.

That said, you can have adequate white space between various jobs and each section IMO on a 40 +/- line 1 page resume.


When I was involved in hiring, I found that it was dependant on the qualifications. Some students do have quite a few accomplishments or extracurriculars to list, and I always preferred to see a bit more detail.

I hired folks - i.e. grads - as well.

And while some grads may have quite a few accomplishments or extracurricular to list, many of the accomplishments ( i.e in terms of titles ) speak for themselves and simply establishing the fact a ' extracurricular ' is often enough - most accomplishments or extracurricular are intuitively self -evident and don't need further clarification IMO.

For example listing ' M.B.A Class President ', ' Captain Varsity Men's Hockey Team ', ' Student Representative to Academic Senate ' etc. etc. is all you need to list - there is no need to expand on them IMO.

Too many grads go on and on and on and on about gratuitous details of accomplishments or extracurricular while at school - when there is no need to do so - just list 'em.:)

Grads have a really tough time embracing the benefits of ' less is more ' IMO.

Concise is good - if a resume is over 2 pages, I think usually that is too much, but often, I found 1 page did not give me enough information about a candidate, or it did but it was way too difficult to read because of poor spacing or a very small font.

On that point I would agree with you.

The vast majority of new grads have no clue how to effectively construct a very clear, concise, well spaced / blocked ' powerful ' 1 page resume IMO.

I'm not saying every new grad HAS to do a 1 page resume ( i.e co-op jobs may require 2 pages ) - that is their choice.

But if a traditional stream new grad tells me it is impossible to do an effective 1 page resume, then they have no clue what they're talking about IMO.

[dealtacular]

But if a traditional stream new grad tells me it is impossible to do an effective 1 page resume, then they have no clue what they're talking about IMO.

I agree with this, and also many other points in your post - you outlined it very well. I think for those concerned about this issue, they should now be able to easily figure out what is best in their situation.

[ZoomZoom2006]

" impossible " ?

Too funny !:lol:

Give me a break......that's nonsense IMO.

A 1 page resume can comfortably fit 40 lines of text - with all the appropriate spacing - including your info above.

( This is assuming you know how to write effectively / concisely of course. ;) )

For example,

Name etc. .............................2 - 5 lines

Education...............................5 - 8 lines

Competitions / Awards.........10 lines

Clubs / Experience................20 lines

you missed out qualification & working experience

[ZoomZoom2006]

It can fit 40 lines, but I don't know about comfortably. Personally, I prefer to keep blank lines between each section, and extra spacing between each position to make it much easier on the eyes when you read it. I also like to have my name and headings a bit larger.

When I was involved in hiring, I found that it was dependant on the qualifications. Some students do have quite a few accomplishments or extracurriculars to list, and I always preferred to see a bit more detail. Concise is good - if a resume is over 2 pages, I think usually that is too much, but often, I found 1 page did not give me enough information about a candidate, or it did but it was way too difficult to read because of poor spacing or a very small font.

I agree with you more than with another guy. 2+ is too much but 2 is okay. I like a clean and reader-friendly resume with some details reader wants to know, when other friends wanted me to take a look at their resumes.

[poedua]

you missed out qualification & working experience

Not really.

Working experience is contained under ' Clubs / Experience '.

' Qualification ' - not sure I follow, ' what sort of ' qualifications ' are you referring to ...and how many lines does that require in your view ?

[evanx]

1 - 2 pages is the norm, although candidates have flexibility when considering the nature of the job, such as a high level position or an artistic role.

[nalababe]

I put something like 'improved some evaluation models for better project evaulation in specific markets to prevent the company from taking some multi-million project etc etc' Will this be an accomplishment that a firm-side likes?

:cheesygri btw, something off-topic, do you feel the recession in the States slows down your company? Cuz I talked to some directors and owners in pharmaceutical n' biotech service companies both in Toronto and Vancouver and I heard only bad news and many of them are considering to spin-off and I am sad since I was hoping to get a spot in that industry.

FWIW,

improved evaluation models...this means little (though better than nothing). A metric...look for a metric. Anyone in corporate North America knows that there is a metric for everything. Smart Goals...Specific, Measurable. Achievable, Realistic, Time Constraint...the key here is Measurable.

Back to improved: are there now less steps in the process, lower review rate, higher success rate??? Show me how.

As for Pharma/Biotech/Diagnostics...our US offices did go through a restructuring, though this was about the integration as it was the slow down. Up here, there had been on a hiring blitz over the past few months...though now I believe there is a freeze.

Unlike Blackberries, Cars, healthcare is a necessity. And in general, things are status quo. You can only repair instrumentation so many times. And since buying cycles are normally 7 years and the procurement process is often greater than one year, a sudden blip will often act only as a speed bump...slow one down but for a moment.

R&D will suffer in a credit crunch...but here, the small will falter first. Many years ago, I live with the knowledge that our next paycheck might not come...that is what the smaller companies are facing today.

[flyinggonzo]

Does anyone on this thread giving advice actually hire people?

Don't listen to any advice advocating a resume longer than one page. I'm not as harsh as some - i.e.: I wont toss it directly in the trash - but I look upon it negatively. If you can't summarize your life experiences in one salient page, I tend to believe you'll be incapable something more difficult.

Exceptions are: (i) if you are applying for a professorship and need to list your papers (OK); (ii) if you are a banker (or other professional service variant) and they want your deal sheet (OK); (iii) if you are applying to a position where written business skills are not valued (OK).

[dealtacular]

Does anyone on this thread giving advice actually hire people?
Don't listen to any advice advocating a resume longer than one page. I'm not as harsh as some - i.e.: I wont toss it directly in the trash - but I look upon it negatively. If you can't summarize your life experiences in one salient page, I tend to believe you'll be incapable something more difficult.

Exceptions are: (i) if you are applying for a professorship and need to list your papers (OK); (ii) if you are a banker (or other professional service variant) and they want your deal sheet (OK); (iii) if you are applying to a position where written business skills are not valued (OK).

Does anyone posting actually read the thread?

[poedua]

Does anyone on this thread giving advice actually hire people?

Don't listen to any advice advocating a resume longer than one page. I'm not as harsh as some - i.e.: I wont toss it directly in the trash - but I look upon it negatively. If you can't summarize your life experiences in one salient page, I tend to believe you'll be incapable something more difficult.

Exceptions are: (i) if you are applying for a professorship and need to list your papers (OK); (ii) if you are a banker (or other professional service variant) and they want your deal sheet (OK); (iii) if you are applying to a position where written business skills are not valued (OK).

Well said.

And if, as a recent grad, you can't summarize your experience of a standard 4 years of university into one salient page - then that ( sadly ) speaks for itself as well.

[nalababe]

Well said.

And if, as a recent grad, you can't summarize your experience of a standard 4 years of university into one salient page - then that ( sadly ) speaks for itself as well.

Very true...just like with a good sales rep, you should never feature dump...a long resume is essentially trying to feature dump.

[poedua]

Very true...just like with a good sales rep, you should never feature dump...a long resume is essentially trying to feature dump.

I agree.

In the context of resumes for recent grads, a resume is a sales / marketing tool to ' sell ' yourself - it's NOT a biography listing ( in excruciating detail ) everything you've ever done in your life. ;)

[darkprince]

1 Page Cover Letter
1 Page Resume and don't put "References upon request" I find that line stupid and useless, I rather use that extra line to put up another qualification(s). When they call you for your first interview they'll ask you to bring some references, so don't you worry about it

[B0000rt]

I've had a 5 page resume for the past 2 years and have gotten plenty of calls back from recruiters. It helps to have a very thorough summary. I bet none of them ever flip to past the 2nd page.

[CSR]

The key word is RELEVANT (experience, skills, and qualifications).

[robman_rob]

hmmmm interesting... i have a 3 page resume.... i have asked many people to help shorten it, even professional resume writers, but no one can get it any shorter without leaving "vital" information off ... haha... oh well.

[B0000rt]

hmmmm interesting... i have a 3 page resume.... i have asked many people to help shorten it, even professional resume writers, but no one can get it any shorter without leaving "vital" information off ... haha... oh well.

Has it been working for you? If it works, why change it?

[PennyArcade]

Unless you have executive experience, I don't see anybody going over two pages.

I have a one page resume without any fluff

[roguechameleon]

I have no problem with people sending in resumes that exceed 2 pages.... as long as there is relevant information on all pages.

Don't send me a 4 page resume if all you're listing out is the courses you took in High School/University, and that you worked at your Dad's Mr. Lube franchise fielding phone calls.

As long as the information on the 4 pages is relevant, I will read it.

As a side note... my resume is 4 pages long.

[mcewen]

My wife's resume is 4 pages long, and on some occasions... 5 pages.

Mind you... she does have a 2 pager she uses for private sector jobs... but her public sector (ontario government) is several pages long. The reason is because in the public sector.. if you have taken the time to send a resume.. they have to read it... no matter how long it is. Their criteria for granting a resume is based on scoring - if you have enough of the qualifications.. you get an interview.

Heck.. at one point it was 6 pages.. then we did a makeover. For government jobs... drivel is good.

[poedua]

My wife's resume is 4 pages long, and on some occasions... 5 pages.

Mind you... she does have a 2 pager she uses for private sector jobs... but her public sector (ontario government) is several pages long. The reason is because in the public sector.. if you have taken the time to send a resume.. they have to read it... no matter how long it is. Their criteria for granting a resume is based on scoring - if you have enough of the qualifications.. you get an interview.

Heck.. at one point it was 6 pages.. then we did a makeover.

For government jobs... drivel is good.

Which sadly - speaks for itself IMO.

[nalababe]

Which sadly - speaks for itself IMO.

Like for a Teacher, many Government positions are looking more for a CV than a Resume...

[poedua]

Like for a Teacher, many Government positions are looking more for a CV than a Resume...

Like I said - it speaks for itself.;)