How Long Should a Resume Be?

Sept. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- Job seekers, particularly those with 10+ years experience, struggle with the question of whether to add a 2nd page to a resume.  If you are uncertain of how long your resume should be, consider this; it’s OK to have a 2-page resume, as long as all of the information included is relevant and pertinent to the job you are pursuing.

If you are in a highly technical field, or have some amazing experience which will make your resume stand out amongst the rest, you need to get this information into the hands of the hiring manager.  In a competitive job market, it’s more important get all the pertinent work experience out for all to see, rather than follow the 1-page resume rule.

If you are finding your resume moving onto a 2nd page, your first goal should be to scan your resume to find whatever information may be just fluff.  Go through each line and make certain it tells a story about you.  Keep in mind, the hiring managers are applying the “so what” test.  If they read bullet points in your resume and say “so what”, you are either including unnecessary information or you not using the appropriate action words to make a compelling statement.

Times have changed and changing careers 2-3 times throughout your work life is now common and accepted.  In fact, many hiring managers look for career change to show adaptability and a wide range of experience.  A good resume will highlight the varied experience you gained from each of these career changes and may take more than one page to accomplish this.

However, no matter what the length, your resume must capture the attention of the hiring manager within the first half of the first page, or you’ve lost your reader.  Make every word in your resume count.

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