How Long Should My Resume Be?

By Author: Kellie Whitehead
Total Articles: 3
Comment this article

It‘s an eternal question and one there seems to be many answers on. On one hand we want the recruiter to see how much experience we have and our qualities for the job. On the other hand it is a well know fact that they will only spend an average of 7 seconds looking at each resume they receive while we spend about an hour or two in how to make a resume perfect.

So there is a fine line on length. After all it is a resume rather than a full a CV, and by definition these are a brief rundown of your qualities and expertise and we need to remember this when formulating our own. If you are working with resume builders online, you should be very specific in your objectives especially in terms of length in the content of your profile.

The length does depend on a number of factors however, and this is probably why opinions differ so in making a resume. How long is your career to date? What industry ...
... are you in, your education and training credentials etc.

If you are applying for your first job, your resume needs to be no longer than a single page. Yes really ONE page. The employer will want to see your educational background, your contact details and a paragraph detailing any experience you have that is RELEVANT to the particular job you are up for.

Maybe you are at the other end of the career scale? If you have ten to twenty years experience in your field it seems like a daunting prospect to narrow it all down into a readable, employable, format. It shouldn't be as hard to compact your career as you may imagine. With the benefit of hindsight, your career highs and achievements will leap straight from memory and onto the page. If you do have this much experience, it isn't out of order to present your resume in three or four pages.

The important key to a successful resume is its relevance and concise nature. If you have pages and pages of skills and attributes applicable to the role directly, then you need to apply them concisely within your resume. It should be obvious to the reader that you are a qualified candidate from the first paragraph, and they will want to know more. You must make sure your first paragraph DOES draw them in, without flannelling them with irrelevant points.

Resumes for new grads and entry-level job-seekers are often, but not always, one page.

A two-page resume may be the best bet for the vast majority of job-seekers who are above entry-level but below the executive level.

Even among employers, there's no consensus on preferred resume length.

Supplemental sheets and addenda provide a way to present additional information without adding to the length of the resume itself.

No matter what the length, the resume must capture attention on the first page, preferably the first third of the first page.

Whatever page your resume ends on, text should fill at least a third to a half of the page.

Don't sacrifice your resume's readability to make it conform to any arbitrary "rules" about resume length.

Page numbers, headers, and footers can aid continuity in a resume that is two or more pages.

For executives at the highest levels (senior management, executive VP, and "C-level" positions such as CEO, CIO, CTO, COO) even two pages is probably not enough; three, four, or more pages may be required.

About the Author

Kellie Whitehead writes related content on career tips like how to make a resume for ResumesStartHere.Com and e-Resume.Us Resume Builder.