A myth has been put out there in the industry that a resume shouldn’t exceed one page. Nobody knows when this false “golden rule” started but rest assured, this is incorrect! A well written and well crafted resume that was 2 or more pages in length were actually more likely to get called in for job interviews according to statistical studies by Hiring Firms.
While this “law” was necessary some years back, today’s job requirements, trends and criteria have completely changed on how many pages a perfect resume should have. In all the discussions about how many pages that a perfect resume should have, it’s always important to remember one thing: a resume should contain all the necessary information that can convince your hiring manager to invite you for an interview.
So, it doesn’t matter whether your resume is one page, two page or some cases even three pages. As long as your resume contains sufficient information that can entice your prospective employer to invite you for an interview, then you’ll have achieved your objective with your resume.
However, not being precise about how many pages a resume should have is being vague, that may not work for every jobseeker or even a hiring manager. Truth be told—your hiring manager doesn’t have time to read through your entire resume, especially if it’s lengthy. That’s why your resume should be succinct about your key skills and job experiences. It’s not an autobiography.
In a nutshell, you should always strike the right balance between necessary information that your hiring manager should know about you and whether he/she will have the time to read through your resume. This requires you to know what factors can dictate the length of your resume. It’s only after you’ve known what to include in your resume that you’ll be able to craft a perfect resume that entices your hiring manager to invite you for an interview.
So, how many pages should your resume be? In this blog article, we review factors that determine how many pages a resume should have. Let’s dive in and find out what factors can dictate the length of a resume.
Factors that dictate the length of a resume
Here are factors that can dictate the size of a resume:
#1: Years of experience
Your hiring manager would like to know whether you can do the job that you’ve applied in his/her organization. It’s important that you highlight the experience that you’ve gained in past jobs for you to convince such an employer that you’re equal to the task. If you don’t highlight these experiences in your resume, then your prospective employer will not be in a position to know whether you’re qualified to do the job or not.
Therefore, the years of experience that you have will undoubtedly affect the length of your resume. If you have so many years of experience, then your resume should capture all this information, which may make your resume lengthy. On the other hand, if you’re just fresh out of college or a four year university, then your resume shouldn’t be long.
#2: Scope of past job accomplishments
Your resume is your marketing tool. You should convince your hiring manager that you’re equal to the tasks that have been specified for the job that you’ve applied for. Besides the job experiences that you’ve acquired, you need to demonstrate to your hiring manager of your job accomplishments.
If you’ve had a lot of achievements with your past jobs, then you need to prove this to your prospective employer. Otherwise, your soon-to-be employer will not be able to fully see all of your successes. Therefore, the scope of your accomplishments will define the length of your resume.
#3: Education and Training Qualifications
Your resume should contain all the degrees/diplomas, certifications and other training that are relevant to the job that has been advertised. If you have acquired many degrees/diploma, certifications or attended training/workshop that you believe are relevant to the job that has been advertised, then it’s only wise that you include them in your resume.
The Bottom Line
Your resume should contain all the necessary information that can convince your hiring manager to invite you for an interview. It doesn’t matter whether it’s one page, two page or even three pages. As long as it has all the information that highlights all the skills, experiences that are required for the job, then it should be considered a perfect resume.
However, this doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be lengthy. Your hiring manager doesn’t have the time to read a long resume. Therefore, summarize your skills and experiences while focusing on years of experience, the scope of your past job accomplishments and the education/training qualifications.
Still not confident that you understand what makes a great resume? Then reach out to a top professional resume writing service in Arizona. Seek a resume service that is credible and rated the best such as www.domyresume.net.