Getting your resume right in 2020! Tip #4

Today's tip is relatively straight-forward, though you'd be surprised how many times I've seen the opposite. We're talking about the length of your resume. So, how many pages should a resume be? The answer, (in the vast majority of cases) is TWO PAGES. No more, no less. The only exception is if you are an entry-level graduate with limited professional experience, in which case, one full page would be the goal. I'll say it again; think of your resume as nothing more than a brochure. It's a marketing tool that highlights selling points and historical successes to peak the interest of a hiring manager or recruiter to want to learn more. With that being said, whether one page or two, the goal is to fill-up both pages with the quality of your work and professional experience. I realized that many seasoned professionals have 20+ years of experience and may struggle to bring it down to two pages, but it's completely possible. Rule of thumb is to have your last 10 to 15 years of experience highlighted. Beyond that can be listed at the bottom if you have the space, but there wouldn't be a need nor space to add bullet points, or you can omit altogether.

We all look for our resumes to stand-out, but be careful on how you go about doing that. Too many pages can quickly become a turn-off as very few people have the time and desire to read through more than two pages. Additionally, a trend has begun where a candidate will put subjective bar graphs pertaining to their skills (see image below). My advice: NEVER incorporate these "skills" bar, pie, or any other chart. Aside from them being highly subjective, you want your skills to be highlighted within the body of your resume where you demonstrate that those skills were/are leveraged.

All that to say: KISS! Keep it simple!

Gary M. Czarnecki, MSM, MHRM

"the Recruiting Czar"

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