How to Consolidate Your Resume

“Long” and “wordy” are great if someone writes a biography about you, but they’re the?last?words you want an employer to use to describe your resume. The simple fact is that recruiters are not after your entire life’s story, rather they seek concise, one-page resumes.

The challenge that you and all applicants face is how to do that while still showcasing all of your relevant experience and important, professional accomplishments.

If you’re wondering how long a resume should be, and what to include or exclude, see below for some fantastic tips to simplify your resume to one page in length.

How Long Should a Resume Be?

The proper length of a resume is widely debated but most?successful resumes fall between?475-600 words. Even if you aim to produce a one-page resume, you might have difficulty keeping it under 600 words. You’ll need to be strategic about what you keep.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)?are looking for keywords when they scan your resume. Oddly, the larger the volume of words, the more it hurts your chances of being found. Therefore, focus on keywords that are most important, such as those found within the job description.

One of the reasons why employers love a short resume is because it’s so challenging to produce! Writing a one page resume less than 600 words yet still highlights the skills you need to get the job takes an extremely high degree of creativity, and employers know it.

What Sections Should You Keep on a 1-Page Resume?

Like what we mentioned above, be?strategic?in what you choose, as the limitations made by a low word count are difficult.?

Include a professional statement (a.k.a. objective), competencies (a.k.a. skills), education, contact information, your career summary (a.k.a. experience) and relevant coursework.

These sections will give everything a hiring manager needs to know about you, and is more than enough to get your foot in the door.?

One Page Resume Template

Now that you’ve seen our Sample One Page Resume template, it’s time to dive in deeper. Decisions have to be made about what to keep and what can be saved for your actual interview.

Of course, you can do simple things like shrink your margins or decrease the font size, but only to a point where your resume looks miniscule to employers when they’re reading it.

Using bullet points is a great way to allow an employer’s eye to scan for what they seek in a job candidate.

Let’s dissect the sample resume above.

Resume Heading

To color, or not to color? That is the question. The answer is that hiring managers typically prefer resumes with color. They’re pleasing to the eye, and for applicants such as designers, color is absolutely necessary.

Think about color in terms of what you’re trying to express. Red shows you’re fiery and passionate, while green exhibits calm and sophistication. Use your color choice to set the mood.

Nowadays, it’s customary to include a headshot. A smile goes a long way toward opening doors. Chances are if a recruiter is serious about you, they’ll look you up on Linkedin or Facebook anyway to see what you look like before they interview you.

For your header, you’ll want to include a few specific and important pieces of information, such as your name, and your field of expertise. It’s also a header best practice to include three adjectives that best describe you, such as “detail-oriented,” or “passionate.” Also, match your color scheme to your adjectives to send your hiring manager the right message.

Your Professional Statement

Professional statements act as a summary of your professional life. Statements are also referred to as a “summary of qualifications.”

They’re typically 2-3 sentences long and make an “accomplishments” section unnecessary.?

It’s also used in place of an objective, which are archaic and don’t say enough to hiring managers. It’s a best practice to include your current position and the field you’re in, what you’re seeking, some accomplishments and career goals.

Your Core Job Competencies

Competencies are your?skills. This section highlights what you’ll bring to the job. Your competencies are extremely important. In a one-page resume, you only have room for about four competencies.

Bulleted lists work very well for this section, and it’s a?resume best practice?to use the job description as your guide. Find the most important competencies listed in the job description and try to match them to your finer skills.??

Education Information

Education sections should be very short. Unless you’re in or fresh out of college, eliminate your high school education. Employers are looking for your degrees, from associates to masters. You may include your GPA, although that isn’t as important for seasoned candidates whose job experience far outweighs a GPA.

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Career Summary on your Resume

Your experience matters a lot to employers. Your career summary should be the?longest section?on your resume. Apart from listing the job, company, and months and years of your employment (leave out exact dates), you’ll want to include your achievements in each job.

This also makes the “accomplishments” section unnecessary, as your accomplishments should be highlighted in terms of your experience. If you still have room, list your daily tasks and responsibilities. Do not feel like you have to use long, complete sentences.

Relevant Coursework

Relevant coursework should be included if you have special training or certifications that pertain to the job. These can include online classes, workshops and conventions as well as other certification processes.?

Now that you know how to make a resume fit on one page, you’re set for success! Each?resume needs to be tailored?to the job you’re applying for, which should give you plenty of practice on what to highlight. Just remember that only a couple things need to be highlighted in each section, and you’re aiming to hone in on what you do best.?For further assistance building your resume, please contact the professional staffing agents at AMS Staffing today!