Can a resume' be two pages in length, or should it be only one page?

Question

I'm updating my resume & have a lot to include, but don't want to include too much. It is currently almost one & 3/4 pages in length.
Any help or suggestions would be great! Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm in HR - Here's some advice:

Your resume is critical to your job search success. It must be a highly effective resume to capture the employer's attention in today's market. Here's what employers recommend, based on a national survey conducted with 600 Hiring Managers.
1.EMPHASIZE RESULTS!
This was the top survey response. State the action you performed and the achieved results. Include details about what you increased or decreased. Use numbers to reflect, how much, how many, and percentage of gain or reduction. Stress money earned or time savings. Example: Managed the project for implementing a new tracking system that resulted in a 17% decrease in cost overruns.
2.BE TARGETED.
Provide only the specific qualifications you have to best perform in the job advertised since employer screening will eliminate any broad scope or generalized resumes submitted. State the desired job title, i.e. trainer, and make all content relevant to performing that job. Best practice tip: use a customized resume for different job titles even if you are qualified for several (i.e., one resume for Trainer, another for Administrator) stressing only the information pertinent to doing that specific job.
3.USE KEYWORDS!
Employers who sort resumes electronically look for keywords. Be sure to include potential keywords for job duties in your resume. Example: state purchased, bought or procured inventory (instead of bought inventory). If the employer searches using the keyword “procured” your resume will come up.
4.SHOW BUSINESS SAVVY.
Only submit resumes created in the Microsoft WORD software, which is the business world's standard. Many home computers use a mini-word processor version called WORKS, which is not compatible and can't be read by many employer computers. Whenever possible always mail a hard copy of your resume after you have submitted one electronically since you would never be informed if the electronic version wasn't readable.
5.ADD A SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS SECTION.
Employers find this highly desirable in the survey. Encapsulate your most marketable skills and experience into four to six sentences so this section is a mini-verbal business card that details what you are bringing to the new employer.
6.ONE PAGE IS BEST.
Employers stated resumes get less than a 15-second glance, so concise and to the point worked best no matter what level position the candidate applied for. Cover in detail the major job duties performed noting results achieved. Be a skillful editor, deleting old portions or anything not relevant or helpful to your securing a particular position and at the level you seek. No vague generalities. Say exactly what you mean, using the smallest number of words to make the point.
7.VISUALLY APPEALING.
The formatting of your resume must be kept readable, sharp and professional. Make sure sentences are concise and that there is adequate white space between points. Many online resume-posting programs eliminate italic and bold formatting, bullets, and fancy fonts so use Arial font, 12-14 point size. Lines can trigger page breaks so avoid any graphic design. Printed resume should include bullets, bold, italicizing to improve speed-reading and comprehension.
8.DO NOT LIE!
Employers stated that over 50% try to exaggerate their skills, which is almost always uncovered during interviews and reference checks. State your skills, qualifications, and experience as positively as possible without misstating the truth.
9.USE A CLEAR JOB TITLE.
If your job responsibilities are not adequately described by your job company title, indicate your responsibilities as the title with appropriate terms (i.e. IT Systems Analyst, instead of Tech lll).
10.USE ACTION VERBS.
Start each sentence with a descriptive action verb — such as directed, organized, established, created, planned, etc. They add power to your sentences. And, never use “I” on the resume, only short impact sentences. Example: Designed the company's new marketing flyer.
11.BE COMPLETE
No abbreviations or acronyms Spell out names of schools, cities, business terms, abbreviations, and titles completely, as employers may not recognize the exactly what the letters stand for.
12.MAKE POINTS FAST.
Complete sentences are not necessary in resume writing; it is better to use simple descriptive statements to make a point.
13.JUSTIFY EXPERIENCE.
In all your sentences, use past tense words since they imply that you “have done it” before. This reassures employers you can do it for them.
14.BE PERFECT.
This was employers' number one stated mistake job hunters make in the survey. The resume must be flawless. No spelling errors, mistakes or typos, especially in emails. Many HR managers insisted they would not hire offenders. PROOFREAD CAREFULLY. Don't trust computer spell checkers since a correctly spelled word like sea, would go unnoticed by your computer but would be incorrectly used if you meant to say "see."
15.MAKE IT READABLE.
A crammed, cramped resume often goes unread. Make deletions wherever necessary to achieve a readable product. Use white space; use bullets to highlight key points; and eliminate redundancies.
16.AVOID GRAPHICS OR GIMMICKS.
No FedEx arrivals -- no employer cared and it's very costly to do. Artistic designs, color inks, clipart, are distracting to the reader and should be avoided.
17.DON'T STATE SALARY.
Employers were annoyed by job hunters who put previous salary in resumes or stated desired salary in resumes. Better to state solid accomplishments and leave salary negotiations until you are offered a position since your expectations may well be lower than what employers are willing to pay.
18.NO TAG LINES.
Employers know you'll provide references if they request them, therefore it is not necessary to put "References upon request" at the end of your resume.
19.DON'T ADVERTISE NEGATIVE INFORMATION.
The resume is the wrong place to advertise that you were laid off, fired, or had an extended illness. Never state why you left a position; simply list the dates of employment. Don't mention what salary you want to receive.
20.UPDATE OFTEN.
Keep a current resume updated semi-annually so you can apply for promotions or new positions at a moment's notice, not missing any potential opportunity since your resume wasn't up-to-date.
21.FINAL TEST -- ARE EMPLOYERS CALLING?
Is your resume getting results? Are employers calling on appropriate jobs you are qualified (not over or under) to perform? If not, rework, or get professional help to improve yours. Eliminate anything in it that does not support the job you are targeting.
Your resume must clearly and quickly communicate to employers that you can do the job, and make your key strengths easily apparent.

Answer 2

Depends on your history and the job you are seeking. I've seen two page resumes before. You might have to alter the font so that everything will fit, again, depending on your work history.

I've seen professor resumes who've listed their accomplishments and educational experiences (undergrad, graduate, doctorates, etc.). One job (in education) I had a year or two ago, we were getting a new boss and her resume was two pages. She had listed almost evey accomplishment that she had that was education related and also, the honors she had received. She also listed any extra research she had done and if it had been published.

Don't include EVERYTHING. Just use the most recent information and try not to list everything that you did there. If a potential employer reads your resume, and can read everything from there, there wouldn't be any questions to ask and you wouldn't be able to get an interview.

Make sure your wording is good. Check out the website for help in that. Good luck.

Answer 3

My dad (who does hiring sometimes) says that if you have to overflow to a 2nd page make sure that the most important info is on the first page because they scan through very rapidly to determine if they're interested or not. I read a Yahoo article that said something about including a summary at the beginning instead of an objective, seems like maybe that's an approach you could use to get the important stuff up front.

Answer 4

Keep the resume down to 1 page. Put all the other stuff on the other pages ( page of professional affiliations, a page of reference material etc)

Too many pages makes it look like you can't stay at a job, and managers are typically too busy to read lenghty papers, so just make yours POP.

Answer 5

You may consider a functional format vs a chronological format. For resumes, less is more. You dont' want people to shift through too much information to get to the pertainant facts. 2 pages generally are acceptable if you are going for a high level management position.

Answer 6

Fillow the KISS principle - Keep It Short and Sweet. You can use a 2 page resume' even though 1 page is preferred.

Answer 7

One page is standard. Two if you've been in the workforce for several years and/or have substantial or special skills that are required for the job.

Generally you want to highlight your skills and tailor your resume to what you can bring to the particular job that you're applying for.

In summarizing your past jobs, you want to focus more on what you did to make that company better (eg. Increased annual sales by 10%, Created a tracking system to efficiently monitor work orders, Increased sales territory by 3 states, etc.) in relation to the job that you are applying for rather on focusing on your general job description (eg. marketed products, typed letters, filed, answered phones, etc.)

Oh, and never, ever lie on a resume. It will come back to haunt you.

Answer 8

it's best if it's only 1 page long b/c if someone just glances at a resume and it's more than 1 page, they might not look at it at all b/c it would be too long. try to be as concise as you can and keep it under 1 page.

Answer 9

I think it should be 1 page. Only the most current & revelant
facts are needed. And that usually can fit on 1 pg.
As you know, only you can determine what is revelant.

Answer 10

Two pages is fine. As long as you hit all the important stuff and leave out the meaningless stuff you should be fine.