how many pages should a resume have ?

Question

I've seen resumes with one page, two pages, even five pages. I've read books that say that one should never exceed two pages or else the resume won't be read at all. But for someone who may have a long business experience, it can be quite difficult to summarize his/her whole business life in two pages, specially when you have to attract other people's attention to your abilities and accomplishments. What's the common sense in that ?

Answer 1

1

2 at the most

3 if you count a cover letter.

Hope this helps.
I am CEO of a Corporation. I see a lot of résumés. Time is of essence. Your goal is to book the appointment (interview) and then sell yourself. Have fun doing it and show your passion for what you do and how you can help them succeed.

Art

Answer 2

Your resume should have as few pages as possible. You should be focusing on what you can bring to the job, not what you have done in the past. Whay you want to do is get the interviewer's attention. If you give too much information, he won't read it through. A large company can be bombarded by hundreds of resumes each week. He can't take the timer to read each and every one. You want to just get the interview. There, you should sit and answer his questions. Don't volunteer information. Wait until he asks for info. Don't bother with personal info, like hobbies, sports, number of children, etc, unless he asks. Don't talk money or benefits unless the subject is brought up (What kind of money are you looking for?). Follow up on the interview by sending a note of thanks to the interviewer. Remember, the interviewer is not interested in what you did ten or even five years ago. Only your most recent accomplishments will be of interest to him. If a degree is required for the job, he will ask you what degree you have and where you earned it. After all, you wouldn't be applying for that job if you didn't have a degree.

Answer 3

one page.

keep the accomplishments to a minimum.
employers have no interest in details that are insignificant - significant details mean degrees and certifications
(not courses in college, or community service)

the fact of the matter, is an interview in person will likely be the determining factor-

the common sense in a one page resume is:
1. employers are busy people, they do not appreciate glorified autobiographies
2. excessive resumes generally show lack of experience
3. anything on your resume can be used against you
4. a resumes purpose is an invitation to interview*

* remember this

Answer 4

One page, but include a note at the bottom saying that you have additional information if requested. Personnel managers just don't have the time to read more than that, and longer resumes are suspect as being "padded".

Answer 5

One to two pages. Check out other formats for resumes; you don't always have to do the traditional chronological format. If it's acceptable in your field, you may also want to look into doing a CV. They are more often used in academic or scientific fields, but they can run into many pages.

Answer 6

There is no basic rules you need to follow. Your resume should reflect all your prior relevant experience, education and training. The longest resumes we have created are 3 pages and these customers are Executive, Doctors, etc. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

if you're an adult w/ vast business experience, it still shouldn't be over 2 pages or so. don't put down every single job you've ever held since the time you were 16. put down your undergrad and graduate degrees (if applicable). leave off high school. if you served in the military 40 years ago, it's probably ok to leave that off, too- unless you're applying for a job as a military contractor or something that needs a security clearance. most job applications ask about prior or current military service anyway.

Answer 8

Two pages.

Answer 9

One page. I'm a recruiter. If a resume isn't eye pleasing and to the point, I won't read it.

Answer 10

Dont exceed 2. I wouldnt read it if you gave it to me if it were longer. Try your best to summarize, and not repeat the same subjects for each job, that will help minimize your word count

good luck