can a resume be 1 and a half page long + cover letter?

Question

i'm working on my resume, but notice i'm going to need half a page more. i'm including lots of stuff to make me sound better cause i desperatley need a job. i'm also wanted to include a cover letter, is it necessary, or should i just say what i need to say in the interview?. also should i take a portafolio or a cd to show my artwork. i'm fashion designer by the way. thanks!

Answer 1

Resume = 1 page with cover letter, and most recent and important jobs

And a portfolio would really impress them, I'm going to school for graphic design and that's what's going to get me a job in the future.

Answer 2

Cover letter, yes. More than one page on the resume, not recommended.

Keep it to one page .. brief 'bullets' of good information. Avoid trite phrases and long 'wordy' phrases. Make sure it is in scannable type (Times New Roman 10pt is good). Brilliant white or off-white quality paper .. no colors. No pictures. No fancy fonts. References should be submitted during an interview, so leave them out of your resume (unless the prospective employer specifically asks for them).

Why? Imagine the person at the office being chin-deep in resumes, reading a hundred or more a day. What do you think will get AND KEEP their attention? A resume that is brief, crisp and clean, with a professional touch.

Remember, a resume is an attention-getter...not a life story. You can make yourself sound good during the interview, if your resume does its job.

The Microsoft Office website has some workable resume templates...free! You can download some to work with MS Works or MS Word, and I'm sure the open-source office programs would handle them easily.

Things to remember: follow your resume up with a call or note after a day or two; and if you are invited to an interview, research the company..know a little something about their mission statement. No gum chewing, no purse (amazing how those bulky, overstuffed things can detract from someone's appearance), no wrinkled clothing, no unshined shoes.

And take a portfolio AND cd. Offer the interviewer their choice.

Answer 3

Your resume should include: your contact information, objective
statement, education background, and related work experience

I would not add very much more info. You can list activities you enjoy or awards received, but during the interview the interviewer will probably just scan over your resume in order to find the most important sections.

A cover letter is a good idea, but it's not necessary. However, you could put some of the extra information in it instead of the resume. That may help shorten your resume to 1 page. Good Luck!

Answer 4

resume ettiquette...

no one likes a blow hard, someone that toots their awesome power names and former roommates. in the fashion and entertainment world, everyone knows everyone else all ready. If you lie you will be found out.

do your best to keep you resume fairly consise and to the point. Don't mention the 13 assignments you had for liz clairborne sewing buttons. just make one blurb with the dates of your employment saying you were a designer's assistant or runway assistant. short, concise, and to the point. They want to see experience not an ego.

It's fine to have a resume that's a page long, as long as you have good experience and references to back up your claims. Don't lie to make yourself sound better, but don't write that you were the button attacher either. It's best to write your official title (that which you were hired as) but also include your duties if need be to explain what your title means if its not clear right off the bat.

a cover letter is fine, it's like an introduction paragraph and gives the reviewer something to make them want to read your resume. You know they get hundreds a month and if your business is as deep as theater is (which is mine) there are devas everywhere, be ready to CYA!

And yes......YES! a portfolio! ALWAYS have your portfolio available for request. Pictures do so much more than words alone. You deal in a product....an artistic product. pictures are always better than describers. Even scene designers have a portfolio of what they have designed, created, painted, carved and envisioned.

Better to have too much than not enough. That way you don't look like an idiot when they put you in the spotlight.

Answer 5

Yes, that's fine. The days of 1 page resumes are out. I wouldn't go beyond 3 pages though. The cover letter is counted as separate from the resume, in that the cover letter makes them be intrigued to look at the resume. Sell yourself, that's what it's all about!

Answer 6

A resume can be as long as it needs to be (though not more than 3 pages).

1-page resumes are for those fresh out of college, or who have only had a few jobs (whether long-term or short-term).

As you move along through your career, and collect work experience and work-related experience, include this. When I read resumes, I'm looking for all the little extras you do inside and outside the workplace, that show that you are committed to the field you are working in.

So, there's no one answer - it depends on the field you're in, and how much experience you have.

Answer 7

You have to be honest about the contents of your resume. It should give a quick summary of what you have done/achieved so far and should highlight your creative genius. Make sure the grammar is excellent. A 1-page resume is ok. Remember: presentation is important.

A cover letter sets the tone of your potential interview. What are you presenting? Why have you chosen to apply at this particular employer/office? Essentially, why are you giving them your resume.

Good luck!

Answer 8

you know---this topic has swung back and forth from one page to two page resumes. then back again to one page. then two page.

enough with the pendulum! rather than stick with some goofball formula for success, use as much space as you need---but not more than two pages. a resume isn't Gone with the Wind.

i was a controller in another life. i've hired and fired a lot of people--thank God i've hired more than i've had to fire. here's what I looked for in a resume-

1. no outlandish colors. pinks, pastels, rainbow--etc hit the wastecan. i always was hiring for accounting positions, and we accountants are a notoriously conservative bunch.

2. the resume should be done on a word processor. typed resumes just don't look as good as one that's come out of a laser printer. and handwritten resumes are right out.

3. two pages, max. if you limit your resume to one page you could be leaving out the reason why i should hire you.

4. phone numbers and references that are real. self explanatory.

5. PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD. ok---i would allow one spelling error in the resume or cover letter. the second one got it put in the trash. i never even considered resumes that had 2 or more spelling errors. a buddy of mine once wondered why his resume hadn't been getting any nibbles. i told him to let me look at it. the idiot had spelled college like this-----COLLAGE. i pointed it out the 20 or so times it had been misspelled and told him he was lucky they didn't all call him in for an interview just to make fun of him for his pathetic spelling.

there are going to be lots of people trying to get this job. use your cover letter to emphasize to the potential employer why he should take time out of his busy schedule to look at YOUR resume! and believe me---going through resumes is a b i t c h. its a drain on your time and productivity. you want to make this as painless a process as possible for the interviewer.

i would think that a portfolio of your work would be a good thing--but then again, i'm just an accountant.

best of luck to you!

Answer 9

You should give them brief explanations in your resume. You don't need to give complete sentences and paragraph upon paragraph explaining things. Your resume should be an insight to how your interview will go. Leave some things to be discussed verbally.

Answer 10

yes, but if possible, you have to only make a resume in 1 page, not more than that and make it very informative and very professional.