Ah yes, the age old tale that your resume has to fit on one page. Consider that theory debunked, here and now.
First and foremost, I don’t know where this thought even started. Alas, I used to hear it all the time when I first started writing a resume.
Professors used to tell me that recruiters spent an average of 6 seconds per resume, meaning you needed to cram it all onto the first page. Professors also used to tell me outrageous salary bands that I should expect in my first entry level role. I learned to take their job market knowledge with a grain of salt after that.
Don’t get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for my past professors. Being a recruiter has shown me how outdated some of their intel can be, though.
Either way, we need to end this thought process immediately. You should be giving yourself the best chance at a position no matter what. This is achieved through the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager sees: your resume.
Trying to fit your skills, contact information, education, job experience, certifications, etc. all on one page is an arduous task. Surely something will get left out in the process.
This is not to say you should have a seven page resume. I came across one once and let me tell you, after the third page there was nothing new to be said that had not already been covered.
Two pages is an excellent stopping point and here’s why. If you had a resume printed out, which seems pretty crazy in today’s virtual day and age, two pages easily fits on the front and back of a piece of paper. Someone can simply flip it over, view additional information, and not have to deal with the hassle of flipping through several pages of text.
If you find yourself struggling to get all of the information on two pages, there are a few things you can try.
If you have a skills section, try to utilize several columns rather than having a long list. Generally two to three columns look the best and shrink the section to a more manageable size.
Re-evaluate your font sizes. Depending on the font, a 12 size font can look very large. Either way, ensure the font sizes between sections match and that it’s still very readable. Someone shouldn’t need to get out their reading glasses to find the text.
Instead of creating 4 lines for Company, Job Title, Company Location, and Employment dates, truncate it into two lines like this:
Utilize the header for your name and contact information.
Consider leaving off jobs that do not contribute to your overall experience.
For example, I will likely leave off my cashier job in high school at the Piggly Wiggly on my next resume as it does not apply to my recruiting background and experience whatsoever. If you want your full employment history listed, leave out descriptions of work experience underneath the oldest roles or shorten the number of bullet points.
While these are just a few tips, they can make the world of difference when writing a resume. Either way, be descriptive about your experience and don’t sell yourself short. Oftentimes, candidates do not give themselves near enough credit for the experiences they’ve gained in roles. Hiring managers will only know you’re qualified for a job if you show them, it can’t always just be assumed.
Resumes are often your one shot to prove you can do the job you’ve applied for: what does yours say about you?
This article is my own and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of TEKsystems.
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