Resume's
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
Thunderbox666 wrote:
I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out
Been a while since I've looked into it in any detail but I have the following advice. Any longer than 3 pages and it will generally not be looked at as the reader couldn't be bothered spending that much time on it. Don't attach any certificates to the resume, take copies with you if you make it to an interview. They don't need to see them if you haven't got the job. The one page resume is for the extrememly experienced. I once worked with a bloke who had a one page resume. He receieved a Masters in something or other from back in the late 1950's and had recently been the CEO of a a company that turned over 15 odd million a year. I think you need to stay away from the one pager for a while.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Thanks
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
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One page is perfect, two if you absolutely have to. A CV's job is to get you an interview, not a job. Anyone can write a 4 page CV. It takes talent, time and effort to whittle it down to one or two pages that clearly identify what your primary strengths are and how you meet the requirements of the job. Leave them wanting more - that's what gets you an interview. When I went through piles of CV's in the past, I discarded the ones that didn't clearly identify that they met the basic requirements of the job. Then I reviewed the ones that did and picked out the few well written ones. Those people got interviews. More often than not the people with long CV's eliminated themselves from contention by providing unnecessary information that removed them from consideration. Don't give them extra info. until they need it (in an interview). Most cities have some kind of employment centres with someone trained in career counseling and CV writing. I would suggest getting someone like that to review your CV if you're unsure about how to proceed. Cheers, Drew.
Drew Stainton wrote:
One page is perfect, two if you absolutely have to. A CV's job is to get you an interview, not a job.
He's a teenager going for his first or second job. I doubt he has enough experience to bullet point enough impressive detail in one page.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Drew Stainton wrote:
One page is perfect, two if you absolutely have to. A CV's job is to get you an interview, not a job.
He's a teenager going for his first or second job. I doubt he has enough experience to bullet point enough impressive detail in one page.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Michael Martin wrote:
He's a teenager going for his first or second job
3rd job since school (first one was in building) and only 4 years experience in IT
Michael Martin wrote:
I doubt he has enough experience to bullet point enough impressive detail in one page.
No, not yet, so that is why I am moving onto a bigger/better job with opportunity for growth
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
2 pages at most. If it's more you might be discarded for not knowing how to summerize it. It has to contain all you grads and professional experience but not in great detail. Marc Soleda
... she said you are the perfect stranger she said baby let's keep it like this... Dire Straits
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
One is for people with at least 15 years exp. Two pages is standard (and is what I'd recommend for you). Three is pushing it, but may be acceptable. Four is a strict No.
Cheers, Vikram.
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
For a technical resume 3-4 four pages is fine. After all you will need to describe the projects you have worked on as well as your technical skills. When I have interviewed candidates I have always wanted to see a long cv as I want to see what they have been doing. One page cvs are usually more appropriate for non technical jobs. Sounds like the person trimming your resume may not have had an IT background - am I right in this assumption? I would say that what is more important is how you lay out the CV rather than it's length.
You always pass failure on the way to success.
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
I think it depends on where you are. After interviewing lots of people last year I would say that 2 to 3 pages is ideal. Any more than that and I'll get bored reading it. Any less than that and you risk missing an important bit of information that I'm interested in. The longest I received was 20 pages and it went straight in the bin.
Upcoming FREE developer events: * Developer Day Scotland Recent blog posts: * Mixins in C#3.0 My website | Blog
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For a technical resume 3-4 four pages is fine. After all you will need to describe the projects you have worked on as well as your technical skills. When I have interviewed candidates I have always wanted to see a long cv as I want to see what they have been doing. One page cvs are usually more appropriate for non technical jobs. Sounds like the person trimming your resume may not have had an IT background - am I right in this assumption? I would say that what is more important is how you lay out the CV rather than it's length.
You always pass failure on the way to success.
GuyThiebaut wrote:
am I right in this assumption?
Yeah you are
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
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Thunderbox666 wrote:
I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out
Been a while since I've looked into it in any detail but I have the following advice. Any longer than 3 pages and it will generally not be looked at as the reader couldn't be bothered spending that much time on it. Don't attach any certificates to the resume, take copies with you if you make it to an interview. They don't need to see them if you haven't got the job. The one page resume is for the extrememly experienced. I once worked with a bloke who had a one page resume. He receieved a Masters in something or other from back in the late 1950's and had recently been the CEO of a a company that turned over 15 odd million a year. I think you need to stay away from the one pager for a while.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Michael Martin wrote:
Any longer than 3 pages and it will generally not be looked at as the reader couldn't be bothered spending that much time on it.
That is why for some time I follow an advice (that was in a form of a template :) ) from one agency: have a resume with a brief summary and a separate section with details. Mine is more than 20 pages long (after 20 years in IT), but: It starts with - 5 lines of introduction - skills summary table - education / certifications list - 2 pages of "Employement history in frief" Than goes "Emplyment history details" - all dozens of jobs in different countries, etc., with projects, titles, roles, achievements (though getting briefer to the end: who cares about what I did on some mainframe) This way, the agency or HR can get the quick facts (and not put it to waste-bit), and the tech/manager who will be reading the same resume (given by agency) will have a chance to find details they need. No one was complaining to me :^)
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
The definitive answer: Your CV should be exactly the right length to get you the job :-) Seriously, there really are no absolute rules. If your resume is too long, nobody will read it. If it is too short, it won't include the information you need to put across. At the end of the day, it is up to the person reading your resume to decide what "too long" and "too short" actually mean. In the UK, recruitment specialists generally recommend 2 pages for a CV - and it should tailored to the job for which you area applying. Personally, I find it *very* hard to get my CV down to 2 pages. It doesn't help that we get a little more experience every day... :sigh: BTW: All the best with the job!
KramII
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Thanks for the answers guys... I will spice up the longer one and use it. The selection criteria document that i have prepared, is over 7 pages long, so it over shadows the resume by a lot
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
A 7 page CV might be overkill mate. If your going with the 'more is better' approach you need to make sure that the first page really sells you. If not, I'd be surprised if the person reading it gets past the 2nd page before throwing it on the 'OUT' pile.
Mark Brock Click here to view my blog
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Michael Martin wrote:
He's a teenager going for his first or second job
3rd job since school (first one was in building) and only 4 years experience in IT
Michael Martin wrote:
I doubt he has enough experience to bullet point enough impressive detail in one page.
No, not yet, so that is why I am moving onto a bigger/better job with opportunity for growth
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
Thunderbox666 wrote:
3rd job since school (first one was in building) and only 4 years experience in IT
Sorry, thought you were pretty much fresh out of school.
Thunderbox666 wrote:
No, not yet, so that is why I am moving onto a bigger/better job with opportunity for growth
Good to see. By the way, there was absolutely no condescension or derision in my post further up this branch.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
I wouldn't go over two pages. The first page should be sufficient for a human resources person to scan quickly. The second page can cover detailed information about job history, projects, etc.
Software Zen:
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A 7 page CV might be overkill mate. If your going with the 'more is better' approach you need to make sure that the first page really sells you. If not, I'd be surprised if the person reading it gets past the 2nd page before throwing it on the 'OUT' pile.
Mark Brock Click here to view my blog
MarkBrock wrote:
A 7 page CV might be overkill mate.
AHAHAHA... the CV isnt 7 pages, the 7 pages is the document saying that I meet the esential criteria (government job)
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
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How long/short should a resume' (CV) be? I always thought that a good length is 3 - 4 pages and then have all certificates and things attached, but I recently had my resume looked at by someone who deals with them all the time, and they reduced my 3 page one, to just 1 page... This kinda spun me out But I am applying for a new job, and I was wondering if I should use my 3 page one, or the new 1 page one
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
If you know that hundreds of people will apply for the same job then one page is good. Otherwise it doesn't really matter. jhaga
How to earn 3000€/month online.
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Thunderbox666 wrote:
3rd job since school (first one was in building) and only 4 years experience in IT
Sorry, thought you were pretty much fresh out of school.
Thunderbox666 wrote:
No, not yet, so that is why I am moving onto a bigger/better job with opportunity for growth
Good to see. By the way, there was absolutely no condescension or derision in my post further up this branch.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
Michael Martin wrote:
By the way, there was absolutely no condescension or derision in my post further up this branch.
None taken. I appreciate all the help everyone here is giving me :-D
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
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The definitive answer: Your CV should be exactly the right length to get you the job :-) Seriously, there really are no absolute rules. If your resume is too long, nobody will read it. If it is too short, it won't include the information you need to put across. At the end of the day, it is up to the person reading your resume to decide what "too long" and "too short" actually mean. In the UK, recruitment specialists generally recommend 2 pages for a CV - and it should tailored to the job for which you area applying. Personally, I find it *very* hard to get my CV down to 2 pages. It doesn't help that we get a little more experience every day... :sigh: BTW: All the best with the job!
KramII
KramII wrote:
The definitive answer: Your CV should be exactly the right length to get you the job
I was afraid of that
KramII wrote:
BTW: All the best with the job!
Thanks :)
"There are three sides to every story. Yours, mine and the truth" ~ unknown "All things good to know are difficult to learn" ~ Greek Proverb "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary" ~ Vidal Sassoon
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A 7 page CV might be overkill mate. If your going with the 'more is better' approach you need to make sure that the first page really sells you. If not, I'd be surprised if the person reading it gets past the 2nd page before throwing it on the 'OUT' pile.
Mark Brock Click here to view my blog
I tend to interview a few people a year (contracts and permanents), and deal with, say, 10 CVs each time. So maybe I can help. Tips! More than 3/4 pages is too long; only 1 is fine if done very professionally. In 18 years in IT Dev I've seen a grand total of one, one page CV - but the person got an interview and the position, so it clearly worked! They lasted 3 weeks. There are fashions in these things, the career 'mission statement' is out of fashion, but I would still recommend a key skills summary on the first page, even if it feels a bit contrived. Most people sifting through CVs first time simply look to tick off the key skills (for tech jobs) - if you bury them in your career history you are taking a chance they won't be seen. Please remember that a lot of CVs are faxed through for security reasons (to enable the agency to easily add their watermark, T&Cs, threats etc) - so don't expect someone will be able to search your CV in any other way than by reading it. Sequentially. Don't overegg your experience, any CVs that claim 10 years .Net experience are instantly binned recycled; I got my second job precisely because I had only two years experience because many companies don't want people with too much experience, simply because they believe it can be more difficult to get them to work how they want. Other companies want lots of experience because they don't want to spend too much time managing, and so on. Lots of experience, some experience or no experience is wanted by any company at different times; if you try to claim you are something that you aren't you face a quick termination and either an awkward gap in your CV or a difficult reference request. Try to make your experience and qualifications flow always appear positive - you were always going to make this your career. That archeology degree has given you an acute attention to detail, that year in Tibet allows you to focus consistently, those two years selling mobile phones has left you with great interpersonal ability etc. Finally, the company you are applying to should appeal to you, do not be afraid of rejecting a company before or after an interview that gives you bad vibes - trust your ability to find something more suited. Sorry, what was the question again?
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One page is perfect, two if you absolutely have to. A CV's job is to get you an interview, not a job. Anyone can write a 4 page CV. It takes talent, time and effort to whittle it down to one or two pages that clearly identify what your primary strengths are and how you meet the requirements of the job. Leave them wanting more - that's what gets you an interview. When I went through piles of CV's in the past, I discarded the ones that didn't clearly identify that they met the basic requirements of the job. Then I reviewed the ones that did and picked out the few well written ones. Those people got interviews. More often than not the people with long CV's eliminated themselves from contention by providing unnecessary information that removed them from consideration. Don't give them extra info. until they need it (in an interview). Most cities have some kind of employment centres with someone trained in career counseling and CV writing. I would suggest getting someone like that to review your CV if you're unsure about how to proceed. Cheers, Drew.
I absolutely agree! As one who has looked at resumes before, please no more than two pages. After two pages, I get bored and stop reading. Once, I got a resume that was 9 pages long... it was like the "War and Peace" of resumes! Yuck! :laugh: