Sat 25 Aug 2007
Any resume needs to be short and to the point but the main question to any resume writer is what to include and what to be left out. Basically, the resume should be short and concise and should include all your achievements in the most positive manner. If your resume is well written even if it extends to two pages it is perfectly fine. The length of the resume also increases if you have a long career graph.
1) Be Concise: While writing a resume bear in mind to keep the sentences short. Highlight your achievements. Do not think you are writing a short story but it is a resume you are penning.
2) Make the resume look presentable by formatting it properly and section wise listing all the achievements and you job functions.
3) The prospective employer has to see many resumes and he has no time for length, so longer is not better and will not catch an eye of the employer. If you are a fresher or looking for a change in career fit your resume in one page do not elongate it by adding irrelevant things into it.
4) If you are applying for a higher level of job it is okay to exceed two pages in a resume. The main aim of the resume is to sell yourself and your skills. But try not to oversell your skills. Do not add the experiences not required in the job you are looking for. Just add the relevant skills and add only the last four or five jobs to your resume. The resume if extends in more than one pages number them, as there are chances that they get separated and it will be an incomplete resume. Try to get all the relevant information on page one. So even if the other pages are misplaced the resume looks good.
5) As already mentioned unless you are applying for a senior level job it should not be more than one page. If the resume is longer the person reading it might get distracted in the middle if the irrelevant experiences or goals are mentioned. If you are planning to list all the certificates received, you can add up a separate page for the same but they should be useful for the job you are applying. The main part should be your career objective, your goals and profile which should be put in such a way that it catches the attention of the interviewer and if there are multiple pages make sure you number them and add your name and contact details in all the pages.