How long should a resume be? Resume length is among the biggest pitfalls of job seekers. The common belief is that if you take too long, you risk hiring manager not reading the whole thing; if it’s too short, it might seem like you don’t have enough experience. For all the times you’ve wondered, “How long should a résumé be?” You might have thought the universe has decided an answer by now. Alas. There is no magic resume term that works for everyone.
How long should a resume be in 2021?
Ideally, the CV should be one page long – especially for students, recent graduates, and professionals with 1 to 10 years of experience. The reason for this standard is that employers and hiring managers usually only have a few seconds to review your resume, so you should present the most relevant and impressive information as briefly as possible.
If you have many years of relevant experience leading to a multi-page resume, is this acceptable to employers? The straight answer to this question is yes. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind if your resume is spilled over two or even three pages.
How long should a resume be if you have been in the workforce for a number of years?
If you have been in the workforce for a number of years, you are entitled to a maximum of two full pages of real estate resume. This rule applies to most senior professionals, whether you have worked for seven years or 27 years.
The truth is, most recruiters spend less than 10 seconds reviewing a resume before deciding whether an applicant should receive further study. With so little time to make the right impression, it’s important to present a concise document that highlights the most recent – and most relevant – parts of your work history, skills, and education.
In order to help you meet these resume tips, limit the amount of experience you include into the last 15 years and remove college graduation dates and certifications that fall outside this 15-year window. Employers care a lot about the recent work you’ve been doing and how it relates to the requirements of their role, so place the focus of your resume on your current experience.
There are a number of ways you can incorporate your past experience into a resume without having to go to the third or fourth page.
Instead of trying to figure out the answer to the question “How long should a CV be?” Instead, try to figure out how long your resume should be. Ultimately, there is no right answer, and your CV will be as long or short as required. However, the length of the CV is influenced by several factors.
How long should a resume be if you are changing career
If you are undergoing a career shift or looking to enter a new field or take on a new type of role, a longer resume listing all of your professional accomplishments won’t necessarily be relevant to your target job. The recruiter or hiring manager will likely discount your application, as they will not be able to locate relevant communications. If you focus only on the most outstanding transferable skills and experiences, you will be able to tell a more focused story and present a much stronger case of why you were a great candidate for this particular role.
You may have several years of experience, but you may be with the same company or two, or in a role without much change. If your experience is fairly consistent, the truth is that you may not have enough to fill more than one page, even if you’ve been working for several years. In this case, a one-page resume allows you to recall major accomplishments and accomplishments without being too wordy.
When can I use a two-page resume?
This is the place to be for most resumes. Two pages allow you to dig into your accomplishments in more detail, and include different sections that can give your resume context and depth. This is ideal for someone with eight years or more of professional experience, or someone who is very active in community service or volunteering.
Great resumes tempt your readers to want to know more about you, which will entice them to invite you to the interview table. However, few recruiters will pick up the phone right after checking their resume for six seconds. Instead, they’ll go deeper into your resume and head online to get more information about you and your background.
By providing a link to a longer version of your resume, such as a personal website, LinkedIn profile, or other online resume, you can limit your resume to only the most relevant content while still directing recruiters where they can get more.
What is the perfect resume length?
If your resume is long, there’s a good chance it contains information that recruiters don’t really care about. Does your CV include a goal? Delete it. Resume goals are a good idea when asking friends to forward them to people who may not know what type of job you are looking for.
Is there a brief description of the profession on your CV? Whisk it away. While some experts disagree with me on this topic, your recent business successes typically speak louder to recruiters and hiring managers than your overall personal branding statement.
Keep in mind that you can always add the information again later – trim anything that has no direct relevance to the job you are applying for, especially if it isn’t work related. This includes volunteering, academics, and some personal skills and interests.
While longer resumes may be useful for certain professions such as education and academia, most employers and job searching experts will tell you to keep your resume under two pages. However, to get the best results, your resume should be just one page.
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