Free Career and Job Search Advice

Margerit · Newbie Joined: 29 May 2007 Posts: 1 Career Advice: +0/-0

I have a 2 page resumes and am going to take it along with me to some job centres with the hope that somebody will be interested in hiring me.
I have tried to make it a 1 pager but I simply cannot.
Can anyone tell me whether I should staple the 2 pages together, print it retro verso, or just give it out as it is.###

lilo · Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 4:05 pm Post subject:

You can staple them without a problem or you can print it retro verso. Dont send it just like that because one page might be lost. . And don't worry about the quantity of the information. Two pages is accepted nowdays like 1 page Very Happy

Just try not to go further than that. I've seen some 3-4 pages resumes which bored me to death. Remain to the elementary information.

CoachMary · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 12:26 am Post subject: two-page resume

In my experience, the only candidates that use 2-pages (or more) resumes are people in high tech fields or with executive resumes. Get it to one-page otherwise. Only use the last 10 years of work history (and edit those if you need to). Resume is a truthful document but it is a marketing tool. It's purpose is to secure the interview. Use your "real estate" wisely on the resume. Sometimes, too much (even while it may seem important to you) is just too much. The more you ramble...the more trouble you can get into. Use your cover letter to reveal anything special that needs unveiling, but an employer with (x) number of resumes to consider wants the pile to be as concise and to the point as possible. They want them as standard as possible to be able to compare. They shouldn't have to hunt through info to find items to compare. Remember, you are writing the resume to appeal to the employer -- not to satisfy your own needs. Steer clear of being too "inclusive." I still say that editing one's own history is tough work. We are too close to our own info to be qualified to edit it -- even if you are a great marketer. Get into format and stick to it. If you are in one of the fields I mentioned earlier -- staple the 2 pages and be done with it. Otherwise, get someone to help you streamline your resume.

ResumeWriter · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 1:37 am Post subject: 2-Page Resume

Hmmm ... I disagree with some previous comments about length. Whenever asked about length, I always answer with the same response. It depends. Ask 10 people, those in and out of the hiring arena, and you'll likely get different responses and viewpoints.

View your resume as a piece of marketing material. Much like those in business, corporate communications have expanded and contracted throughout the years to accommodate their target audience. Businesses that once exclusively utilized a bi-fold or tri-fold brochure are now using downloadable booklets, PowerPoint presentations, Flash-based/mini cd-roms, and so on. The world of marketing oneself is changing, and so are the materials used for the task.

Promoting the use of a one-page resume is actually outdated advice, however, you will find a few select recruiters out there that request odd things. I once had a recruiter request that I list three college classes my client took in the 1970s listed within her resume. To this day, I'm baffled on why the recruiter wanted the data listed. Not only was it very outdated, it's unlikely my client remembered anything about them.

The main reason two-page resumes are more favorable is primarily due to the onset of resume management systems. Much like you input keywords within your favorite search engine, hiring agents are performing much the same process when it comes to searching for candidates within their database. Have you seen career/job-search articles written about "keyword strong" resumes? The theory is that more content means more relevant keywords.

Now, I'm not saying that if your resume is currently one page you should try and make it two, nor am I saying that a two-page resume should stay that length. A resume should try to evolve around a 10-year timeframe, much as CoachMary recommended, however, there are exceptions to even that rule. If the data from your career slips into a second page, consider whether that timeframe is appropriate for you. Does that excess data look like "leftovers"?

Think long and hard about the information that's occupying the all-important space within your resume. Critique everything. If it's not helping you, there's no sense listing it. Much like businesses modify their marketing material to cater to current trends and potential prospects/existing clients, your resume and cover letter should tell the reader what they need to know ... and no more. The only objective of both documents is to make the reader pick up the phone and call you for an interview. With that said, page length really takes a back seat to whether your finished resume is well written, looks professional/pleasing (yes, a person will view it at some point), thorough enough, and highlights the key points necessary.

numerouno · New User Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 7 Career Advice: +0/-0

The trouble with giving advice on a question like this is that the answer always "depends" ....

Think about principles rather than rules, for example;

1. Relevance

Reflect on the EMPLOYER'S needs and shape your Resume/ CV to be the best match possible. This may require you to call on experience from 10 years ago, but recency is a virtue!

2. Concise

Say what needs to be said in the clearest and most concise way. Simple language is better. Trying to "dress it up" with complicated language makes your Resume look pretentious. Simplicity does not equate to ignorance.

3. Be positive

Don't use words to undermine yourself, e.g. "I just assisted with..." Be factual, specific and focus on what you DID contribute.

I won't go on, but you might want to look at another post I submitted (a bit tongue-in-cheek, but relevant to your question). Try this link:

http://www.cvtips.com/career_advice_forum/10-steps-to-a-winning-resume-or-cv-amp-how-to-avoid-them-vt3719.html

All the best!

Progress Enterprise
http://www.progressenterprise.com
Resume & Curriculum Vitae Frameworks - Building on Strength

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