How Long Should My Resume Be?
Resume page length has been shrinking over the years. When writing your resume, the length should be based on your experience and the type of job you’re seeking; although, numerous studies reveal that no resume should be longer than two-pages with few exceptions.
Research has shown the average recruiter spends a maximum of 10-seconds looking at your resume before deciding to call you in for an interview.
Marketing Document
A great resume is simply a marketing document that makes it an easy decision to bring you in for an interview–by highlighting your achievements, showcasing career progression and including keywords relevant to the position.
Entry-Level Resumes
For entry-level applicants, less is more. Although many recent graduates may have several internships and have been part of many committees, a one-page resume is ideal. This is the same for most employees transitioning to a new career field.
Professional Resumes
Professional candidates with several years of experience can write a two-page resume. This allows enough space to include all relevant information, value-added accomplishments, and work history while still making the resume readable.
Executive Resumes & Academic CV’s
The exceptions to the two-page maximum for resume length is with academic CV’s and possibly C-Suite executives since they will often have a long list of accomplishments and experiences that they have to include.
Academic CV’s are an entirely different breed from professional resumes and can be 10+ pages filled with courses taught, professional experience, conferences, and publications.
Federal Resumes
Finally, federal resumes have undergone major changes over the last decade. Applying for federal jobs before the millennium would entail a five or more page resume filled with lengthy job descriptions to try and account for everything.
Today when writing federal resumes, they are expected to be no more than two-pages while still incorporating the relevant key words (KSA’s) while showcasing the value a candidate can bring.
Simply including a laundry list of job descriptions will pull up in the applicant tracking systems
(ATS); however, once a recruiter sees this they will move onto a more readable and user-friendly resume.
Resume length has been a subject of debate in recent years; however, many studies have demonstrated that a hiring manager will spend a maximum of 10-seconds reviewing everything.
Any resume that is more than two-pages will not get thoroughly reviewed.
Today, resumes are all moving towards a one-page format that should clearly showcase a candidates strength immediately.
Empire Resume Will Help You Get Hired
We have greater than a 97% success rate landing our clients’ interviews!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND GET STARTED
Maria Gold is a Content Manager/Writer for Empire Resume. She is dedicated to helping educate and motivate people with the latest career articles and job search advice. Her interests range from writing to programming and design. She is also passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.
Related Articles:
