How Long Should Your Resume Be?
June 8, 2009 by George Chernikov
Filed under Resume Writing Tips
As a job hunter, you probably have quite a few things to say about yourself. You’ve worked here and there; you’ve done this and that; you’ve initiated that process and implemented that initiatve. The story of your professional life is a fascinating read detailing your incredible skills, abilities, knowledge and intelligence.
What a shame that the HR doesn’t care one bit for it…
The purpose of a resume is to give the employer a good idea of your relevant skills and qualifications. Note that I underlined the word “relevant” there. Not all characteristics will have bearing on whether or not you get hired - which is why, the longer your career history is, the more trimming and cutting you will have to do.
The reason is simple - with 16.4% Americans unemployed, HR departments are flooded with job applications. Your CV is just one of the hundreds - if not thousands - that the recruiters will have to screen before you even get to the interview phase.
And, painful though this may sound, this means that no one has time to read a 10-page CV describing your experience as a shop assistant 25 years ago.
When you customize your CV for a vacancy - and you must always do so, remember? - try to leave out any irrelevant bits of pieces. For example, if this is an HR position, no one cares that you once worked as an Accounting Assistant with a local bank. To be sure, it’s something you need to mention - but there’s certainly no need for you to go into detail about it, unless your accomplishments were truly exceptional.
Conversely, if you worked as an HR Intern at some point in your career, this is something that not only bears mentioning, but should also be discussed at length - including your specific job responsibilities, achievements and just about everything else.
Put simply, when the HR picks up your CV, you want to give them something that immediately grabs their attention and demonstrates that you’re a good candidate. And, since most recruiters will not look past Page 2 of your CV, this is exactly how long your resume should be.
Don’t waste precious space going on and on about irrelevant jobs and achievements - focus on what matters, and on what can get you hired.
