8 answers
Sam
Student
2
Questions
Asked
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How long should my resume be?
How many pages, what info
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8 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1942
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Sam the way your resume is organized is critical to your success in landing a job interview. There are certain sections hiring managers look for in a professional resume. By filling in these sections, you can ensure that your resume makes it past an Applicant Tracking System and one step closer to your dream job.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The purpose of your contact information is to help the hiring manager quickly know who you are and how to reach you.
INTRODUCTION
Your resume introduction is a quick three-to-four sentence summarization to the hiring manager that details your experience, relevant skills, and other key qualifications. You can best think of your resume introduction as an elevator pitch. It’s the first resume section the hiring manager will see and should grab their attention immediately.
EXPERIENCE
Work experience is one of the most essential parts of a resume, and for most candidates will make up the bulk of their resume’s content.
SKILLS
The skills section of your resume sums up your expertise and skillsets to the hiring manager in a short, easy-to-read list. Regardless of how much experience you have, you should always include a skills section on your resume. To write a strong skills section, list your most marketable abilities and include a mix of both hard skills and soft skills to show employers that you’re a dynamic, well-rounded candidate. Hard skills will typically only include technical skills that you acquired through training, education, or otherwise hands-on experience. Meanwhile, soft skills most often consist of personality traits and people skills.
EDUCATION
The level of detail you add to your resume education section can vary based on how much work experience you have and the number of degrees you’ve achieved. For example, if you’ve just graduated from college, the education part of your resume should be highly detailed and include any information that’s relevant to the job you want.
The No. 1 rule of writing a resume is to keep it short and to the point. The general rule is no more than one page unless you have a very good reason for it to be longer, like an extensive career or a lot of highly applicable work experience. An easy way to keep your resume concise is to include only recent, relevant experience. While that yearlong first job might have taught you a lot about the field, it’s not always necessary to include every detail from your entire career history. Most experts recommend including jobs from the previous 10 or 15 years only, although this time frame may be shorter if you are new to the workforce. Including too many unrelated work experiences can make your resume appear too busy and draw attention away from your relevant qualifications. Your resume should be focused, clear and concise.
Hope this was helpful Sam
CONTACT INFORMATION
The purpose of your contact information is to help the hiring manager quickly know who you are and how to reach you.
INTRODUCTION
Your resume introduction is a quick three-to-four sentence summarization to the hiring manager that details your experience, relevant skills, and other key qualifications. You can best think of your resume introduction as an elevator pitch. It’s the first resume section the hiring manager will see and should grab their attention immediately.
EXPERIENCE
Work experience is one of the most essential parts of a resume, and for most candidates will make up the bulk of their resume’s content.
SKILLS
The skills section of your resume sums up your expertise and skillsets to the hiring manager in a short, easy-to-read list. Regardless of how much experience you have, you should always include a skills section on your resume. To write a strong skills section, list your most marketable abilities and include a mix of both hard skills and soft skills to show employers that you’re a dynamic, well-rounded candidate. Hard skills will typically only include technical skills that you acquired through training, education, or otherwise hands-on experience. Meanwhile, soft skills most often consist of personality traits and people skills.
EDUCATION
The level of detail you add to your resume education section can vary based on how much work experience you have and the number of degrees you’ve achieved. For example, if you’ve just graduated from college, the education part of your resume should be highly detailed and include any information that’s relevant to the job you want.
The No. 1 rule of writing a resume is to keep it short and to the point. The general rule is no more than one page unless you have a very good reason for it to be longer, like an extensive career or a lot of highly applicable work experience. An easy way to keep your resume concise is to include only recent, relevant experience. While that yearlong first job might have taught you a lot about the field, it’s not always necessary to include every detail from your entire career history. Most experts recommend including jobs from the previous 10 or 15 years only, although this time frame may be shorter if you are new to the workforce. Including too many unrelated work experiences can make your resume appear too busy and draw attention away from your relevant qualifications. Your resume should be focused, clear and concise.
Hope this was helpful Sam
Thank You Brianna. Every person can make a difference, and every person should.
Doc Frick
Wayne Archibald
Cybersecurity Associate Director here to share knowledge!
241
Answers
Annapolis Junction, Maryland
Updated
Wayne’s Answer
Hello Sam! As a student or a recent graduate, or even someone with less than a decade of experience, it's best to keep your resume concise and limited to one page. Recruiters appreciate succinct, clear resumes, so deliver exactly that.
Wondering what to include and what to exclude from your resume? A standard one-page resume should encompass:
1. Resume title
2. A concise header with your contact details
3. A maximum of 3-5 job roles in your work experience section
4. Education
5. Other pertinent information, such as key skills, languages, or certifications
Typically, one page should suffice to incorporate all these elements. However, if your resume exceeds a page and needs trimming, follow these guidelines to condense it to a single page:
1. Exclude older work experiences.
2. Limit bullet points. For recent roles, include 3-6 achievements, while older roles may only require 1-2 bullet points.
3. Avoid repeating bullet points. If an accomplishment is already listed elsewhere in your resume, there's no need to duplicate it under a different role.
4. Streamline your education section. For current students, include the college name, GPA, expected graduation date, and email address. This should only occupy 1-2 lines beneath your work experience. If you've already graduated, mention your degree, institution, and any significant awards, but eliminate details like your GPA, coursework, and extracurricular activities.
Best of luck!
Wondering what to include and what to exclude from your resume? A standard one-page resume should encompass:
1. Resume title
2. A concise header with your contact details
3. A maximum of 3-5 job roles in your work experience section
4. Education
5. Other pertinent information, such as key skills, languages, or certifications
Typically, one page should suffice to incorporate all these elements. However, if your resume exceeds a page and needs trimming, follow these guidelines to condense it to a single page:
1. Exclude older work experiences.
2. Limit bullet points. For recent roles, include 3-6 achievements, while older roles may only require 1-2 bullet points.
3. Avoid repeating bullet points. If an accomplishment is already listed elsewhere in your resume, there's no need to duplicate it under a different role.
4. Streamline your education section. For current students, include the college name, GPA, expected graduation date, and email address. This should only occupy 1-2 lines beneath your work experience. If you've already graduated, mention your degree, institution, and any significant awards, but eliminate details like your GPA, coursework, and extracurricular activities.
Best of luck!
María José Rojas
Sr Talent Acquisition Specialist
2
Answers
San José, Costa Rica
Updated
María José’s Answer
Hi Sam, to build an extraordinary resume these are my suggestions:
- Choose simple words, comprehensible, concrete, precise, known and significant.
- Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes.
- Avoid the use of acronyms and ambiguous words.
3 C’s in your resume:
- Concise: should not be too long
- Clear: should include relevant information for the position, with a clear division of each section and easy to read
- Credible: should include honest information that can be verified
When writing your resume consider these tips:
- Easy to read and organized: 1 or 2 pages
- Same letter font in each part of the resume
- Show previous accomplishments
Sections in your resume:
- Personal information: name, address, phone number, email, LinkedIn profile
- Professional profile: a brief summary that includes education, experience and professional interest for position applying to. Example: Recent Software Engineering graduate with fundamental knowledge of software design, development, and testing. Seeking to utilize my educational background with excellent analytical, technical, and programming skills to thrive as an entry-level software engineer.
- Work experience or internship: most relevant information organized from the most recent to the oldest, in chronological inverse order. Use STAR approach S: Situation, where and when / T: Tasks, what was done / A: Action or actions done to complete the task / R: Results what did you accomplish.
- Educational background: title, educational institute and graduation year
- Languages: English, Spanish, etc.
- Skills: Related to the job position you are applying to
- Certifications and recognitions: related to the job position
I hope this can help you!
- Choose simple words, comprehensible, concrete, precise, known and significant.
- Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes.
- Avoid the use of acronyms and ambiguous words.
3 C’s in your resume:
- Concise: should not be too long
- Clear: should include relevant information for the position, with a clear division of each section and easy to read
- Credible: should include honest information that can be verified
When writing your resume consider these tips:
- Easy to read and organized: 1 or 2 pages
- Same letter font in each part of the resume
- Show previous accomplishments
Sections in your resume:
- Personal information: name, address, phone number, email, LinkedIn profile
- Professional profile: a brief summary that includes education, experience and professional interest for position applying to. Example: Recent Software Engineering graduate with fundamental knowledge of software design, development, and testing. Seeking to utilize my educational background with excellent analytical, technical, and programming skills to thrive as an entry-level software engineer.
- Work experience or internship: most relevant information organized from the most recent to the oldest, in chronological inverse order. Use STAR approach S: Situation, where and when / T: Tasks, what was done / A: Action or actions done to complete the task / R: Results what did you accomplish.
- Educational background: title, educational institute and graduation year
- Languages: English, Spanish, etc.
- Skills: Related to the job position you are applying to
- Certifications and recognitions: related to the job position
I hope this can help you!
Chris Brady
Director Talent Acquisition
3
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Chris’s Answer
Make your resume one page. Being concise and to the point is what good employers are targeting. I’ve had several hiring managers tell me that they won’t interview a candidate that submits a resume with more than two pages. Even if you have 10 years of experience, make your resume list your accomplishments and impact your’ve made. You don’t need to list everything you’ve done. What separates you from others and how did you improve things and make things better?
Sony Korlipara
Quality Assurance
10
Answers
Fremont, California
Updated
Sony’s Answer
Sam, Resume should not be more than 1- or 2-pages length. This will ensure to keep the focus & attention of the hirin
Your Resume starts with your name, contact info and email.
Next section you can add brief objective statement to talk about your career goals or a short statement about what made you apply for this job
Next comes professional experience section. this is where you tend to bloat your sentences by adding more details of each project. list down the projects/internships/extra-curricular activities/volunteer activities. Instead of focusing on the duties you did, highlight your achievements, learnings, growth opportunities etc .
Next you can add your education qualifications, Technical and Interpersonal skills.
Few more tips:-
- Read the Job posting carefully and think about the experience you had that is mostly relevant to the position and add them to resume as needed to tailor it to the Job posting. Your Resume should stand out to skim readers.
- Proof read your resume in order to correct any spelling mistakes, formatting ..etc
- You can either use word document (or) PowerPoint to prepare your resume
All the best!
Your Resume starts with your name, contact info and email.
Next section you can add brief objective statement to talk about your career goals or a short statement about what made you apply for this job
Next comes professional experience section. this is where you tend to bloat your sentences by adding more details of each project. list down the projects/internships/extra-curricular activities/volunteer activities. Instead of focusing on the duties you did, highlight your achievements, learnings, growth opportunities etc .
Next you can add your education qualifications, Technical and Interpersonal skills.
Few more tips:-
- Read the Job posting carefully and think about the experience you had that is mostly relevant to the position and add them to resume as needed to tailor it to the Job posting. Your Resume should stand out to skim readers.
- Proof read your resume in order to correct any spelling mistakes, formatting ..etc
- You can either use word document (or) PowerPoint to prepare your resume
All the best!
Ray Colby
Corporate Recruiter
6
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Ray’s Answer
Hello Sam.
I am a Lead Experienced Recruiter with Deloitte and have 25 yrs in the Recruiting space. The best advice is to try to keep your resume to 2 pages. Make sure you use action verbs to showcase your work experience: Lead, Serve, Manage, Create etc... Also make sure you emphasize your technical skills because recruiters will be looking for those skills in their searches. The resume should be chronological meaning past to present work experience.
I hope that helps.
Good Luck.
I am a Lead Experienced Recruiter with Deloitte and have 25 yrs in the Recruiting space. The best advice is to try to keep your resume to 2 pages. Make sure you use action verbs to showcase your work experience: Lead, Serve, Manage, Create etc... Also make sure you emphasize your technical skills because recruiters will be looking for those skills in their searches. The resume should be chronological meaning past to present work experience.
I hope that helps.
Good Luck.
Nada Lopes
IT Software
123
Answers
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Updated
Nada’s Answer
Hi Sam, you've asked an excellent question! Regardless of whether you're a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience or a fresh graduate, having a clear, succinct, and impactful CV is crucial. Given that you've recently left school, a one-page CV would be ideal, but remember, it needs to be distinctive!
In the current job market, there are numerous valuable educational resources and templates that you can utilize. For instance, I discovered an outstanding CV template on Etsy, which I bought and simply filled in the gaps. Typically, the first page serves as an introduction or cover letter, presenting who you are and why you believe you're the perfect fit for the role. The second page is your actual CV, highlighting your relevant experience and skills for the position. Bear in mind, skills are transferable! For instance, check out your dream job on LinkedIn, identify the necessary skills, and then consider how you can acquire these skills through a more accessible role, such as Customer Service, which can be gained through working at a fast-food restaurant or supermarket. You can also tailor your CV to emphasize Transferable Skills over specific job titles, making you a more attractive candidate for a wider range of roles, rather than being restricted to jobs based on your previous titles.
I hope this advice is beneficial. And remember, your career is a journey, not a destination. You may start in one area and end up in another. That's completely fine. Embrace the journey!
In the current job market, there are numerous valuable educational resources and templates that you can utilize. For instance, I discovered an outstanding CV template on Etsy, which I bought and simply filled in the gaps. Typically, the first page serves as an introduction or cover letter, presenting who you are and why you believe you're the perfect fit for the role. The second page is your actual CV, highlighting your relevant experience and skills for the position. Bear in mind, skills are transferable! For instance, check out your dream job on LinkedIn, identify the necessary skills, and then consider how you can acquire these skills through a more accessible role, such as Customer Service, which can be gained through working at a fast-food restaurant or supermarket. You can also tailor your CV to emphasize Transferable Skills over specific job titles, making you a more attractive candidate for a wider range of roles, rather than being restricted to jobs based on your previous titles.
I hope this advice is beneficial. And remember, your career is a journey, not a destination. You may start in one area and end up in another. That's completely fine. Embrace the journey!
Nitin G
Engineering
2
Answers
Pleasanton, California
Updated
Nitin’s Answer
Hello Sam,
The perfect length for a resume can fluctuate depending on your years of experience and the specific job you're applying for. However, I strongly believe that a one-page resume, packed with precise information, can be incredibly beneficial. Recruiters and hiring managers generally appreciate a resume that is succinct and to the point.
When I mention 'precise', here are some critical aspects that you should include in your resume:
- Prioritize your recent experiences. Highlight your latest roles and experiences as they are most likely to be pertinent to potential employers. If you're just starting your career, make sure to emphasize any side projects you've been involved in.
- If you're targeting tech jobs, ensure your personal GitHub link is prominently displayed on your resume.
- Include accurate contact and education information.
- Personalize your resume to match the job requirements and include all relevant information.
- Don't forget to list any pertinent certifications or courses you've completed that align with the job you're applying for.
I hope this advice proves useful to you. Best of luck on your job search!
The perfect length for a resume can fluctuate depending on your years of experience and the specific job you're applying for. However, I strongly believe that a one-page resume, packed with precise information, can be incredibly beneficial. Recruiters and hiring managers generally appreciate a resume that is succinct and to the point.
When I mention 'precise', here are some critical aspects that you should include in your resume:
- Prioritize your recent experiences. Highlight your latest roles and experiences as they are most likely to be pertinent to potential employers. If you're just starting your career, make sure to emphasize any side projects you've been involved in.
- If you're targeting tech jobs, ensure your personal GitHub link is prominently displayed on your resume.
- Include accurate contact and education information.
- Personalize your resume to match the job requirements and include all relevant information.
- Don't forget to list any pertinent certifications or courses you've completed that align with the job you're applying for.
I hope this advice proves useful to you. Best of luck on your job search!