A very very common question! So how many pages should your resume be? The quick answer is 2 pages, 3 max for the average resume. Yes, there are times when the employer requests specific information due to the nature of the job. In these circumstances your resume may go beyond the 2-3 pages.
But you have so much to say….so many skills that need to be noted! Ahhh yes, how do I fit it all in. Well, this is the key. If you are having challenges doing this and deciding which important information to keep and what to scrap, make sure you enlist in the help of a professional resume writer, preferably someone who has actually been in a position of reviewing resumes with the intention to hire. Here are some tips:
* Include information at a high level
* Look for information that is duplicated and eliminate it
* Only include the most relevant information
* If you are not applying for a pet shop job i.e. you are applying for a Project Manager role…it probably isn’t a good idea to include the pet shop job that you worked at when you were in high school….
* Look for the skills and background required for the position you are applying to – ensure you have noted that you have these skills within your cover letter/resume (if indeed you have them!)
* Leave room for interview discussion – meaning, if something is important and you don’t feel you can fit all the details in, don’t worry – ensure to include the point(s) at a high level and if the interviewer is interested, they will ask you more about this in the interview.
* If you have your previous job descriptions available, these are a huge help when you are looking to create your resume
A final tip, think of yourself as being the recruiter, the hiring manager reviewing all the resumes that have come in for your open position – we are talking hundreds and perhaps more. Are you going to want to sift through pages and pages of someone’s resume? I will give you the answer – “NO”. Number one, there isn’t time, number two, If you take that long to explain your past history, I would be wondering what you would be like on the job, number three, this is your chance to sell yourself to me and you just blew it with the sheer volume of information.
I hope these quick few tips have been helpful! Don’t hesitate to let us know if you need a hand!