I recently read two good articles on the topic of how long your resume should be. The first, How Long Should My Resume Be? is from Great Resumes Fast. The other, Resumes for Executive Jobs – Tips on Length, Formatting and Style was written by Matthew Rothenberg of TheLadders and posted today on EmploymentDigest.net.
My guideline is that if you are a new graduate, your resume should be one page if at all possible. If you have 10 years of work experience, it will probably be two pages. I recommend always having a one-page resume at the ready if you are expecting to work with recruiters.
I disagree a bit with the formatting advice from TheLadders. I do not like underlining or changes in font size as a formatting tool. I much prefer the option of “Small Caps” which you will find under the font menu. It’s a great way to create emphasis.
Remember, even though you probably won’t include graphics in your resume (other than perhaps some nice lines and tasteful shading), your resume is a work of art. Print it out and make sure it looks professional! It’s likely that if you underlined a lot and multiple font sizes you will change your mind quickly about your artistic choice when you look at the document in hard copy.
Related posts:
- Resumes for Lawyers: 6 Great Resume Formatting Tips for your Legal Resume – by Brenda Bernstein
- 5 Practical Space-Saving Resume Tips from The Essay Expert
- The Purpose of a Resume – Resume Tips for Recent Graduates
- The Essay Expert’s Resume Tip of the Week: Words and Phrases to Delete from Your Resume #3
- Your Resume on Google Docs… and other recommendations for posting your resume online
Tags: Job Search, Resume Tips, Resumes
