How Long Should Your Resume Be?

There are horror stories in human resources departments about applicants turning in 11 page resumes, often for entry-level positions. It may sound like an urban legend, but applicants often start thinking in a very specific mindset: 'If I list out everything I have ever done, the hiring manager will decide that I'm perfect for a job.' This sort of information overload makes it far more difficult to get a job, though.

Human resources managers recognize the fact that a single page resume can be a little short and cut off important information. However, the expectation is that a good candidate for a job can sum up his or her experience and that details can be discussed in an interview, after human resources has weeded out the applicants who are obviously unqualified.

When you are writing your resume, keep in mind the fact that you only need to highlight your talents - not overwhelm a hiring manager with your amazing worth. Even if you feel that there are plenty of great things to say about your work history, get your resume down to a single page. If you've been in the work force for quite a while, it's acceptable to fill a second page, but only then.
There are a few tricks to squeezing a few more words into your resume, if you just have to write down a few more skills. Some resume writers will reduce the font size or margins of a document, but such techniques are obvious. Instead, consider condensing job descriptions. A general rule is that any paragraph made up of more than three lines of text can be condensed.

You might also consider deviating from the traditional resume structure. Perhaps a list of your skills with explanations of related duties might better demonstrate your abilities than a list of the companies you worked with. While you should still include a list of your past employers, you can pare it down to company name and location, along with your job title. As long as a reader can still get a good understanding of your experiences by skimming over your resume, the format is unimportant.

There are a few occasions when you may want to offer up a more extensive work history, although requests for such a document may occur further into the application process than a simple call for resumes. They are still relatively rare and almost always occur only in professional fields. A professor might offer one, for instance, or an individual seeking work with the government. It is worthwhile to maintain a full list of your experiences, but it is usually unnecessary to circulate it.

Your resume is the first impression most hiring managers will have of you. Keeping to their expectations will predispose them to prefer your resume.