Sometimes getting the good job you desire will rely on how good your resume is. Of course, what’s written in it is vital. It’s who you are and what you’ve been doing in the past. But, people often go too far with writing their resumes. Having all that great accolades and experience and talking about it is great. But, should it be done in length? There are a few norms you need to respect when it comes to creating a resume. Yes, it’s vital that you cover your ground, and tell the best tale of your past experiences, but to what degree?
This is what we came here to tell you. When writing a resume you must give your best. It needs to be a true representation of your past education and professional success. But, as we said, it is also important not to go overboard. Writing a resume is a lot like surfing. While you’re writing it, it’s like riding a wave. It feels good. It’s an accomplishment. But, for the one reading it, if it is too long, it can be like feeling that moment when the wave comes on top of you and takes you off the board. Nobody loves t is drowned. Maybe the Ironborn form The Pyke, but that’s about it.
Fantasy writing aside, when you focus on your resume, you need to be detailed but you shouldn’t be two pages detailed. This is an established opinion, and professionals who excel in executive resume writing from chameleonresumes.com agree with us on this subject. Are we on the same page? If not, let us change your mind. Keep reading this article and find out about the five reasons why your resume should not be two pages long. Let’s start.
Attention Span of The Reader
You can write the best resumes. But, if it’s too long it will be deemed as boring by most readers. A resume is not a fantasy novel. Yes, people will eat out the hundreds of pages of The Winds of Winter if they ever reach the bookshelves but a two-page resume is a big no-no. The reason is simple. The attention span of people who are going through resumes is short. They tend to address too many of those during the day as their line of work requires it. So, if your resume is too long, it won’t receive the needed attention. It needs to be precise and concise with all the vital details put up in front. If your resume is not read you will not get the call. Without it, you’ll miss an interview, which results in no job for you. As a wise guy, Paulie Gualtieri would put it, you need to keep things short and sweet.
Time Limits
Your resume is not a work of art. It will not be displayed in a museum. It is a tool. A tool that needs to get you to work. When you apply for a job you will face competition. A recruiter will face hundreds of resumes for only one job opening. That’s how work markets function. That’s why your resume mustn’t be longer than one page. Most recruiters don’t have time to go through long pages of resumes. If you hand them a long piece of paper, even longer than two pages you can say goodbye to most job openings. It’s not because you’re inadequate or you are not fitting the description of what the job opening requires. It is because no one will take the needed time to read your too-long resume.
Missing The Point
You need to have a few variations of your resume. Having one, that’s log at that, is a wrong approach. Your resume needs to send out a message. As we said, it needs to be short and sweet. But, don’t miss on the essence. It needs to represent you the best way it can, but without long unreadable lines. At the core of every resume, there needs to be a message – this is why you need to hire me. It needs to be evident to the reader. And it’s best if it’s clear from the start. If it’s not your resume is missing the point. If it took you too long to write it already missed it even before it reached the hands of the recruiter.
Respect the Timeline
Some of us have been in the field of work for decades. What this means is that there are resumes that cover extended periods. When you want to cover everything you’ve done it’s hard to put it all on one page. We understand that. Having experience that last decades in certain fields are vital. But the reality is that new openings don’t value the past all that much. That’s the harsh truth. We need to spill it out for you. When you’re writing your resume you must cover all of your experience. But, how far down the stretch do you need to go? Well, not too far. What matter the most is today, and the most recent past. Where have you been yesterday, last month, previous year are the question you’ll need to answer. It’s good to tell what have you been up to the last few years but that’s it. When you’re writing a resume you shouldn’t go one decade in the past. It matters little to the recruiters. Have this lesson on your mind. The past is important but the present matters more if you’re thinking about your future.
Impress Quickly
This is the most important part. You want to make
a good impression, but you want to do it quickly. The beginning of your resume is where the magic begins. There’s nothing of the essence in the back end of it. Even the bottom of the first page won’t be reached by most recruiters. That’s why you must keep your writing concise no matter how much you have to say about yourself. Remember applying for a job is like meeting a new person. You won’t spill everything you have in the first few minutes of getting to know each other.
