Quick Question - Resumes

[TOY]

Does a resume HAVE to be ONE page? Fictional, yes. But ONE page?


Thank you (u_u

[b i o n i c]

in most cases, yes

[Bob]

it should only be more than one page unless there's something about you that really needs two pages to tell. like if you have loads and loads of relevant work experience or something. otherwise you really want it down to one page

[TOY]

FUCK.

How far back (job history) should I go? Or does anybody have a good site for a resume guideline?

[Dorothy Wood]

it depends on the job, but generally yes.

what is the job?

[TOY]

Originally Posted by Bob

it should only be more than one page unless there's something about you that really needs two pages to tell. like if you have loads and loads of relevant work experience or something. otherwise you really want it down to one page

Well, the second page goes into my "Skills and Qualifications" (what systems I know how to utilize, blablabla) and there are quite a few (hence a second page). Plus my achievements within the job(s) I've had which require me to go into detail (I think).

[TOY]

Originally Posted by Dorothy Wood

it depends on the job, but generally yes.

what is the job?

LOLZ!@ ANYTHING(!!!) at this point. I'd REALLY like to work in a hospital as a clerk or or a tech that doesn't require certification (which is what's currently available). Want to be, at some point soon, RN, lab tech, blablabla. However, only thing I've under my belt is that of being a hypochondriac and in spare time reading up on a lot of medical shits.

[Dorothy Wood]

you should just have one page. and it's best to suit each resume to each job. you can have a general one I guess, but if it's too wordy, nobody will read it.

erm, with the work history thing, only put the experiences that would've given you skills that you could put to use at a new job.

also too many jobs might make you seem disloyal or wishy washy.

[Adam]

My CV (Curriculum Vitae, your resume equivalent) is two pages and one size fits all. I print it on one page though but I generally ask the company can I email a .pdf of it to save on paper.

I think most people here keep it to two pages as well. I struggled getting how awesome I am on two pages even but its interesting to note for me that most expect one page over there as one day I may want a job in the states.

I'm unemployed atm tho.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by Adam

My CV (Curriculum Vitae, your resume equivalent) is two pages and one size fits all. I print it on one page though but I generally ask the company can I email a .pdf of it to save on paper.

I think most people here keep it to two pages as well. I struggled getting how awesome I am on two pages even but its interesting to note for me that most expect one page over there as one day I may want a job in the states.

I'm unemployed atm tho.

maybe it's because of your long-ass CV

[Dorothy Wood]

Originally Posted by Adam

My CV (Curriculum Vitae, your resume equivalent) is two pages and one size fits all. I print it on one page though but I generally ask the company can I email a .pdf of it to save on paper.

I think most people here keep it to two pages as well. I struggled getting how awesome I am on two pages even but its interesting to note for me that most expect one page over there as one day I may want a job in the states.

I'm unemployed atm tho.

we do CV's over here too, but mainly for fancy jobs. where I teach, they ask for a basic 1 page resume, then make you fill out an application with short answer questions, then at the end you can put a list of applicable experience. which I copied an pasted from my resume, plus some extra stuff.

I see a lot of "catch all" resumes where I work (at my other job), and seriously...they mostly all suck so bad it's unbelievable. I just scan them and if I see one typo, it's in the trash.

it's basically a foot in the door, you say, "hey, I'm this this and this" and if it's all normal and grammatically correct, that at least says you have enough wits about you to present yourself in a professional manner. you can follow the rules of society and therefore would follow the rules of the workplace, etc.

it's all bullshit really.

[Adam]

yes bob, that was the subtle pun.

But its generally accepted in the UK for no more than 2 pages and you wouldn't change it for the job. Generally you would write a cover letter to change it for the job. Although there is a argument for toning down your CV as you can come across too over qualified.

Like me, I want a temp part time job right now - something where I get maybe 20% above min wage in which I can do a mindless job, come to work high, hungover or however I damn well please. Mentioning coding skills or that I've owned my own business may put people off giving you a job as they might think I want a career and will leave as soon as I find something better. Even a supermarket turned me down for christ sakes.

Maybe I'll do a 1 page CV today - we always do what america do eventually so I could be part of the movement.

[hitmonlee]

wow i dont think ive ever seen a resume/cv under two pages.

[jabumbo]

isn't the cover letter supposed to cover all of the bonus shit that you would otherwise stuff into your resume?


i know when we bid on jobs here for the state, they have specific resume forms that have to be 1 page long, and it sucks trying to cram all the projects you've worked on into this tiny space.

[hpdrifter]

I did a recruitment for an entry level position earlier this year and about 70% of the resumes were more than a page long which irritated the everlovin' fuck out of me.

Your resume should be concise, if you can't fit it on one page you probably need to pare down your work experience/job duties section.

Overall, though (someone already said it), the most important thing is that it be copyedited. No spelling/grammar errors, consistent use of tense and tone, formatting (font face and size, spacing, etc). You'd be surprised how few people put any effort into this.

I got 175 resumes for this entry level position and my first cut was on copyediting issues alone.

[Adam]

I think this thread has convinced me to cut down my CV to one page.

Or maybe one word:

AWESOME !!!

[Myu-to]

Definitely one page.

Condense number of places on this first hit. Best case relevant work experience is with last job.

Highlight skillsets, certifications, and other extremely relevant work experience to the job on hand.

On my resume I went from 17 years of sales management to teaching. I did not waste the prinicpal's time with sales stuff, but talked about my work as a substitute teacher, my years as serving as den leader for the cub scouts, and my years of coaching youth basketball.

Also, try to get as many interviews as possible, I'm great at interviews now because I've been through so many.

[abcdefz]

Two pages is perfectly fine if you're going for a "skilled" position.

[skra75]

1 page only. I throw away resumes longer than 1 page.
Tailor your resume to the type of job you want. Meaning, if you want to work in a hospital, only list 3 jobs and make sure the bulleted details under each support the type of environment you'd like to enter: for hospitals - I dunno - talk about juggling multiple tasks and your dedication to long hours?

Keep it concise and use each job to slam a point home about why you need the job you are applying for. Don't just make a generic catch all "this is the long extended boring fucking story of my life" resume because some asshole like me will just throw it away. You don't need that, keep it short and smart.

Honestly 3/4 a page is ideal. And always have a cover sheet that sets up your resume. There are tons of templates online. I suggest you do your homework first before your cheese is left in the wind.