The important thing about any résumé if it is to do its job is to capture the attention of a prospective employer in an understated way. It also must be easy to read as lines of type that go across the page from one margin to the other, for example, are very difficult to read. Use bullets to denote your accomplishments, as they will effectively break up the text. Deciding on length may not appear easy, but a rule of thumb which will never lead you astray states that your résumé should be as long as it needs to be.
How long does it need to be? The idea is to capture at least ten seconds of the reader and potential employer’s time because according to statistics that is the time span given to the average résumé. It must look attractive and not crammed and another rule of thumb to keep in mind is that it is better to have a longer résumé that is readable and scannable than to have one crammed with too much information on one indecipherable page.
The standard length of the average résumé in years past was one full page. If you think about it, that made more sense then because in years past most people worked for one or two companies and often at the same job for many years. Things have changed, and now it is a very common practice for the average person to change careers every four years or so and the estimated average is twelve-fifteen jobs per lifetime.
Another factor to be considered when creating your résumé is the realization that job hunting has become much more sophisticated and competitive than in years past. Your credentials have to stand out. In the words of stripper, Gypsy Rose Lee, “you gotta get a gimmick.” This is good advice, but whatever you do, keep your clothes on.
Good luck!
Related Reading:
“Some More Résumé Tips”
“What Are Hard and Soft Skills?”
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