As one of the leading employment agencies in Miami, Future Force know questions surrounding resume length are common among job seekers. It used to be that a resume shouldn’t exceed a page. As a result, candidates crammed all the detail they could – in small font sizes and tight line spacing – so they didn’t exceed the one-page rule.
The good news is that today, there is no “one-page rule” about resume length. Keep in mind, a hiring manager does not want to receive a four-page resume. However, if you have a lot of experience, and need two pages in order to highlight it, then that’s perfectly reasonable.
But what if you’ve worked in the field for 30+ years?
Still try to keep your resume to two pages. Remember, you don’t need to communicate every detail about your background in a resume. You’ll have an interview to go through it all with the hiring manager. Your resume is simply trying to help you get your foot in the door so you are invited in for an interview.
In addition, when you exceed two pages, it tells the hiring manager you can’t communicate your background in a concise way. So if your resume is longer than two pages – and you know you need to cut it down – then focus on editing your earlier positions and experiences that aren’t as relevant to the job you’re applying for. The important detail to note is that you’ve made plenty of career progress over the years, not the daily minutiae you handled in a position 15 years ago.
Hiring managers only take a few seconds to glance through your resume. What do you want them to see? Again, you don’t want them to focus on jobs you held years ago; rather you want them to focus on your strengths and your track record of accomplishments.
Whatever you do, don’t use a small font size or tiny margins in order to squeeze as much information as possible into two pages. If you do, it will be nearly impossible for the hiring manager to read. Instead, make sure your margins are no smaller than a ½ inch and your font size is 10.5 or greater.
What if you don’t have a lot of experience?
Then a one-page resume will do. However, try and beef it up by including any relevant course work you’ve done, or volunteer or internship experiences you’ve had.
Would you like more help with your resume – and your job search? Call Future Force. As one of the leading employment agencies in Miami, Future Force can hep improve your resume and your interview skills, all so you can find a Miami job that is a great fit for you. Take the next step in your career. Contact us today to learn more.