This is an anonymous post from an Elpha member.

Resume Length - 7.5 years of experience

Gail111·Nov 04, 2021

Posted in:Advice

Hi Elphas!

I am currently at 7.5 years of professional experience post-graduation, and I'm wondering if it's time to transition to a 2 page resume. In the past, I've just condensed the information in past roles to meet the 1 page max, but now I'm wondering if it makes sense to continue onto the second page.

For context, I am a Lead User Experience Researcher (VP level), and my past roles were in the relevant/parallel field of market research. I have some good experiences on there, but I don't want my resume to be "overkill".

Thoughts? What would you do in my situation? If you were a Hiring Manager, what would you think of 2 pages at my level (well, maybe 1.5 pages)

Also, if you do have 2 pages, would you include relevant undergraduate research experience? Or is that too outdated?

Thanks!

annamiller·Nov 04, 2021

Hi there! I would be happy to share a resume format where you can make the most of your career story. Feel free to DM me. In general, employers are interested in what’s most relevant for the role they are hiring for so detailing roles that aren’t directly relevant may not be necessary on your resume. You can have a section of roles that just have title, company name and date. And another section that focuses on highlighting more relevant roles and some details for each role.

RebeccaStevenson·Nov 04, 2021

Every job I've applied for in the past few years required me to put all of my information into an online form, so I'm not sure length even matters any longer. Having been working for 20+ years, I've long since reached the point of not even bothering to mention my first few jobs just to keep it to two pages. No one has ever complained about having to turn the page over.

Iynna·Nov 04, 2021

Length DEFINITELY matters! Keep it to 1-page only (I know it can be so hard to do), honestly while everything is meaningful (they made you who you are after all) you might have some stuff in there that ar either overkill, outdated or redundant so there is a way to weave them all together to create a tight and strong story! Generally folks with over 10 years or so experience can start extending to 2 pages Happy to take a look and share feedback!

annieli·Nov 05, 2021

I'm a recruiter (based in Germany), if you've already worked as a VP in your field, I wouldn't worry about having a 2 page resume. Many leadership level candidates have 2 page resumes and it makes more sense than a candidate with 1 year of experience having a 2 page resume. Most ATS we use also allow continuous scrolling of the resume files so it won't make a huge difference. In my experience 2 page resumes are discouraged most of the long resumes I receive have horrible formatting with too much blank space on the first page. As long as you can avoid that it shouldn't be a big issue.

heatherjay·Nov 05, 2021

It’s less about the length and more about the content. Two pages of stuff that gives the HM insight into why you’d be a perfect fit? Great. Two pages where you include things like your high school GPA and unrelated part-time jobs? Pass.

katiespellman·Nov 05, 2021

Hi Gail - I think you're probably getting a variety of answers here but I wanted to provide my two cents as a recruiter...1. I always recommend folks create a "master resume" something that has ALL the details of ALL the jobs you've ever done. Brain dump it. Get it all out there. Really work at remember the skills you learned in those roles, accomplishments made, etc.2. Then make a copy of your "master resume" and tailor it for each job you apply to. I know that seems like overkill but it makes a HUGE difference in the job search process and recruiting process. When reviewing a job posting that makes you super excited to apply - sniff out the key words they are using, programming languages they highlight and skills they are looking for. Then tailor your resume to reflect their EXACT language. This keeps everything highly relevant to the job your applying for and prompts recruiters (like me) to say "oh they have x, x, and x... just what we're looking for!"3. I'm not particularly worried about 1pg. vs. 2pgs. If it's relevant then I'm happy to see it. But make it readable. Don't be afraid to use bolding, underlines, italics. Don't use 10pt font trying to make it all fit on an arbitrary 1 pg rule :)4. Yes - some places will have a copy/paste application rather than uploading a .pdf file but the advice above remains the same - make it relevant to the job, be specific, highlight what you can bring to the role. This method is extra work - I 100% recognize and honor that. But for me as a recruiter it shows me exactly what I need to know to see if a candidate is a good fit or not and as a job seeker should help you understand your own strengths and provide a great discussion platform should you get invited to an interview!Best of luck! (or feel free to dm me with any questions!)

cchatham11·Nov 06, 2021

Big +1 to this response!