How Long Should a Resume Be: The Best Resume Length
How long should a resume be? One page? Two pages? Does it even matter? We’re here to answer all your questions about resume length!
Olga Ber
Career Expert
Your resume is, in all probability, the only editable document that you possess. With your ever-evolving career, it enables you to make updates to your professional development whenever you need them.
But, as a jobseeker, you likely know that freshness and relevance aren’t the only factors that have a bearing on your resume success. It’s also about making your resume an entertaining read that is notable and distinguishing.
In this guide, we’ll answer how to make your resume stand out from other jobseekers. Plus, we’ll offer you 10 proven hacks to see your resume drawing attention.
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In the meanwhile, check these guides to elevate your resume:
- ATS-Friendly Resume Templates & Guide
- Best Resume Format This Year
- Best Resume Practices to Apply
- General Resume & Writing Tips
- How to Write a Perfect Resume?
- Resume Profile Examples for Any Jobs
- Popular Resume Mistakes
- Resume Tips + Dos & Don’ts
- Should You Save a Resume in PDF or Doc?
- Things to Include in a Resume
You’ve probably had to call any kind of service at least once. It was because you needed someone’s expertise to solve a specific problem. And so you contacted a number of professionals to receive several offers and choose the one. Could you recall what factors influenced your decision to use that particular service? Were they your emotions, experiences, or memories?
There’s a whole lot of research on human decision-making. We’re not going to dive too deep into psychology, but just to make things clear: you, too, can make your offer look better than others’.
Consider these 10 resume tips to create a resume that stands out and impacts a decision:
1. Follow the Job Posting
Job postings are treasuries of knowledge. They contain a lot of handy information regarding the job requirements. If you pay enough attention to job descriptions, demanded skills, and other expectations, you can get a complete picture of the perfect candidate.
Research the company’s profile, culture, and values extensively. It’ll help you understand what kind of work environment the company creates and what is needed to fit in such a setting. Once you’re familiar with their preferences, try to reflect in your resume the candidate’s image that they pictured.
2. Check for Keywords
With tons of resumes to sift through, most recruiters use applicant tracking systems to scan applications for matching resume keywords. To get through the screening process, ensure you’ve included in your resume all the key terms displayed in the job description. If you struggle to denote them, use a word-cloud generator. It’ll pull the most frequently used terms out of the uploaded content.
3. Customize Your Resume
Who’s more likely to get a job as a data scientist: a former data engineer or a game tester? It’s vital that your resume conveys the most accurate information and that it corresponds to the industry and the role that is in your sights.
Get rid of irrelevant experience and focus on the work achievements that might be important to a recruiting company. Customize the job title, job descriptions, and professional skills to strengthen your candidate’s profile.
4. Include a Pithy Resume Summary
The first lines of your resume make up a snapshot of your career history. It helps a recruiter get a grasp of your experience and skills. An ideal resume summary mentions your most relevant experience and assets that favor your candidature. Additionally, it underscores your motivations and attitude toward a new role, which is very insightful for recruiters. A good resume summary has a wow! effect and leaves a lasting impression.
5. Display Pertinent Skills
If you need to replace washing machine parts, you call a repair technician. If your washing machine is not turning on at all, you’ll more probably call an electrician. Sometimes, even two akin positions demand distinct skill sets.
The more accurate your abilities, the more likely you’ll be considered for the role. Recruiters look for hard and soft skills that fit the job profile most accurately. Hence, you must juxtapose the company’s preferences with your assets and check for overlap.
6. Keep Your Resume In Check
Since a resume is pertinent to the success of one’s candidature, lots of applicants feel the urge to load it with as much information as possible. However, the amount of content does not make a resume stand out. It’s instead how deftly you intersperse all essential accomplishments and assets into a condensed content form. Strive for the best resume length, usually one page, and keep it concise. Quality over quantity, to be brief.
7. Adjust Layout & Perfect Formatting
A good-looking resume starts with a clear layout and structure. First things first, it shouldn’t necessarily use embellishments or special effects. If you’re doing a creative job, you can always attach a portfolio to show off your former pieces of work. A clear structure gives room for your achievements and traits, which are the highlights of your resume. Secondly, a good resume is well-formatted and eye-friendly. It’s easy to scan, and it doesn’t confuse a reader.
8. Focus on Quantitative Achievements
You can introduce yourself to a recruiter in many ways. Imagine John, who’s a florist. He has his job interview and says he’s making sophisticated, aesthetically pleasing floral arrangements that clients love. Then comes Lonnie. He boasts of creating personalized floral decorations for birthday parties, weddings, and bridal shows. He says he served 100+ events and was featured in 5+ well-read floral magazines. Which one would you hire?
An impressive resume comprises quantitative achievements rather than regular duties and responsibilities. Overall, it’s not what you do but how you do it.
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9. Use Action Words
Words convey a lot of meaning. A few sentences can recreate a whole story. The more active language you use, the more dynamic the text gets. For example, ”I fostered excellent customer service by answering clients’ needs and doubts” sounds way better than “I handled multiple customers’ issues.”
Action verbs make you sound more confident, motivated, and devoted to your job duties. They convince a recruiter that you’re capable of facing challenges and that you’re incentivized to do them with maximum efficiency.
10. Double-Check if It’s Grammatically Correct
Don’t you hate it when someone shares their opinion on the web, using sloppy and imprecise language? While it can happen within informal discussions, it’s frowned upon in resumes and other documents that undergo someone’s evaluation.
If you’re unsure if your language is grammatically correct, put your resume through a grammar checker to quickly identify potential errors. A perfect resume is spotless, and it proves your geeky-style erudition.
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Key Takeaway
Creating an impressive resume is absorbing on many levels, but it pays off. If you employ these 10 fundamental tips, you’ll master resume writing to perfection.
Here’s to recap of what we’ve mentioned before:
- Stick to the job posting when creating your resume. It’ll give you a hint as to what should be accentuated in your application.
- Tailor your resume to the company you want to work for. Run thorough research on their company culture, values, and business needs. If you need more, contact your network for more insights.
- Hit an employer with a catchy resume summary. The first lines of your resume might be decisive in your candidature success.
- Adjust formatting and keep it readable. A clean resume structure is gold.
- Use quantitative achievements and action words. They speak for your valuable experience and expertise.
Seek help with creating a resume that stands out? Need ideas on how to improve your resume to see it rocks? Share your thoughts in a comment. We’ll be happy to help.
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