Our work histories are a source of pride for many of us. We want prospective employers or clients to know all we’ve accomplished and achieved because it helps make our case for why we’re the best fit.
Except when our resume is too long. It’s a sad fact that what we considered to be a great recounting of skills and abilities is actually trashcan fodder because to the hiring manager it became too much to read. Unfair? Yes. Commonplace occurrence? Also yes.
Here’s some guidelines:
+ Share your accomplishments instead of your job description & support those accomplishments with data/metrics whenever possible
+ Keep it to a max of two pages
+ If you can only fill a third of a page, trim it down
+ Students and recent grads should aim for one quality page
+ Seasoned professionals – consider adding an optional third page that includes community involvement, awards, presentations, or publications but keep your work history and education to no more than two pages.
And the most important tip: Don’t take cutting things down personally!
In the end, you’re telling the story of your career and value so ask yourself, “What does the reader want to see in this resume?” and make certain that’s what you highlight.
