Resumes, one or two pages ?

[MrIncredible]

It depends on what you are aiming for. If you want just a regular job that pays 50 Gs a year, then don't bother with customization, nor does it matter if your resume is one page or two, just make sure everything sounds ok and is spelled correctly.

Personally, I custom tailor my resume for any job application since I'm at that point in my career where if it's a job I'd even consider taking, I'm probably coming in via referral and the employer will probably be closely scrutinizing my experience. But I also keep it to one page, and I focus only on accomplishments, not responsibilities.

I throw away any applicant who doesn't lay things our clearly and with proper spelling. If your best work isn't right I can't be bothered with you.

Don't trust the spell checker either! If you have the decidedly wrong word someplace it's more of the same dumbfuckery that is so prevalent.

 

[Ducky_Fresh]

It depends on the job for which you're applying.

In my area (software engineering), 2 pages minimum. And I'm commenting as both an applicant as well as the hiring manager. These days few applicants only have one page and it's clear they're missing information.

Furthermore, I want to know your whole work and education history, even if it isn't relevant to this position. Typically, every position you've held has had some influence on you as a whole and that's important to me.

What Justice said.

In my case, sales, more than 1 page and you're trying too hard..

 

[Mike95060]

Don't trust the spell checker either! If you have the decidedly wrong word someplace it's more of the same dumbfuckery that is so prevalent.

I'm pretty sure I'm high school English teacher would describe this as awkward sentence structure.

 

[corndog67]

Depends absolutely on what industry you are trying to get into. I work in machine shops.

This current job, 1 page, interview, hands me a blueprint, asks me a couple of questions relating to dimensions, he asked me if I can pass a drug screen, right now, asked me if I can pass a background check (depends, what are you looking for? No prison for the last 7 years), yeah, I can do that.

When can you start?

They told me that I would be shocked at the number of people that for some reason, can't do a drug test, right now.

So, what field?

 

[msincredible]

I'm pretty sure I'm high school English teacher would describe this as awkward sentence structure.

I'm sure he or she would.

 

[JesasaurusRex]

Depends absolutely on what industry you are trying to get into. I work in machine shops.

This current job, 1 page, interview, hands me a blueprint, asks me a couple of questions relating to dimensions, he asked me if I can pass a drug screen, right now, asked me if I can pass a background check (depends, what are you looking for? No prison for the last 7 years), yeah, I can do that.

When can you start?

They told me that I would be shocked at the number of people that for some reason, can't do a drug test, right now.

So, what field?

Yup field matters, so happy I don't work in a field that gives two f*cks about some phaggoty cover letter bs. Hell, they probably don't even care about how good or bad your resume looks as long as you have the certs they're looking for.

 

[Marlowe]

People still bother with cover letters?

:later

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

How many of you just send out one or two resumes for the job postings that really interest you? I'm sure mine got tossed out of a few batches but blasting out a million resumes probably works in my favor. I've got 3 different resumes for different jobs in my field. No cover letters and they're all pretty generic.
Many moons ago I would just send out a few and only got one or two responses. No I send out a million and get a thousand responses.
"Where do you see yourself in three years?"
"Well I see my self taking over your job."

Understaffed companies don't even really read my resume. Someone just looks for keywords. When I go for my interview my potential team is reading my resume in front of me for the first time.

 

[Cycle61]

I throw away any applicant who doesn't lay things our clearly and with proper spelling. If your best work isn't right I can't be bothered with you.

Don't trust the spell checker either! If you have the decidedly wrong word someplace it's more of the same dumbfuckery that is so prevalent.

This. Any resume with spelling errors or incomprehensible layout gets shitcanned. Takes about 5 seconds each to sort them out this way. Unfortunately, most of our applicants were ESL so pretty soon they told me I was being racist and to stop passing over qualified applicants. :rolleyes

 

[JesasaurusRex]

How many of you just send out one or two resumes for the job postings that really interest you? I'm sure mine got tossed out of a few batches but blasting out a million resumes probably works in my favor. I've got 3 different resumes for different jobs in my field. No cover letters and they're all pretty generic.
Many moons ago I would just send out a few and only got one or two responses. No I send out a million and get a thousand responses.
"Where do you see yourself in three years?"
"Well I see my self taking over your job."

Understaffed companies don't even really read my resume. Someone just looks for keywords. When I go for my interview my potential team is reading my resume in front of me for the first time.

Yup, spam that sh*t, it's a numbers game

 

[mercurial]

Numbers game is a strategy that can definitely work, although at some point in your career you'll start to notice that the jobs you'd consider taking aren't that plentiful anymore. If you need to find that company that treats you like platinum, why waste your time spamming all the other punters?

 

[TheRobSJ]

I used to be a manager at a Firestone store. I'd get anywhere from 10-20 applications per day. At the end of the week, I'd look over the applications if i had a vacant slot open in my shop. Often times I'd have a stack of 50-100 resume's. The main aspect that I look for in a resume is clarity, format and organization.

lol

I was service manager of a Wheel Works (same company) for a little bit.

Resumes are not something I saw a lot of. I'd say at least 3/4 of everything I saw was the fill in the blanks job application (which I had to fill out anyways for myself even though I had a resume). And most of them were in pencil. But then again, tire tech isn't exactly a high paying job.

 

[enki]

More than one page goes in the round file.

 

[Mike95060]

I'm sure he or she would.

Stupid auto correct mistakes don't count! :x

 

[sv2007]

I keep hearing a variety of different answers.

I know many of you work in positions where going over resumes is a necessary evil, so I come to you for assistance.

I'm finishing my resume and I want to know whether I should keep it to one page or if making a second page is acceptable.

I used to have to screen resumes and do the initial phone interviews, thankfully I'm out of that job. Completely thankless work and you can't put it on your performance review either. I didn't cared (or really cared to find out) if the resume was 1 page or 2 pages, it is all electronic so pages aren't distinct.

The resumes I got were already pre-screen by the recruiters, so they aren't completely mismatched to the jobs. I usually lok at the following: (at the very top) what you know, (up front) your last job, (towards the end) your education.

But I think different industries have different ways to hiring. The above is for hi tech, technical positions.

 

[sanjuro]

I work in computers, and one thing I found is that several people will interview you. Some of the interviewers you may not even work with if you get the job.

However, they will ask you questions based on your resume and their area of expertise. So if I put down I used DNS in 1998 and the interviewer is a network admin, there will be questions asked about something I used 14 years ago.

So even if I am applying for a position which has nothing to do with DNS, I'm out.

So what I do is going into depth for jobs in the last 5 years, which is appropriate skills for the position I am applying for. Then I list my previous employers and my title, which is usually System Administrator, but no other info.

The people I am going to work with will know what I do, and everyone else will have to ask questions on what I put down on my resume.

So most of the relevant info is on page 1, and the other pages can be skipped.

 

[F4iChic]

I'm so old and have been working so many years, my resume is currently at 87 pages :rofl

Time to drop off the fact that I worked back in 19 nought blob methinks :toothless

I'm with Joebar on this, 2 pages is fine :thumbup

 

[sv2007]

I..However, they will ask you questions based on your resume and their area of expertise. So if I put down I used DNS in 1998 and the interviewer is a network admin, there will be questions asked about something I used 14 years ago.
..

When interviewing candidates, I can certainly understand that they can't give the details to DNS if it is something they've worked on 10 years ago. So I won't ask for it, but if it is on the resume and you've worked on it a bit, you may get some general questions on it.

However, everything on your resume that is labeled under your expertise, you will likely get the above poster's questions. Say you claim to be an expert in SSL, you may get asked to write something similar on the spot.

 

[silverbelt]

1 page only please. I just need to see your degree, then recent work experience.

2 pages (or more) and I'm less likely to read anything past the first page.

 

[jh2586]

lol

I was service manager of a Wheel Works (same company) for a little bit.

Resumes are not something I saw a lot of. I'd say at least 3/4 of everything I saw was the fill in the blanks job application (which I had to fill out anyways for myself even though I had a resume). And most of them were in pencil. But then again, tire tech isn't exactly a high paying job.

Which WW did you work at?