Calling all HR type people: Is a 2-page resume for a college grad evil?

[Asher]

Well? I've been given conflicting responses to this.

I've been told ideally it should be 1 page, but I don't see how that's possible without leaving out potential information (such as listing computer skills and software one has experience with, for instance) or crowding the page to look like ass.

[Vince278]

A 2 page resume will look silly unless you have lots of experience. If you went from high school to college then you have little that is relevent. Most resumes should cover mostly the past 5 years. They want to read it fast so trim all the fat off of the meat. Good luck.

(I had college, technical certifications, 20 years of military experience in telecommunications and networking, and still kept it on one page. You can use the cover letter to toot your horn and highlight personal attributes)

[Dinner]

Every hiring company gets dozens if not hundreds of resumes. No one wants to read your multipage tripe so can it or realize your resume will get canned.

[DaShi]

It depends on the company. Companies that use digital resumes generally don't care how long it is since it all gets filtered through a database first. If they don't, you're better off trying to keep it to a single page.

If you absolutely must have two pages, try to keep the most important information on page one. My resume is just over a page and a half. I've put all my relevant experience on the first page and the necessary filler on the second (ie. gap filling jobs that are unrelated to what I'm applying to and references). Remember, there are many ways to get the same information across in less space. From what you've said on this and the better forum, I can imagine that you have a lot of experiences and skills that you want to present. See how you can arrange and present those things differently. For example, paragraphs can often make for shorter pages than lists. And as Vince says, save some stuff for cover letters.

That said, the most important aspect of getting a job is knowing someone who knows someone. What this usually means is that they will read your resume, no matter how long it is.

[Asher]

This is my hackjob attempt at a one-page resume. It comes off as crowded to me...

What do you guys think?

[Asher]

Originally posted by DaShi
That said, the most important aspect of getting a job is knowing someone who knows someone. What this usually means is that they will read your resume, no matter how long it is.

Not concerned about getting a job, per se, I've got one open for me. I'm still applying for many other jobs incase I find one with better pay, one that is more interesting, or simply for the interviewing experience.

I started off with a 1.5 page resume and trimmed an irrelevant job and some other data, widened the margins a bit and got 1 page.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

If it was me, I'd kill the interests section and reorganize the rest to make it more scanable. There's too much bulk in the bullet points.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Asher
This is my hackjob attempt at a one-page resume. It comes off as crowded to me...

What do you guys think?

Asher, I'd advise againt posting such personal info here. CG is one thing since everyone knows each other but it is better to be careful on other forums.

[Asher]

Meh, nothing earthshakingly confidential on it.

I did edit out my address and phone #.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Koyaanisqatsi
If it was me, I'd kill the interests section and reorganize the rest to make it more scanable. There's too much bulk in the bullet points.

I disagree on killing the interests. I've known people who either use it when hiring or have gotten a job from it. It personalizes you. Just keep it short and non-intrusive.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Asher, I'd advise againt posting such personal info here. CG is one thing since everyone knows each other but it is better to be careful on other forums.

He needn't worry. The download link doesn't work for me.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Admittedly, part of the reason for my wanting the interests to go away was that the ones he put down makes him sound like every random computer guy I've ever known (including myself.) The guitar thing was ok.

[DaShi]

Ah, I haven't read them specifically so you're probably right.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Koyaanisqatsi
Admittedly, part of the reason for my wanting the interests to go away was that the ones he put down makes him sound like every random computer guy I've ever known (including myself.) The guitar thing was ok.

I would write down "azz" but I don't think that'd get in the door anywhere except Ted's shop.

[Agathon]

Half of all resumes contain lies.

Sad...