How long is your resume?

I'm trying to update my resume and it's being really difficult to stay under 2 pages without removing a lot of stuff (like entire jobs, or trim down too much). I reduced the certs I put there and left only a few ones that I care about. I don't have a summary anymore, it's basically work experience, education and certifications. I'm listing 7 companies, so that doesn't give me a lot of space to stay under one page and a half (still need to add degres/certs), so I keep hitting 3 pages. My past experience is pretty much related to what I'm still doing, so I'm reluctant to remove it and give a first impression that I have been working for less time, or have less years with certain tech they want.

The idea to craft your resume to each company you apply is great, but when someone approaches you on linkedin with an opportunity and asks for your resume, they don't usually give you much detail about the position/company so you can edit your resume for that. So, should I keep fighting with word and keep it under 2 pages, or some of you guys (and girls) use 3 and don't bother?

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Comments

dhay13

i probably average about 10-15 calls per week from recruiters but many are 5 hours or more away. don't they look at maps before calling?

markulous

It also just depends on the position and how many applicants they have. If you're applying as a director or CISO, I don't think anyone is going to throw out your resume if it's 3 (or even 4) pages long (I'd hope not at least). If you're applying for an entry-level position, and your resume is huge, and they've got stacks of resumes to go through, then if they see one super long it's quite possible it does get thrown out if there isn't anything that jumps out at them immediately.

wolfinsheepsclothing

Sheiko37 wrote: »

Where are you hosting your resume to get that sort of attention?

Cleared job sites.

networker050184

All you have to do is put your resume on any of the job boards with the right key words and you'll get more calls than you'd ever hoped for. That's why I do not put mine public anymore.

dave330i

networker050184 wrote: »

All you have to do is put your resume on any of the job boards with the right key words and you'll get more calls than you'd ever hoped for. That's why I do not put mine public anymore.

Reason why I removed VCP from my LinkedIn profile.

wolfinsheepsclothing

networker050184 wrote: »

All you have to do is put your resume on any of the job boards with the right key words and you'll get more calls than you'd ever hoped for. That's why I do not put mine public anymore.

Agreed. I removed mine last summer when I found my current position. Still get calls from companies who sit on resumes.

Raystafarian

1 page - a lot of HR and hiring managers are too lazy (I mean time-constricted) to read more than the first page anyway. The resume gets you the chance to talk to them, that's it.

CyberSecurity

3 Pages exactly. Got interviewed by 2 gov gs positions recently and they both mentioned how nice it was to see a more technical resume vs. one that is basic. They said they had a better grasp of who I was before they met me. But since i'm at the limit, i'll need to cut out experience once I start working for one of the two.

mistabrumley89

I read over my resume the other day and it is cluttered with junk that is unrelated to the type of position I aim for. It was almost 4 pages. I've condensed it down to 3 pages, but I'm about to combine my military job experience into 1 position instead of 3... so that should save me some space

CyberSecurity

mistabrumley89 wrote: »

I've condensed it down to 3 pages, but I'm about to combine my military job experience into 1 position instead of 3... so that should save me some space

Good call. Currently I have a chronological resume but was debating the effectiveness of a functional resume instead. I could definitely shorten it by combining the same things I've done in the mil and in the contracting world under 1 header like "IT Security" or something. Hard to tell how it will be accepted until I throw it out there... I've read that functional should only be used if you have work gaps though.