10 ms·

One page. One page. One page. Only one page. No more pages. Don't do it. Only. One. Remember that when I'm reading your resume I'm reading. Write it to tell th

One page. One page. One page. Only one page. No more pages. Don't do it. Only. One. Remember that when I'm reading your resume I'm reading. Write it to tell the story of who you are and who you want to be as well as you are able. Cut out things that don't fit that story-- you can always pleasantly surprise them later with the extra skills. Unless you've worked on something that got put on a billboard near my house, I don't know what your project's codename was. "Developed key metrics for Project Hazel" translates to "measured brown thing" in my mind. Many engineers find it distasteful to describe their contributions in glowing terms. But that's the game and because I can't tell you're being demure I'm going to turn the brightness down two notches on your resume same as everyone else's. So amp it up until it feels gross (and not much further).

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
hectormalot 10y ago
Can't agree more on the one page part. Depending on the background / culture of candidates I've had resumes up to 12 pages long. A bit of formatting also helps, a professional looking resume will frame your accomplishments better. Something many readers are sensitive for. And show impact. "Developed key metrics for project hazel" reads different than: "rewrote metrics engine resulting in real time view on all client transactions, leading to $10M in new marketing opportunities". And finally, if you're really interested in a job. Adapt your CV to show the most relevant information for that job first (and word it in the best possible way, e.g. look for the language the employer uses to describe the job)
lucb1e 10y ago
I typed a proper comment but my mobile browser messed up and deleted it, so here's the short of it: more than one page is fine, but I get that it's an opinion, just please don't give bad advice without mentioning it's a preference. Recruiters asked me why I am squeezing it into two when I mention I'm having trouble keeping it at two. Three is common as well. Might be personal, regional, but if I took your advice my résumé would be worse off.
- morgante 10y ago
  It's not "just an opinion." It's an established best practice which you will hear from anyone involved in hiring at American companies. Lots of people think they're special snowflakes. They're not. If you're incapable of fitting your experience into 1 page (when that's the prevailing standard), it makes me seriously question your critical thinking skills. It got to the point where I would automatically toss out any resume longer than 1 page.
  - solipsism 10y ago
    It's an established best practice which you will hear from anyone involved in hiring at American companies No, it's really not. I've been involved in hiring at multiple American companies. One page is not important. No more pages than you need to highlight your highly impactful experiences is much better advice. If you're incapable of fitting your experience into 1 page (when that's the prevailing standard), it makes me seriously question your critical thinking skills You are a special snowflake.
    - morgante 10y ago
      > You are a special snowflake. I'm not even the only person saying it in this thread. In very rare cases, you can get away with 2 pages. A self-taught developer just getting into the field is definitely not one of those cases. I've almost never seen a resume which should be been longer and I've seen hundreds which should have been shorter.
  - davewasthere 10y ago
    In the UK, recruiting for various organisations, the defacto standard seemed around two pages. one seemed a little too concise/sparse, three a little too verbose. That said, 1-3 is sort of acceptable depending on how relevant the information is. But 4+ pages would definitely get thrown in the circular file.
    - morgante 10y ago
      I'm talking from a US perspective. This varies substantially across countries.
debatem1 10y ago
Oh, and one other thing: don't put useless information on there just because it's true. You are not required to list all your jobs just because you have an employment section. Same goes for education. Putting down that summer job flipping burgers tells me you don't have a clue what I'm looking for... which means you probably aren't it. So again, keep everything on there short, relevant, and above all /on message/.
- astrodust 10y ago
  Keep it short and to the point. Eye-rolling junk cluttering up the page like favorite hobbies is absolutely inane. If anyone cares they'll ask you during the interview. Stay focused on relevant work achievements or other experience directly applicable to the job you're applying for. If you're a poker champion and applying for a medical job, it's not relevant. If you're applying to a poker gaming company, perhaps it is. On-message, absolutely, is the #1 thing. Sending out the same canned resume to everyone is how you get chucked in the garbage.
anarazel 10y ago
Heh. I always went with one to two pages. And then worked on getting a US visa. And was, uh, strongly suggested to write a five to six page CV. Felt quite wrong.
- morgante 10y ago
  A CV is a different thing than a resume, at least from a US perspective. I actually have both.
  - anarazel 10y ago
    Interesting, I wasn't really aware of the US vs. western Europe difference in differentiating those terms - they're used interchangeably in a lot of countries.
- debatem1 10y ago
  A CV is supposed to be exhaustive, so "as many pages as it takes" is right there AFAIU. But then again, I seldom ask for them.
andrewstuart 10y ago
I have read literally hundreds of thousands of resumes and I implore to ignore this terrible advice. Your entire career jammed into a single page - not a good idea. How many really good stories have you read that are one single page? Your resume is a story about you that follows a well known general form. Presumably you have worked hard and put in the work - it will take a few pages to explain it in a clearly set out manner. Explain your education, what you have done, where you have worked, your interests where you feel it relevant. Space it nicely, choose an attractive font. Your resume should not be full of technical keywords, and there is little point in describing every technology you have ever touched (see this http://supercoders.com.au/blog/theskillsmatrix.shtml http://supercoders.com.au/blog/theskillsmatrix.shtml). Illustrate the most interesting aspects of your work over the years with a short yet clear description of things you found particularly interesting. Don't submit a 20 page thesis but as for "one page or nothing" - from someone who does the reading and assessing of resumes - this is bad advice. Don't sell yourself short - years and years of work does not boil down to one page unless you wish to belittle yourself and your career.
- paulcole 10y ago
  >Your entire career jammed into a single page - not a good idea. Why should your resume show your entire career? Isn't the point of the resume to tell a story that gets you an interview? Anything else is overkill.
- debatem1 10y ago
  > Your entire career jammed into a single page - what a load of garbage. Good luck with that. As I said to the other commenter with the same view, I'm happy to see a resume with two pages of irreducible complexity if you have examples. I haven't yet.
- tempestn 10y ago
  Agreed. I certainly don't mind getting two page resumes. I'd prefer something where a modicum of effort went into presenting the information in a clear, attractive manner than something that's crammed into a single page. That said, in my opinion the most important page isn't even one of those - it's the cover letter. Perhaps the reason I don't mind slightly longer resumes is that I don't bother to read them carefully if it's clear no effort was put into the cover letter.
ionised 10y ago
UK CVs take a bit of a different format than a US resume, and the general rule for them (that I've experienced over the last ten years) is to keep it to two pages. My own first has a brief paragraph of info about me, who I am and where I want to be. Then my most recent/relevant employment history along with any notable achievements or responsibilities for each. Then any relevant education, typically the university I went to along with the overall course grade and modules. This becomes less important as the length of your career increases though. If you've been a professional developer for 10 years or more, an employer likely won't care what class your university degree was. Lastly people advise including a very brief section for references, but personally I just make it known that they are available on request.
cauterized 10y ago
Brand new to the industry or looking for your second job in it? Yes, one page. I would never expect someone with 10+ years of experience to have a one-pager, though, unless they have literally held only one job in that time - which is itself a red flag. The one page advice stems from a time when people worked just one or two different jobs in a 40-50 year career. Yes, you can omit details about things you did a dozen years ago. No, there's never any reason for a 12-page resume. Yes, you want the recruiter/hiring manager to be able to evaluate your resume quickly. But 2-3 pages is sometimes necessary to convey sufficient information about an established career.
- zimpenfish 10y ago
  > But 2-3 pages is sometimes necessary to convey sufficient information about an established career. Especially if you're a contractor and even then you're going to be leaving off large chunks (1996-2005 is missing from mine.)
probinso 10y ago
Most people receive resumes in a digital format these days, you can trick them into thinking that your resume is one page very easily by producing a PDF that is 15 inches long for instance. This technicality got me through to an interview at a company that specifically requested a one-page resume. It taught me that most people don't actually care as long as you don't waste space, they just think they do
probinso 10y ago
Most people receive resumes in a digital format these days, you can trick them into thinking that your resume is one page very easily by producing a PDF that is 15 inches long for instance. This technicality got me through to an interview at a company that specifically requested a one-page resume. It taught me that most people don't actually care as long as you don't waste space, they just think they do

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

hectormalot 10y ago

Can't agree more on the one page part. Depending on the background / culture of candidates I've had resumes up to 12 pages long. A bit of formatting also helps, a professional looking resume will frame your accomplishments better. Something many readers are sensitive for. And show impact. "Developed key metrics for project hazel" reads different than: "rewrote metrics engine resulting in real time view on all client transactions, leading to $10M in new marketing opportunities". And finally, if you're really interested in a job. Adapt your CV to show the most relevant information for that job first (and word it in the best possible way, e.g. look for the language the employer uses to describe the job)

lucb1e 10y ago

I typed a proper comment but my mobile browser messed up and deleted it, so here's the short of it: more than one page is fine, but I get that it's an opinion, just please don't give bad advice without mentioning it's a preference. Recruiters asked me why I am squeezing it into two when I mention I'm having trouble keeping it at two. Three is common as well. Might be personal, regional, but if I took your advice my résumé would be worse off.

morgante 10y ago
It's not "just an opinion." It's an established best practice which you will hear from anyone involved in hiring at American companies. Lots of people think they're special snowflakes. They're not. If you're incapable of fitting your experience into 1 page (when that's the prevailing standard), it makes me seriously question your critical thinking skills. It got to the point where I would automatically toss out any resume longer than 1 page.
- solipsism 10y ago
  It's an established best practice which you will hear from anyone involved in hiring at American companies No, it's really not. I've been involved in hiring at multiple American companies. One page is not important. No more pages than you need to highlight your highly impactful experiences is much better advice. If you're incapable of fitting your experience into 1 page (when that's the prevailing standard), it makes me seriously question your critical thinking skills You are a special snowflake.
  - morgante 10y ago
    > You are a special snowflake. I'm not even the only person saying it in this thread. In very rare cases, you can get away with 2 pages. A self-taught developer just getting into the field is definitely not one of those cases. I've almost never seen a resume which should be been longer and I've seen hundreds which should have been shorter.
- davewasthere 10y ago
  In the UK, recruiting for various organisations, the defacto standard seemed around two pages. one seemed a little too concise/sparse, three a little too verbose. That said, 1-3 is sort of acceptable depending on how relevant the information is. But 4+ pages would definitely get thrown in the circular file.
  - morgante 10y ago
    I'm talking from a US perspective. This varies substantially across countries.

debatem1 10y ago

Oh, and one other thing: don't put useless information on there just because it's true. You are not required to list all your jobs just because you have an employment section. Same goes for education. Putting down that summer job flipping burgers tells me you don't have a clue what I'm looking for... which means you probably aren't it. So again, keep everything on there short, relevant, and above all /on message/.

astrodust 10y ago
Keep it short and to the point. Eye-rolling junk cluttering up the page like favorite hobbies is absolutely inane. If anyone cares they'll ask you during the interview. Stay focused on relevant work achievements or other experience directly applicable to the job you're applying for. If you're a poker champion and applying for a medical job, it's not relevant. If you're applying to a poker gaming company, perhaps it is. On-message, absolutely, is the #1 thing. Sending out the same canned resume to everyone is how you get chucked in the garbage.

anarazel 10y ago

Heh. I always went with one to two pages. And then worked on getting a US visa. And was, uh, strongly suggested to write a five to six page CV. Felt quite wrong.

morgante 10y ago
A CV is a different thing than a resume, at least from a US perspective. I actually have both.
- anarazel 10y ago
  Interesting, I wasn't really aware of the US vs. western Europe difference in differentiating those terms - they're used interchangeably in a lot of countries.
debatem1 10y ago
A CV is supposed to be exhaustive, so "as many pages as it takes" is right there AFAIU. But then again, I seldom ask for them.

andrewstuart 10y ago

I have read literally hundreds of thousands of resumes and I implore to ignore this terrible advice. Your entire career jammed into a single page - not a good idea. How many really good stories have you read that are one single page? Your resume is a story about you that follows a well known general form. Presumably you have worked hard and put in the work - it will take a few pages to explain it in a clearly set out manner. Explain your education, what you have done, where you have worked, your interests where you feel it relevant. Space it nicely, choose an attractive font. Your resume should not be full of technical keywords, and there is little point in describing every technology you have ever touched (see this http://supercoders.com.au/blog/theskillsmatrix.shtml http://supercoders.com.au/blog/theskillsmatrix.shtml). Illustrate the most interesting aspects of your work over the years with a short yet clear description of things you found particularly interesting. Don't submit a 20 page thesis but as for "one page or nothing" - from someone who does the reading and assessing of resumes - this is bad advice. Don't sell yourself short - years and years of work does not boil down to one page unless you wish to belittle yourself and your career.

paulcole 10y ago
>Your entire career jammed into a single page - not a good idea. Why should your resume show your entire career? Isn't the point of the resume to tell a story that gets you an interview? Anything else is overkill.
debatem1 10y ago
> Your entire career jammed into a single page - what a load of garbage. Good luck with that. As I said to the other commenter with the same view, I'm happy to see a resume with two pages of irreducible complexity if you have examples. I haven't yet.
tempestn 10y ago
Agreed. I certainly don't mind getting two page resumes. I'd prefer something where a modicum of effort went into presenting the information in a clear, attractive manner than something that's crammed into a single page. That said, in my opinion the most important page isn't even one of those - it's the cover letter. Perhaps the reason I don't mind slightly longer resumes is that I don't bother to read them carefully if it's clear no effort was put into the cover letter.

ionised 10y ago

UK CVs take a bit of a different format than a US resume, and the general rule for them (that I've experienced over the last ten years) is to keep it to two pages. My own first has a brief paragraph of info about me, who I am and where I want to be. Then my most recent/relevant employment history along with any notable achievements or responsibilities for each. Then any relevant education, typically the university I went to along with the overall course grade and modules. This becomes less important as the length of your career increases though. If you've been a professional developer for 10 years or more, an employer likely won't care what class your university degree was. Lastly people advise including a very brief section for references, but personally I just make it known that they are available on request.

cauterized 10y ago

Brand new to the industry or looking for your second job in it? Yes, one page. I would never expect someone with 10+ years of experience to have a one-pager, though, unless they have literally held only one job in that time - which is itself a red flag. The one page advice stems from a time when people worked just one or two different jobs in a 40-50 year career. Yes, you can omit details about things you did a dozen years ago. No, there's never any reason for a 12-page resume. Yes, you want the recruiter/hiring manager to be able to evaluate your resume quickly. But 2-3 pages is sometimes necessary to convey sufficient information about an established career.

zimpenfish 10y ago
> But 2-3 pages is sometimes necessary to convey sufficient information about an established career. Especially if you're a contractor and even then you're going to be leaving off large chunks (1996-2005 is missing from mine.)

probinso 10y ago

Most people receive resumes in a digital format these days, you can trick them into thinking that your resume is one page very easily by producing a PDF that is 15 inches long for instance. This technicality got me through to an interview at a company that specifically requested a one-page resume. It taught me that most people don't actually care as long as you don't waste space, they just think they do

probinso 10y ago