Help! How many pages can a resume be? My wife has worked a lot of jobs MOST because there wasn't

[diabeticman]

enough work and she had to job hop for work. Also the standard resume she used is not good enough for certain human resources officers.


She was told to add a summary to her resume and info on her duties but that has lengthen her resume to about 2 and a 1/2 pages.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

1. In my experiece,

don't worry about how many pages it should be, as long as its solid, concise and effective; then blow them away with the depth of experience with a slant as to how it will help them.

[diabeticman]

2. Thanks. I will tell her. She was taught in school it should ONLY be one page

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. I would recommend no more than 2 pages

If she has done similar things at several jobs, she could do a skill and years of experiance summary at the top as a bulleted list. Then just list the companies she worked for, the dates, and her title. For example:

Managed 5 to 10 people - 8 years

Reconciled bank and credit card accounts using MS Excel - 6 years

It's really not necessary to go back more than 10 years. If nothing else, it can set her up for age discrimination.

[diabeticman]

4. ah, but she has employers ask why there is a gap from graduation and jobs when she did have

resume like that. I will tell her. maybe it will work.

[TexasBushwhacker]

5. Check with the local unemployment office

They may be able get her some resume assistance and some interview coaching. They can offer advice on getting through the HR gatekeepers. If she can use her skills in volunteer work until she gets a new job, she should do it. That's what got my foot in the door after I had been disabled for 3 years, because they could offer a recent reference.

[Sanity Claws]

6. Gaps are less important than they once were

Many workers have gaps in their work history thanks to gwb's legacy.
Anyway she has explanations for them. Don't go back more than ten years. The experience is too old for it to be currently marketable.

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. I'll tell you what my job counselor told me

If she can roll several off them together as contract work, it might come off better. For example:

"Various Contract Assignments - 2000 - 2008

List accomplishments and skills, then list the companies."

She shouldn't feel she must list every single job. If she worked there less than 3 months, it's okay to leave it off.

If there are any certifications she has or is working on, she should list those.

Last but not least, she can explain any long gap by saying she was caring for a family member. I know it's may be a lie, but that's what the PROFESSIONAL job counselor told me to do. She also told me that if I was fired, say there was a change in management.

[question everything]

7. One page!

Today most resumes are being scanned by computers in search of "key words."

And most HR personnel have a short attention span.

On top, below name and address and phone number and email list the main skills. Like detail oriented.

The body of the resume should just include main responsibilities. Instead of each job with its own year, say something like

1995-2000

And then list the main jobs.

Use catch phrases and key words to ignite the curiosity of the HR.

[Recursion]

8. I've never, ever gone over 1 page, and I've received lots of praise for that

Keep it simple and keep it short. Fit it on one page.