Resumes Inching Up; Survey Shows Longer Resumes Now More Acceptable
BI) Michael Worringer
MENLO PARK, Calif. — The “keep your resume to one page” rule may be on its way out, a new survey suggests.While more than half (52 percent) of executives polled believe a single page is the ideal length for a staff-level resume, 44 percent said they prefer two pages. That compares to 25 percent polled a decade earlier who cited two pages as the optimal resume length; 73 percent of respondents preferred a single page at that time.Respondents also seemed more receptive to three-page resumes for executive roles, with nearly one-third (31 percent) citing this as the ideal length, compared to only 7 percent 10 years ago.Both national polls include responses from 150 senior executives — including those from human resources, finance and marketing departments — with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies. They were conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals.”Many employers are willing to spend a little more time reviewing application materials so they can more easily determine who is most qualified and act quickly to secure interviews with these candidates,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps.Although employers may be willing to review longer resumes, job seekers shouldn’t go overboard, Messmer noted. “Employers want to see that applicants can prioritize information and concisely convey the depth of their experience,” he said.
Corra never believed that keeping you resume to one page was a viable process. Some candidates have enough experience that could fill a small volume yet alone a single page. Brevity is often a blessing, but not when you miss the necessary facts.Still, you shouldn’t go overboard. As any HR Manager can tell you, they have enough of a pile of resumes on their desks that they don’t need your lengthy tome. As for you HR people, a longer resume may mean more facts to check out.When most people lie, they will most often lie about their education. So it pays to run an education verification check. Running a criminal background report should go without saying. Credit reports have become pretty essential, and Social Security Traces are basic but very essential in a world of theft identity and mismanaged information.
So read that resume with care and then check them out before you hire.
