How Long should my Technical Resume Be?
I’m doing some much needed cleanup of many of my old blogs. Some are evergreen, but others do need modifitation - a lot has changed in the hiring world in the last decade. For this post, I maintain my views on one-page resumes, but I’ve revised my views on the wisdom of a three page resume. Here’s the original blog:
One of the most common misconceptions about resumes in general - and technical resumes in particular - is the question of length.
In a previous blog post, I discussed that in a strong technical resume, less is not (necessarily) more. It's certainly true that hiring authorities are VERY busy people - and you need your resume value proposition to be clear and direct.
But hiring authorities also need to recognize - and hire - qualified talent. If your resume demonstrates that you can solve the hiring authority's problem, he (or she) will be more than happy to read a bit further.
The One Page Resume Rule
You'll frequently find a variation of this advice on the net - including on some fine, authoritative sites.
"Make your resume short (one page)."
This is probably the single biggest resume misconception out there.
The "one page rule" developed in a different time - a time of extremely stable careers, when hiring was often based more on existing relationships than aggressive recruiting strategies, and when 10, 20, or 30 year tenures were the rule - not the exception.
But one page resumes - unless you're a recent graduate - just aren't effective in today's job market.
Technical Resumes Often Require 3 Full Pages
As a professional technical resume writer, my work is often somewhat longer - and more detailed - than my colleagues who specialize in sales, marketing, or other careers. There's a good reason for that.
Technical resumes, by their nature, require a depth of detail to provide critical context for your achievements. The hiring authority wants to know what you've accomplished - but also want's to know HOW you've delivered value. As this article from US News reports, "Condensing to one page signifies lack of experience, which could land their resume in the digital trash."
I'd go even further - if you need 3 pages to detail what you've accomplished, how you've made an impact, and the tools you've used - do it. I've written many 3-page technical resumes - that have helped my clients get interviews, and move into the opportunities they've sought. So I can say from experience that three pages won't put you out of the running - if you've got the accomplishments to merit the length.
I still hold absolutely to my views that one page resumes are a mistake - unless you’re very early career. There is still no way to shoehorn a career into that amount of space, and you’re doing yourself a disservice trying.
But neither do I recommend - or write - many three page resumes today. I think that, today, if people see a three page resume it is seen as a negative. Not a deal breaker, probably, but certainly not something hiring authorities want. And we need to work around that.
Beyond that, technical resumes don’t need to be as long as they once did. Here’s why:
There’s far less need for lengthy sections of technical tools and skills than there was in the past. The technical toolbox has been consolidated in many ways, and the cloud has obviated the need for much of the indepth detail that was previously required. While I’ll still include a technologies section in a hands-on resume, I do this very rarely at manager on above. That saves a third to a half a page. In addition, it’s rarely necessary to go into as much technical detail in the body of the resume, which saves even more space. The focus - even more than in the past - is on clear business value, and that can, and should be expressed as tersely and clearly as possible.
So, bottom line? Stay away from one page resumes. But only go to three pages if it’s absolutely impossible to condense your career to two pages.
Get it touch today to discuss how I can help you move your career fordard.
We should talk. Because I speak IT