Resume Tips - One Page Maximum - Is This Rule Still in Effect?

By Peter X Draper

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Is there indeed a rule that says resumes should not exceed 1 page? The idea seems to have passed into the job seeker's folklore, but the source remains obscure. In fact, there are no totally fixed rules about resumes. Of course, it's recommended that spelling should be correct, the grammar should be acceptable and information provided should be true. But that's about it.

As far as the 1 page rule goes, there are proponents vehemently for it and opponents just as strongly against. Let me therefore tell you my own story.

I was once out of work for 3 months and money was getting rather tight to say the least. My resume was ok and I had carefully targeted the job market but had zero response. So one day, in total desperation, I produced a 1 page resume and sent it to everyone I could think of.

A few agencies told me it was useless because all employers wanted a full resume and not my 1 page document. But I held out, and said I would gladly show them my full resume... when they invited me for an interview. Within 2 weeks I had 3 interviews lined-up and eventually took one of the jobs. Just brilliant!

So what conclusion should you draw from this experience?

Well, you would be taking a risk just as I did, but my view was nothing ventured nothing gained. There are pros and cons as in all things in life. And 'it depends' is probably the best answer I can offer here.

The pros are:

- If you are printing your resume, a 1 page version is very convenient. If you are offering your resume electronically to a database, then the number of pages is not even counted, so it cannot matter.
- The fact that it is so short will, no doubt, leave the reader wanting more. This idea works well entertainers, so maybe it does for hirers too.
- If you are a recent college graduate or have little work experience, a single page may ample.
- With thousands of resumes to look through, a basic strategy used by hirers is to find a reason to consign as many resumes as possible to the waste bin. So a 1 page resume may leave you still in the running because there are fewer reasons to exclude you.
- A 1 page resume is bold, assertive and intriguing... but may be risky too. Only you can assess this.
- A single page resume requires you to focus fiercely on the message you are giving. I have heard it said that resumes should do more than 'tell it', but instead they should 'sell it'. I believe this is easier to do in a shorter version.

The cons are:

- According to surveys many employers say that they prefer resumes to be at least 2 pages long, and that 1 page is too little. However, there is no evidence that I have seen that says that people with longer resumes get the jobs.
- My general rule is that if employers don't like it, then don't do it.
- You will more than likely need a longer and more detailed resume to satisfy the HR department at some stage in the hiring process, so better to be prepared at the start. I believe a 1 page resume needs a multiple page resume to support it.

One place where a 1 page resume makes a lot of sense is in networking situations. The statistics seem to suggest that only around 50% of people recruited into jobs do so without prior referrals or personal introductions or the like. In other words, if you want to get a job it will pay big dividends to network aggressively first. These are definitely the times when you want that 1 page resume to slide across the lunch table to leave as a reminder of your skills, credentials and experience with your networking contact.

In conclusion then, a 1 page resume can be a useful addition to your normal resume because it helps you identify yourself almost as a brand. It shows who you are and what you stand for. But you should always have a full resume in reserve.