The Great Dog Fight - The 1 vs. 2 Page Resume Argument

If I've been asked by a journalist or radio host once, I must have been asked twenty times which is better: a one or a two page resume? Happened to me Tuesday, on a morning zoo, but it's not a question you can answer in 45 seconds; made me vow to put down the facts where everyone can see them.

It's all about problem solution, so while you employ a resume to open doors and get you into conversation with employers, those same employers use it as a time management tool, screening out as many candidates possible.

On top of this problem we pile the biggest resume mistake people make: believing that the document is meant to be a simple recitation of all you have done in your career; this leads to a long, unfocused and ultimately ineffective document.

No one is added to payroll for love of mankind, it happens because there are contributions to make, problems to solve and problems to prevent, all within a specific area. This means your resume must have focus on a target job, and demonstrate an understanding of how that job makes its contribution.

Short, concise and on message is always best, because reading resumes is a miserable job. Try it sometime and your mind will melt to mush in minutes. This human factor means that most resumes get a first time reading that runs about 30-40 secs, with 90% of that time spent on the first page.

Consequently, a key phrase for the resume writer becomes "specifically vague;" specific enough to whet the reader's appetite to learn more, vague enough that s/he must get into conversation with you to do so.

With this in mind, professional resume writers have a common sense rule of thumb that you should be able to get ten years of experience on one page. So the rule becomes "1 page for every ten years, and never more than 2 pages." The caution about exceeding two pages is completely practical; with age discrimination rampant, long resumes translate into ‘too long in the tooth;" plus, technology has changed the nature of all jobs, making much of our less recent experience largely irrelevant.

In higher-level jobs there is a definite pressure to show depth, which almost demands the additional page. So when a two-page resume is called for, it will often combine a first page that looks somewhat Functional in style, with a clear focus on a specific job; contain a key skill section, and address critical skill/performance areas and achievements relative to that job. A second page will address the Chronological specifics of work history, educational attainments, ongoing professional education commitments, professional affiliations and the like.

With a clear focus on one specific target job (and yes you might need more than one resume for different jobs) and an understanding of how that job makes a contribution, often a single page is enough; but when telling a compelling story requires two pages that's perfectly okay. Just don't exceed the two page rule, the additional pages rarely get read and you could be perceived as garrulous or unfocused…both sometimes a problem associated with the aged.

What if your resume is running too long? Fortunately resumes have a language all their own, designed to produce concise documents that are easy on eyes of jaded readers. Its okay to drop participles and start sentences with action verbs, "balanced the books" becomes "balanced books," and "I designed…" becomes " Designed…" While that Key Skill section saves space by acting as headlines for coming attractions for when you first talk.

Concise and to the point is your goal, so when that resume is properly focused on a target job, telling the story of a professional who clearly understands the contributions expected, it will produce results. So the answer is that it's not the size of your dog that matters so much as it's the fight in your dog.