Making the ideal resume that stands to benefit from being of the correct format and length is a time-consuming process. It carries a lot of weight as it is the first thing that any prospective employer checks you on. The resume is the tool that gets you into the next round of securing a job.
Being the first step, it carries massive significance, and as such, there is a lot of pressure to perfect it. Unfortunately, when it comes to drafting the perfect resume, we all get stuck on various steps. One of them being the perfect length of the resume.
How long should you keep your resume?
There is a lot of debate around the perfect length of a resume. Clearly, there are a lot of contrary views as to whether a resume should be one page long or two pages long. This also is based on the scanning systems used to go through resumes.
Since there are opposing views to it, different employers prefer different resume lengths. As such, it becomes a matter of investigating a little deeper about your particular field and what is commonly accepted by a particular employer.
While generally it is said that a one page resume is ideal, there are a lot of arguments in favor of a two page long resume. Most of these arguments are based on commonly used keyword tracking systems.
So, what exactly is this keyword tracking system?
Well, to put it in the simplest of terms, a keyword tracking system, such as that used for scanning through resumes, is a software or a system as per which employers scan for specific keywords in a resume most pertinent to a particular job role.
You can understand it in the following manner:
- When you search for something on Google, let’s say, chocolate cake recipes, the Google crawlers scan through millions of pages that mention the words “chocolate,” “cake,” or “chocolate cake,” etc.
- Any and all pages which contain these keywords will show up on your search results page based on relevancy. Relevancy is decided by the number of instances and coherent existences of these keywords in a blog or article.
Similarly, if a job is posted for a content writer, for example, and the employer is looking for SEO, Social Media Marketing, etc., the Resume Keyword Tracking System would look for these words. When manually done by HR, they would scan your resume for these terms and accordingly assess suitability.
The folks who argue that a one page resume is more relevant argue that such targeted keyword search is better conducted in one page resumes, and as such, they are better for the candidate. However, these systems may or may not be utilized by a particular employer, and thus, this standard is not a rule.
One of the most crucial things to ensure from this perspective is how you organize your resume. Effective organization of the resume would allow you to fit in all relevant experiences within a small space.
Alternatively, if your resume does extend to two pages, you will find it possible to put the least relevant information on the second page. So, now the next question that comes up is How do you effectively organize your resume so that it fits in the least amount of space?
Tips for organizing your resume effectively.
An organized resume is not just good for fitting everything in, but it reflects positively on you as a potential employee as well. Additionally, it helps the HR or employers to scan through your resume quickly without misunderstanding anything or missing any vital accomplishment.
Some of the most helpful tips to organize a resume effectively, which will help you launch your career in the right direction, would include:
- Picking out the correct template: If you go on the internet, you will find thousands of resume templates. It is thus essential to choose the correct one which will organize the various sections, including employment history, education, personal information, skills, certifications/ awards, etc., neatly.
- List Skills on the Side: A number of templates available will have a demarcation of the side, which can be used as a separate section to fill in extra information like skills, certifications, awards, etc. Choose these templates and list the skills most relevant in a concise manner.
- Weed Out excess information: Remove that dance competition you won in your school in grade 10. That is not important in your resume. When you have such little space, it is crucial only to write what is essential. This would include the most recent and relevant experiences.
You can highlight internships, employment opportunities, etc., in your resume to make it more effective. However, it is essential to know how much detail to put in. Highlight key points for each experience and include job related keywords, which can be understood from the JD as much as possible.
