Hiring decision-makers surveyed for the book,
Top Notch
Executive Resumes identified this as one of their Top 30 Executive Resume Pet Peeves:
Resume is too long. While there is no consensus among employers and recruiters about resume length, most feel
one page is too short. Maureen Crawford Hentz, manager of talent acquisition, development and
compliance at Osram Sylvania, Boston MA, particularly disdains “abbreviated or ‘teaser’ resumes”
that urge the recruiter, “for more information, call me.” Many recruiters believe that two pages is about
the right length; for some, three pages is the outside limit that they will read. “If the resume is longer
than two pages, it needs to be well worth it,” noted Hentz’s colleague at Osram Sylvania, Harlynn
Goolsby. Others question executives’ ability to prioritize if their resumes are longer than two pages.
Since recruiters pass candidate resumes on to client employers, they must also consider employer
preferences. “Most of my clients profess that they are too busy to read anything lengthier — thus, I deliver
what they require,” said Chris Dutton, director at Intelligent Recruitment Services and Owner, Intelligent IT
Recruitment, Manchester, UK. Recruiter opinions about resume length have been colored in recent
years by the growing practice of reading resumes on a computer screen rather than printing them.
Resumes that might seem too long in print are acceptable on screen.
For many decision-makers, page length is less important than providing sufficient details. “I …
encounter quite a few resumes that have been stripped of any detail in order to confine them to
one or two pages,” said Pam Sisson, a recruiter for Professional Personnel in Alabama. “My immediate
response is to ask for a more detailed resume. A resume that’s three or four pages but actually
shows the qualifications and experience necessary for a position is much preferred, in my opinion,
to one that has cut out all the substance to meet some passe idea of a one-page resume.” John
Kennedy, senior IT recruiter at Belcan, agreed: “Resume length is of very little importance so long
as the information is accurate, verifiable, and pertinent to the position. If a candidate has 20 years
of experience directly relating to the position being applied for and that experience is verifiable, it
should be listed even if the resume goes four-plus pages.”
See all 30 peeves: executive resume peeves
1-10 in Part 1, executive resume peeves 11-20 in Part 2 and
executive resume peeves 21-30 in Part 3.
Need help with your resume, cover letter, or other career-marketing document?
Order today from Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters, powered by About Jobs Resume Writing Service.
