IT guys, resume length

[Diggles]

i'm working on mine and just wondering. I've always had a 1 pager, but I dont think I can realistically fit everything important.

For you guys (not necessarily in IT) that are managers or high enough to help hiring, how detailed do you want someones resume?

[Crice]

I prefer to go in grab a hamburger fries and coke and fill out an application, but that is just me. One page is the norm.

[Trotts]

Hey there Digs,

All depends on the Job, typically though 2 pages is the standard though.

For lazy Federal slobs they have to typically misrepresent themselves so they demand very long drawn out long winded resumes. Last Job I applied to with everything they "asked" for in the posting, ended up being 6 pages long but that just didn't feel right as it was a lot of long winded BS.

Got the job, but ....

Anyhow, 2 pages and concise is probably the best way to go!

Good luck!

[Fretty]

Trotts has it nailed.

2 pages is realistic for the information that would normally go onto a resume. Fit what you need to, but don't just fill space because you "can"; no one in IT cares if you flipped burgers at the local Burger King (also, that would mean that you had nothing more relevant to fill that space in, instead of having so much more great stuff that you only stuck with the "best").

Any hiring process I took part in generally gave the most attention to those with two pages, as it wasn't too much info to take in, but it also wasn't missing so much that the interviewer had no direction and no information to lead to questions about the interviewee.

My experience:
When I was getting into the IT field, I first kept my resume to 1 page as well, figuring that was the best choice. I rarely got responses to my resumes, and any interviews that I did attend were so short and general that I knew I wouldn't get the job (and I was right).

Then I flipped to having two pages and I suddenly got a much larger response, ten-fold. The interviews would be filled with much more specific questions about me and my work/education experience (since I gave them something to go on in my resume now that I had room). This gave us a lot more to talk about and get to know eachother, allowing for invterviews to gain that level of comfort that before you know it, you're joking around with your "soon to be boss".

[Hoofhurr]

Always helps when your boss got basically the same education you did at the same place.

[Thudz]

Depending on what work experience you have you may want to keep two separate resumes. I keep two separate resumes, one for Architect and one for Manager. It is a detriment to mix the two unless the job listing specifically says they are looking for an Architect to Manage a team. My Manager resume is one page and my Architect is two pages.

Keep your most recent stuff first and be increasingly vague as you go back in time. Hit your buzz words! I usually scan resumes for buzzwords because I'm looking for a particular skillset and then I evaluate attitude and ability over the phone and finally face to face, but to get a call from me you need the buzzwords to get noticed.

[Kakarat]

2 pages of yourself, and 1 cover page, what you hope to bring to the job and a few strengths.

[Grieve]

Over the last few weeks I've trawled through about 40 resumes while hiring for two positions, and some were absolutely godawful. Four or five pages of waffle.

Definitely keep them focused and to the point. Mine is one page, but then I've only ever had two jobs. I'd say two is the max, though. Have a bulletted summary of your main skills, with the number of years experience you have with them, and bullet any particular achievements or success stories at each job. Don't list personal interests and activities, but something like an objective is always good. Keep it readable and not too compressed. A cover letter is good detailing why you think you would be a good fit to the particular position you are applying for.

[1000xZero]

I have been looking and mine is 2 pages simply because I have 19+ years experience.

I have found that people do not read cover letters anymore.

[Breand]

I have 2 pages, impossible to fit everything, I would say for "Techie" types 2 pages is fine, there are so many areas of knowledge it's needed. I did have mine as 1 page for some time but can't do it anymore. The few times Ive gone on interviews I also bring with me a sheet listing the complete range of products I have knowledge/expertise with, they like that.

Cover letter DEFINITELY worked for me (they told me as much in the interview...I really went out of my way to research their company and tell them to give a college graduate scrub a chance) in getting my first job, not sure if it holds the same degree of importance as you get older.

The important thing is that it's 2 pages of concise, straight to the point skill sets and expertise, not 2 pages of bullshit.

[Vllad]

Maybe the tech world is different but if you can't do it in one page where I work you lose the reader fast.

Resume's are mostly full of bull shit anyway. The faster you can get through it with the most important amount of information the better.


Vllad

[Diggles]

Maybe the tech world is different but if you can't do it in one page where I work you lose the reader fast.

Resume's are mostly full of bull shit anyway. The faster you can get through it with the most important amount of information the better.


Vllad

ya, tech resumes you have to list all the specific platform/hardware/software, versions etc.

desktop support or sysadmin can have a huge variance in the duties involved, compared to being an accountant~ or some lame shit!

[Vanraw]

No more then 2. But as was stated above it depends on the job your looking to land. Customizing the resume for the position you want is a good idea. You can create 2 or 3 versions if you want so they are prepackaged. I would create at least 1 that is a single page. and other versions that are no longer then 2. A good process would be to create the 1 page resume and then add the things you think will get you the interview. Its easier to add and keep the content focused then to create a big long thing and try to surgically cut stuff.

Cover letters are crap. No one reads them anymore.

What Vllad said is true but it doesnt matter. Resumes are about opening the door for an interview. Its the interview that will land you the job. So keep this in mind. All you want to do is generate interest. Dont ever out right lie though.