John Posada wrote: > Where did this 2-page standard come from, anyway? Is the person behind a 2 > page > resume also automatically a more qualified writer than one with a 3 page > resume?
Hi John, It's not really the overall length of the resume that matters. I think the point is that you need to consider carefully the information that you include about individual positions. Many hiring managers have a problem with lengthy resumes because a lot of what's there is the same things repeated for each job or too much meaningless detail (for example, do we need to know that someone could type 40 wpm at a job back in 1993, 60 wpm at a job in 2000, and 75 wpm at a current job?). If each of your jobs is unique and bears having a lot said about it, as you indicated that your jobs were, then by all means do it. The variety of jobs could sound wonderfully exciting and make you look well-rounded. But if your jobs are similar and you present the same bulleted list for each one, you're going to bore the readers and possibly get your resume prematurely added to the round file. As I wrote yesterday, when it got to where I was telling people that I "used Adobe FrameMaker to produce PDF and printed manuals" for every job, it was time to figure out a different way to present the information. By the time someone read that for the third time, they'd probably be thinking, "Yes, I know. But what else can you do?" Now I put less emphasis on the individual jobs and more emphasis on my overall skills. My resume contains the same information, but certain things are only there once instead of multiple times. I probably shaved off a full page of repeated information. Essentially, I treat my resume the same way that I would any other document or manual that I write. When you're in our field, it's not just what you did/do that matters. You also have to consider how you present your personal information because it's a reflection on your skills. If your resume is lengthy simply because you repeated too much or gave too much detail, it's going to make it appear that you can't organize information or figure out when to quit. If you have a short resume that doesn't include enough, it's going to appear that you don't know how to analyze what your audience needs. However, if you can strike a good balance between them, you're going to really impress someone and maybe get that desired call for an interview. Donna - CONFIDENTIAL- This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential, and may also be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you may not review, use, copy, or distribute this message. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply email and then delete this email. ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
