WINNING RESUMES BLOG: November 2009

11/30/2009

IN 2011, LONGER RESUMES ARE MORE ACCEPTABLE FOR EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS -- AND MORE EFFECTIVE

In 2011, a longer resume will work better for executives and managers with 10 to 25 years' experience. In fact, longer resumes are acceptable to most recruiters today.
Why? Because a longer executive or management resume tells them all that they need to know. Times and ideas about the ideal length of a resume have truly changed.

Longer resumes for executives and senior managers have become the norm. They are more acceptable than ever -- and more effective. How long should an executive resume be?

In his "Rites of Passage at $100,000+" (Viceroy), John Lucht feels that executive resumes are like Direct Mail. Long copy sells! Two to 6-page resumes are okay! I agree. Executives need a longer resume to do justice to their professional experience and accomplishments.

Unless you are Warren Buffet or Bill Gates, a one page resume may be too brief. It won't "sell" you. [Please do not save up all of your "sell" only for a separate Cover Letter. That is an outdated strategy. When a selection committee meets to discuss the short-listed candidates, everyone will ask to see each applicant's resume but may or may not be too interested in his or her cover letter.]

As a professional resume writer, I often use material from client cover letters to construct the client's Value Statement or Value Proposition in the resume which appears in the top half of Page 1. (Cover letters are valuable because I know that clients try to sell themselves and their value in such letters.)

In all resumes, the first 10-15 lines must address the employer's needs or requirements (as stated in job ads). In this section, some executives also write a personal Branding Statement to highlight what distinguishes them from others. In a one-page resume, that will leave you with only 20 lines for your work experience, education and training. For more experienced job seekers, longer resumes are therefor necessary in order to be more effective and they are acceptable to most recruiters. A one-page resume may be far too crowded and "light".

In my 24 years as a resume writer, I have often converted a hopelessly crowded one or two page resume into a longer two or three page resume that is easy-to-read and also does justice to the client. In most cases, the results were truly amazing! Your resume needs to be the best MARKETING tool it can be.

How many pages will you need to show what you're able to do, what you have done and your achievements -- how well you have performed? Can you sell yourself on only one page or will you need a longer one of two or three or more pages? [http://winning-resumes.com/length.htm ] A longer but well designed and scannable two or three or four-page resume that "sells" you up front will often be more effective than a single crowded page without that "sell"! And longer executive resumes are acceptable today.

Many one-pagers are so boring! That's why the majority of recruiters nowadays will actually prefer a beautiful two or three-page presentation because it tells them all that they need to know! That's why they are so acceptable today. [See article "Longer resumes now more acceptable" at:http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_/ai_n24254506]
[WARNING: Very weak resumes are often produced by people who have worked for many years but now try to get it all down on one page (or two) – to "please" the reader. To save lines, they leave out the most important sections of a resume – the "sell". But an employer might feel that if you've managed to squeeze 10-20 years' work experience on only one page, then what you're offering can hardly be valuable! In a recession or Depression, that would be fatal. For practical purposes, the old One-Page Resume Theory is all but dead. "Once and for all, let's put this overaged turkey of a theory to rest", pleads William E. Montag in his book for executives.]

Whether one page or two or three, your resume needs to be the best MARKETING tool it can be. That is what really matters. Never shorten or otherwise truncate your resume merely for the reason that you believe it should be one or two pages long. It all depends. A longer resume may be less crowded and more suitable for presenting your material in a recession or Depression.

Creating a resume of the most suitable length will involve an array of skills that most people don't have. This is why consulting a skilled resume writing professional may be your easiest and best answer. Feel Free to Call or eMail me at: mattgreene@aol.com Tel.: 1-718-436-3504 Copyright, 2006-2011 by Matthew Greene. All rights reserved