Mingster, can you write a CV instead? It just seems odd and trendy to me that now, all of a sudden, people want two pages. (Although if they ask for it, definitely do it). Traditionally, the extra stuff on the URL you posted (good link, btw) would come out in an interview ... or am I missing something?

CV: http://www.quintcareers.com/curriculum_vitae.html

 

Last post -- I'd use heavy stock. Xpedx has a good selection of thicker stocks. I don't know where the closest one would be though. Also, I'd staple. Screw appearances. It would suck much worse for a page to fall off because it got tossed into a bigger stack. Go with some kind of simple, permanent binding. Staples fit that bill, but there are others too. I think Levenger.com carries some alternatives.

 

I promise I don't mean this boastingly..

I am the President of a high technology consulting company and see probably a dozen new resumes a week. For new grads I expect one page with co-op or intern experience, education, and any other awards, activities, etc. For high-end technical or business development positions, I accept one or two pages and like plenty of detail in past experience showing a trend toward success and growth. Finally, when I hire management (directors, tech managers, etc.), I accept resumes of whatever length it takes to paint the picture of their qualifications. I never treat their information as crap, dreading going through it. Sometimes after a perusal, I find that it is crap, but I always give them a fair shake.

As for stock, I like heavy and a bit off-white. Much easier on the eyes. Also, I go against the recommendation for executive resumes and prefer Arial or Verdana font. Times New Roman is a serif font and is a bit more tiring on the eyes than sans-serif fonts. Oh, and definitely a paper clip. If you can keep it together, I promise I will, too.

Good luck,

JPOG

 

I'd recommend one of those heavier papers with some cotton in it. I have one of the ones that's kind of tiny speckled off white grey that looks good!

 

flitcroft: thanks for the advice! I'll definitely check out Xpedx paper.

jpog: Agree 100% on the fonts - I prefer Arial or Verdana myself also.

As for jpog's progression advice, that's exactly what I hope other potential employers will see as well

 

I also look at many resumes each week. My recommendation would be 1 page, you need to hold the employers attention quickly. One page can be tough for many people though....make some sacrifices somewhere.

If it's 2 pages, don't even think about stapling it. Tacky. That's just my opinion. Use a gold paper clip and really make an impression that you pay attention to detail and care about landing the job. And very heavy weight paper can jam copiers or scanners.

Good luck Rich!

 

Heavy stock. No staples. Summary on the first page or so, details on the other pages. There is no limit to how many pages your resume should be; if you have the experience list it, whether or not it is read is up to the reader.

I prefer folks who list details of past work, it allows me to better understand what they have done before I decide to talk to them.

 

This is a very useful topic. I'm currently looking for a new position and I am starting to think that i must be doing something technically wrong b/c i know that i have to qualifications for most of the positions i've applied to.

My question stems from everyone here advised against staples. But what about printing the second page on the back side of the paper? I suppose that is beyond tacky, a huge no-no??

Resumes are such a delicate thing. Everyone industry and every "culture" have their own preferences and the slightest detail has that "make or break" sort of importance.

My boss who is French-American suggested that i put my picture on the resume and use the European size paper which is just a tad longer than 11" so that when one lines up the stack of resumes mine will stick out. Now that, I found to be really tacky advice, and i would never do that. But he would love an eccentric person like that if he ever came across a resume such as he suggested. SO you never know what odd things might get you an interview.

What about that double printed page though? What is the general opinion on that?

 

steve c: right on the money.

ivelina: two-sided is not very clean in my opinion. As for the size of paper and other eccentricities, it all depends on the job. If you are searching for an accountant position, likely the odd-ball of the bunch might suggest an overly individual, perhaps rebellious or society-be-damned attitude. If you are applying for a music composition job in LA, that might seal the deal by showing your creativity. As for personalities, you are right. You never know what might catch my attention. A S2ki logo at the top...

JPOG

 

people still send around resumes in printed form?