How Many Pages Should My Resume Be?

iStockphoto.com | Jirapong Manustrong

Many common questions about resumes revolve around “the rules.” Specifically, job seekers asking what “the rule” is for this or that, when the truth of the matter is that when you receive judgement, feedback, or criticism about your resume it’s more opinion than fact. You’re dealing with guidelines not rules. One point of contention that always ignites a fierce debate is how many pages a resume should be.

Instead of focusing on any such hard “rules” about resume length, instead think through a series of questions that will allow you to make an informed decision based on what norms are most likely to advance your resume in the application process, if followed.

Question #1 – How much experience do you have?

If you are a recent graduate, you should stick to one page. Your “professional story” should be easy to tell.  After two or more years of professional experience, it’s probably appropriate to have a multi-page resume. With notable exceptions (keep reading), multi-page means two pages.

Question #2 – Are you a college student or MBA student?

If you answer “yes” to this question, you may (should) work through your school’s career center. Career centers typically have uniform standards, regardless of graduate level, and they typically want a one-page resume that is traditional and effective when submitting you to employers. This business format has a name – The Wharton Format – named for the famed business school, so even if you’re an MBA student who has several years of real-world professional experience between degrees, plan on one page.

Question #3 – Are you a techie?

Are you in IT? Engineering? A technology-related field?

Due the complex and numerous skills technology professionals must possess and the nature of project-to-project tech work-flows, it is often expected that your resume will be two pages and it’s perfectly acceptable to include a third page that highlights knowledge, skills, and education that are unique to your technological specialty. However, brevity still wins the day, so if you can effectively keep it to two pages, do.

Question #4 – Are you a “C” Level Executive?

If you are the Chief of Something (CEO, CTO, CIO, etc.) you have license to go longer, two to three pages. that tells the story of your rise to the top – media appearances, publications, awards, etc. You’re going to be the leader who guides your next venture to previously unthinkable levels of success and fortune, so your resume should read like it. That may take an extra page.

Question #5 – Does the potential employer/partner/investor request a certain length?

This supercedes all previous answers. This is as close a guideline gets to being a rule. If a certain length is requested, adhere to it. There are reasons parameters have been created and 1) you risk automatic disqualification for not following them, and 2) you should consider it may be a test to see if you can follow simple instructions.

Question #6 - Are you an academic?

Let’s define our terms. “Academic” means professor or researcher in a college setting, tenured or not. If you fall into that category, you already know that 1-3 pages is just the introduction to the beginning of the start of what is known as a your curriculum vitae, or CV. Rather than a standard resume, academics use this extended format which details what you’ve done and all your amazing accomplishments are valued like anywhere else. But this is far from brief, it’s a catalog. Employers also want to know what you know, and this includes details of research, classes taught, papers submitted or published, forums at which you’ve presented, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It’s not unheard of for a CV to hit fifty (!) pages.

---

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

6 Clues It May Be Time to Look for a New Job

iStockphoto.com | Moussa81

It may be time to find a new job.

 There are two inflection points when it is the most advantageous to find a new job – when things are going great and when “the writing is on the wall.” When you’re at the top of your game and you notice some of the signs listed below, a window of opportunity has opened, but it won’t be open for long.

The trick is to both recognize that you’ve have reached one of these inflection points, and know that the time is right to make a move – whether it’s an internal advancement where you are already work, or a departure for greener pastures. Fortunately, there are some common signs that tell you when it’s time to act with decisiveness.

1. You just received an amazing performance appraisal. Clearly you are doing something right and it could be time to cash in on your success. If you are a high performer at one company, there is expectation that you will be at another. Investigate your options, and don’t wait! You don’t need to make a move, but this is one of those windows of opportunity that may not stay open for long.

2.  You just had a really terrible performance appraisal. The writing is on the wall. Your performance is “wanting” and your “days are numbered.” Time to make a brutally honest self-assessment of your future where you are. If conditions aren’t ideal for you to turn your position around quickly, you should start searching for new work as soon as possible even if the job market isn’t as ripe as it could be. Do it before you have no choice.

3.  You were passed over for a promotion. Somehow, you’re caught between the two poles. You’re a top performer but you’re not receiving the accolades and advancement you believe you are due. However, this shouldn’t be just a feeling. It should be the result of an actual interview process for a promotion that was then given to another candidate, especially if the new hire has been hired from outside the company. Upward mobility at your current employer may not be in the cards and it’s time to go.

4.   A big transition is happening beyond your control. Sometimes the writing on the wall isn’t about you – it’s about your company. It can be a recession, a buyout, a re-organization, or a sudden change in corporate leadership. Regardless of the reason, when big changes are on the way that have a direct impact on staff livelihoods, or there is uncertainty about the future viability of a company, it may be time to seek something more stable and secure.

5.  There is a surge in overall job openings. When there are a lot of job openings, it’s a sign that the labor market is advantageous for job seekers. Companies are in recruiting mode and compensation ranges are high to attract top talent. A company’s highest fixed expense is payroll, so when a lot of hiring is going on it means confidence in the economy is high and that companies are investing in human assets.

6.  There is a surge in job openings related to what you do. If you notice a ton of ads for job openings related to exactly what you already do, the iron is hot. Strike. Your chance may not come again. For example, at this moment there is a major surge in demand for health care professionals right now - if you’re in medicine, the short and medium-term future is rich with opportunities. Increased job demand often equals an easier search and a very enticing paycheck.

---

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Should I Pursue A Career As A Project Manager?

iStockphoto.com | gorodenkoff

What, exactly, is a Project Manager? It’s a professional who manages a project!

Projects and programs are such integral features of normal business operations that project managers are frequently in high demand across many professional disciplines, both in-house and on a freelance basis.

If you’ve ever been responsible for an initiative from beginning to end, you already have project management experience, but maybe not under the official job title of Project Manager. If you want to assume that title with all its representations and required skills, step one is to mine your work history for projects you led or in which you participated and revise your resume to highlight them. You may consider searching for opportunities to assist current certified Project Managers to get a true foothold in that career path. Note the word “certified”. If you want a Project Management job you will compete with certified Project Management Professionals (PMP).

The Project Management Institute (PMI) has been cranking out PMPs for 50 years. The non-profit association provides a common language and globally recognized framework for its three million worldwide members, 100 million of whom are the “global gold standard” PMPs. A PMP certification requires a minimum of:

1.    A four-year degree / high school degree.

2.    36 months leading projects / 60 months leading projects.

3.    35 “contact” hours of project management education, specifically completion of the PMI’s PMP PrepCast is 40 lessons spread over 180 videos with topics like, “Aligning Projects with Organizational Strategy”.

4.    Reading and utilizing the 750-page PMBOK Guide & Standards.

5.    Passing a 200 question, multiple choice final exam.

6.    After earning the PMP, periodic credential renewal requiring continuing education.

While having a PMP certification as a project manager is absolutely helpful – it demonstrates discipline and achievement in your field – not every employer or project management role demands it. That said, it can certainly help provide a leg up in a competitive job market. And according to the PMI, certified PMPs earn up to 25% more than non-certified project management professionals.

Here are some pros and cons of careers as a project manager (PM):

Pros 

• PM are in high demand across all fields. Wherever there is business there are projects and project managers. The demand is always there.

• PMs are responsible for critical initiatives. The work has a direct impact on the company’s success.

• Due to the nature of the profession, project managers touch a wide range of areas of knowledge and specialization. A PM’s professional development and ever-expanding toolbox is built into the job.

• Through the course of working for different companies on a constant rotation of varying projects, PMs are exposed to new career opportunities while simultaneously learning the skills to qualify for them.

• The compensation can be quite competitive. According to PayScale, project managers earn a range of $49K - $113K per year, with an average of $74,420.

Cons

• Project managers have responsibility without authority. While the PM may be steering the ship, he or she does not get to chart the course. If that course is into an iceberg, the PM’s job is to flawlessly steer the ship into the iceberg on time and on budget as specified in the project  charter. It’s about convincing everyone that’s the correct course, and keeping them on track.

• The PM operates outside of normal structures that can be likened to an envoy sent to the Middle East to broker peace. The PM must be an expert leader, moderator, negotiator, diplomat, and influencer without having any direct power over the participants or way to enforce agreements. A steady temperament is required.

• The PM is most often responsible for executing other people’s ideas. The company has not hired you to solve your own problems; usually, the company has hired you to execute something that has already been decided. In this way, the PM is restricted to his or her marching orders.

• Get out the antacids. As a Project Manager, you are responsible for success and failure. If you’re an outside hire, you’re also the eternal scapegoat. This is a high-pressure job. If you do not thrive under those conditions, you may not enjoy it.

---

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.