How Long Should a Resume Be? All About Resume Writing


resume length

Students think that once they are done with their academics, they don’t need to worry about writings anymore but that is not the case, writing stays with you for a lifetime. It not only helps in various phases of your life but also improves communication skills of a person. There are some pieces of writing which hold extreme importance in an individual’s life and this is why they take professional help with that.  People often take resume writing services, content writing help, and academic project writing services from professional writers because they cannot afford to take a risk of committing a mistake.

It is okay to take professional help but at the same time, it is also important to be familiar with the ways and basics of writing especially when it comes to resume writing. This post is meant to acknowledge the readers all about resume writing, its purpose, its types, and how it is different from CV writing.

Resume:

A resume is basically a formal document in which the job applicant enlists all of his achievements and qualifications.  An individual has to include his qualifications, his past experience, his additional skills, and other achievements in the document. This document gives a brief review of a person’s whole caliber.  It is the deciding factor of whether the applicant is worthy of the specific job or not.

Steps to write a resume:

The basic steps of writing a resume are the same, which are as follows;

  • Start with picking the right resume format; right in the sense that it highlights the things that you have. Chose such a layout in which you don’t have to leave an empty column.
  • Never forget to mention your contact details and information.
  • Mention your achievements and qualifications.
  • Highlight your hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the ones that are learned over the years whereas soft skills are those that a person has naturally.
  • Proofread your resume before submission. Proofreading and editing are not chronological but can be performed anytime and even multiple times.

Tips to write a perfect resume:

Qualifications required for a specific position is the same but it is the way you present those qualifications and skills that stands you out among other. To gain more attention from recruiters, most resumes are written in diverse formats, including varying font sizes, font colors, and table cells (Jie Chen et al, 2018). But it is the well-written resume that helps in presenting you in the best light. Following are some of the tips that can improve the quality of your resume;

· Be clear and concise:

Never beat around the bush when it comes to resume writing. Use bullet points if necessary to make it easier for the reader to go through your resume and avoid any unnecessary information or background stories.

· Stay relevant:

Never leave a column empty. If you don’t have any past working experience then add the related internships or achievements that you might have in the related field.

· Accomplishments over responsibilities:

Responsibilities or job duties are something that every possible candidate can offer. What makes your resume stand out is how your accomplishments will help you in getting the job done perfectly.

· Basics are equally important:

People often ignore basics in an effort to make their resume stand out. If you have no written contact information or have not given your schooling qualification then it makes you an irresponsible candidate in the eye of an employer.

Purpose of a resume:

The sole purpose of a resume is to introduce you to the employer of the particular company in the minimum time possible. This formal document is meant to explain your whole life’s achievements, qualifications, and skills within the span of one to two minutes.

The ideal length of a resume:

As a resume is meant to be direct and concise so it cannot extend too much. A basic resume is about one page but the ideal is two pages because it shows that the candidate has multiple skills and achievements to present.

Types of a resume:

A resume is divided into four main types; depending upon the kind of layout or format used in it. These types are as follows;

  • Chronological resume.
  • Functional resume.
  • Combination resume.
  • Targeted resume.

Comparison between resume and CV:

People often confuse a resume and a CV as the same thing but there are some prominent differences between the two:

1. Resume vs. CV- Definition:

A resume is a short and concise paper highlighting your academic achievements, qualifications, and skills. On the other hand; a CV is a summarized form of your qualifications and achievements. A resume is mostly written in bullet form whereas a CV is written in paragraph form.

2. Resume vs. CV- Purpose:

A resume is applied for common jobs whereas a CV is applied for academic purposes.

3. Resume vs. CV- Length:

The length of a resume might vary from one page to two pages at most. On the other hand; the length of a CV may exceed four to seven pages, depending on the information that the candidate has to provide.

4. Resume vs. CV- Layout:

A resume has four different kinds of layouts that must be incorporated but a CV has no layout to follow. It is simple writing.

5. Resume vs. CV- important elements:

A resume must have the candidate’s name, job title, contact information, objective or resume summary, work experience, education, skills, language proficiency, and additional certificates.

On the other hand; a CV must have a name, contact information, professional title, research interests education, publications, teaching experience, work experience, conferences/ courses, skills, certificates, languages, grant of fellowship, and references.

Conclusion:

A resume is an important piece of document that every individual (applying for a job) has to write at least once in his lifetime. A well-written resume leaves a good impression on the employer which s why it must be perfectly done. Hopefully; the above-mentioned post will help the readers in understanding all about resume writing.


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