Does a Resume Need to Be One Page?

Does a Resume Need to Be One Page?A few years ago, I was speaking with a recruiter who made the point that most people in an employer's job hunt are asking the same question: does a resume need to be one page? In my experience, the answer is always yes. The only exception to this is when a job posting requires a little more time and attention. In this case, the recruiter will allow the candidate to send in two to three pages of material before the decision is made whether or not to proceed with the candidate.To be sure, it is a fact that for many job searchers, one page is all they need. They are extremely organized and just love to see their resume come through the mail every day. For others, however, a resume is a treasure trove of information and they tend to spend the majority of their time reviewing the details of each job posting. Because of this, two to three pages are generally sufficient to get a candidate into the interview.There are many advantages to a two to three page r esume. First, it can save the recruiter time when it comes to having to go through all of the information for each job. He or she will not have to pay too much attention to the rest of the materials on the resume, especially if it is only one page.The second advantage is that the recruiter will have a better idea of what the candidate is looking for. If the recruiter has a peek at the candidate's work history, he or she may have a rough idea of what the candidate wants. An important aspect of a one page resume is that the recruiter can make notes regarding a certain job opening and can possibly pick up the details of the skills a candidate is seeking in order to tailor the information contained in the resume to the needs of the company.In addition, if the recruiter has the opportunity to review the applicant's resume in person, he or she may find better job fit issues than if the resume was sent back. The recruiter will know more about the candidate and will likely have more informa tion available to him or her.The third advantage is that it helps to avoid a lengthy resume when it needs to be edited to add the missing information. Recruiters will have a better idea of what a candidate needs because they will have the chance to ask additional questions or contact the candidate to obtain additional information.It is not always easy to know what a candidate really needs. Sometimes the candidate will present a list of issues he or she has had with a particular position. While this is fine, the recruiter should be sure to remember that while the candidate may be concerned, these issues will not necessarily change a job situation.The most important thing is to get a resume back on the right track when it needs to be improved. One or two pages of information and an updated resume are a good way to start.