Tip No. 189
Q. I find it almost impossible to condense my accomplishments and experiences to one page. Please explain to me why a one-page resume is preferable to a two or even three page resume.
A. We at CMI believe the brief and informative information that can be condensed into a one-page resume is critical for a successful career transition to occur in a timely manor. The human eye stops reading when it reaches the end of the first one third of the first page of a resume. This means if your resume is longer than one page, two thirds of your experiences and achievements are being ignored. Also, if your resume is being read during a face to face interview, anything more than one page becomes a distraction and your prospective employer is spending time flipping papers instead of paying attention to you, your experiences and your achievements. Lastly, remember, people hire people that they like, and this decision is generally made within the first four minutes of an interview. This is why developing rapport is imperative. If you try to put all of your experiences in writing, what are you going to talk about during the interview? If you are not engaged in conversation during an interview, how will you develop rapport?
CMI Career Management International
If you have a question for CMI, please send email to tips@careermanagement.com with "Question for CMI" in the subject line.
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