Posted on Feb 19, 2016
Is there really an appropriate length to a C.V.?
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I'm pretty sure we've all been told to keep our resume/C.V. brief - one to three pages if possible. I've been fortunate enough to have worked with a private non-profit research institution for the last 8 months and on the organization's internal website, you can peruse the personnel database, in which the majority of employees have their C.V. posted - some C.V.s are rather lengthy (30+ pages).
Posted in these groups: 
Resume
Transition
Resume Transition
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 9
I'm not a civilian recruiter, but I've worked on hundreds of resumes and been on both sides of the table. Unless you are in academia listing all your publications, your resume should be at ONE PAGE MAX. Nobody is going to read more than one page (you'll be lucky if they read half).
Even if you're General Eisenhower, you should be able to summarize your achievements on one page. Remember, a resume is not about listing everything you've done, it's about summarizing your most significant accomplishments. No matter who one is, that can be done in one page. The more you put on there that isn't the top achievement, the less likely I'm going to see what you want me to see. Writing multiple pages to me feels more like a self-congratulatory exercise.
Even if you're General Eisenhower, you should be able to summarize your achievements on one page. Remember, a resume is not about listing everything you've done, it's about summarizing your most significant accomplishments. No matter who one is, that can be done in one page. The more you put on there that isn't the top achievement, the less likely I'm going to see what you want me to see. Writing multiple pages to me feels more like a self-congratulatory exercise.
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LTC Paul Labrador
I've been taught that your resume is the summary of your qualification while your CV is the "in depth" document of everything you've done.
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Vikki Nicometo
I totally disagree on the one page max! And I was in civilian recruiting for nearly 20 years - including working in Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. Three pages max unless, as noted, you're a scientist or academic.
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LTC Yinon Weiss
LTC Paul Labrador - True, a CV can be more in depth (versus a resume). I've just never seen it in practical use. In my view, it drowns out the most relevant information. A resume is more like a business card, it just helps somebody make a decision whether to do an interview. If they can't decide that by looking at an entire page about you, three pages won't help (and in my view it will hurt).
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LTC Jason Mackay
LTC Yinon Weiss - the academic CV is segmented: degrees (multiple), teaching experience, curriculum development, publications, academic presentations, related work experience, honors and awards.
Multiple entries for each.
Multiple entries for each.
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CVs are a different animal vs. resumes. Used more in the scientific, legal, and academic settings, CVs are very detailed and contain a lot of synopsis of authored publications, thesis, cases, etc. Resumes are a snapshot of academic and professional qualifications along with experience.
You should have two resumes; a one pager and a three pager. A number of firms, organizations, Government, etc. specify limits along with what to provide. Recruiters are typically willing to respond to a resume length question.
USAJOBS is a different beast. People tend to pad and bulk up the resume because they're trying to get maximum hits. Unfortunately, a focus on padding usually means the particular descriptors aren't in there so the RESUMIX system won't pass the resume on to the HR person creating a Cert for the Hiring Manager. So in USAJOBS, you can have several resumes ready to go and then edit/attach the tailored one to the specific announcement.
You should have two resumes; a one pager and a three pager. A number of firms, organizations, Government, etc. specify limits along with what to provide. Recruiters are typically willing to respond to a resume length question.
USAJOBS is a different beast. People tend to pad and bulk up the resume because they're trying to get maximum hits. Unfortunately, a focus on padding usually means the particular descriptors aren't in there so the RESUMIX system won't pass the resume on to the HR person creating a Cert for the Hiring Manager. So in USAJOBS, you can have several resumes ready to go and then edit/attach the tailored one to the specific announcement.
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I think it's worth thinking about the context in which a recruiter might be reading your resume. If the role requires a phd, there are probably fewer applicants compared to the majority of jobs and the recruiter is likely spending more time screening the applicants. If, however, the recruiter is staring at a pile of 200 resumes, it is better to get to the point. Readability will also be key so that someone can quickly scan your experiences and accomplishments.
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