So, I called up my buddy Rob Sullivan, and asked him to weigh in on the question of how long a resume should be. Rob writes resumes that get people hired. He’s great at what he does—which is one of the reasons I like him (I like friends who challenge me to raise my game)—and if you need a resume overhaul, he is worth every penny.
I knew Rob would give me a straight answer on the resume question, and he didn’t let me down. I’ll let him speak for himself… more from Rob in the coming days, and I’ll weigh back in at the end of next week.
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Obviously, to some degree resume length depends on how long you’ve been in the workforce. But Rob is right … it’s about content not length. How you deliver (contributions), not what you’ve done (responsibilities).
My clients are senior-level finance executives and CFOs and with 20+ years of experience, I don’t believe a one page resume can adequately sell their ability to do the job. Often times for my C-level candidates, I include an addendum that portrays their leadership initiatives in much greater detail.
The Blackberry principle has affected resume length, but not at the cost of sacrificing my clients’ positioning.
Cindy Kraft
the CFO-Coach
Cindy, your point about delivery vs. responsibilities I think is spot on. Unfortunately, too many people miss that point and eat up pages rehashing old job descriptions.
For senior executives—especially those with considerable work history—a resume that focuses on contributions will be as long as it needs to be to make the point and make it well…
Thanks for the comment!