That is an interesting experience about the “length.” From everyone I have talked to and coached, it is always the same thing. I even spoke to the college recruiter at my office about it, and she agreed, two pages is one to long for recent grads.

Yes it may be hard to fit it all on one page, but I would still say one full page, looks better than 1 and a quarter pages of great stuff and 3/4 of a page blank (or using “filler”).

Sorry about that!

I love everything here – except your comment about “keeping it to one page.” After I submitted a resume for my first job, and didn’t hear back from a company, I (boldly) called the contact and asked for a lunch meeting for her advice about my resume and work samples. She agreed and over lunch, as I detailed my experience, she told me – “your resume should be at least two pages, maybe three. We don’t even look at one page resumes.”

I was a little stunned, since every college professor had told me to keep it to a page. So, I went home, expanded it to two pages (making the second page entirely about my volunteer activities, study abroad and language capabilities, awards and software capabilities). I have since had amazing luck since in obtaining interviews and getting offers and always use the two-page format. I won’t move to three pages until I’ve been in the work force 10 years, but two has served me well.

Later, when helping hire for entry level and 2-3 year experience positions, we never rejected a resume for being “too long.”

While I agree that people who’s experience consists of “student assistant at the rec center” and “dominos pizza” probably don’t need a two page resume, there may be some recent grads frustrated trying to stuff it all in one page, and leaving important things out.

I just wanted to share my experience on this one.