Why should they only be one page? If you've done a lot of stuff in your life and have a lot of qualifications why not have a 2 or 3 page resume? I don't see the point of the question, if you have things to say...say them, no matter how long it takes...
A job survey by Morris Associates, Inc, a career transitions business, showed employers had a strong preference for 2-page resumes (63%), although 27% said length "doesn't matter." Several survey respondents, as well as participants in the focus group, commented that shorter or longer resumes and different formats are acceptable, depending on industry, and type and level of position sought. A longer than 2-page resume can be acceptable for a more experienced, higher level executive or professional, though the "less is more" philosophy reinforces the idea that briefer resumes are usually preferred. In the Morris Associates Survey, the chronological format was preferred 10 to 1 over the functional (70% preferred chronological, 7% preferred functional) although, again, a significant 23% said format "doesn't matter." Consider a One-Page Resume If: You have less than 10 years of experience. You're pursuing a radical career change and your experience isn't relevant to your new goal. You've held one or two positions with one employer. Consider a Two-Page Resume If: You have 10 or more years of experience related to your goal. Your field requires technical or engineering skills, and you need space to list and prove your technical knowledge. Put the most important information at the top of the first page. On the second page, include a page number and include your name and contact information. Consider a Three-Page Resume or Longer If: You're a senior-level executive with a long track record of leadership accomplishments. You are in an academic or scientific field with an extensive list of publications, speaking engagements, professional courses, licenses or patents. Resumes can use addendum pages after page two. Job seekers can decide whether or not to send the full document or just the first two pages to a potential employer, based on the job opportunity requirements. (From: www.gabrieleandcompany.com)
Nobody cares if you've "done a lot of stuff" if it's not relevant. If you have a lot of relevant experience, awards, etc. then certainly you should make room to mention them. But it doesn't mean babbling on with endless descriptions of everything listed either. There's nothing wrong with a 2 page resume. I remember working in a college office during school while they were hiring professors.... in that case, the CVs were much longer. It depends on the job you're applying for. But if you're new in a certain career path, you certainly shouldn't have more than one page (some people cram all kinds of crap into them, like their hobbies and such that no one really cares about... it's just filler material when they have nothing better to say).
If you speak or read or write a foreign language fluently, and it would enhance your chances of getting the job, then put it on the resume. Same for travel experience or any other "specialty" that might be important to the job and enhance your chances. Otherwise, forget it. Also, a resume, like a cover letter, is not a static document. Very often it helps to "tailor" your cover letter/resume depending on the position. (I don't mean lie!) I mean highlight or give importance to any education/past experience/skills, etc. that might be important to the job and would enhance your chances of getting it. The cover letter/resume you use to apply for one position may vary from the cover letter/resume you use for another. Example, I have degrees, certifications and experience as a teacher and counselor. While both are valuable to either position, I would put more emphasis on the teaching aspects (education/experience, etc.) if I was applying for a teaching position and more emphasis on the counseling aspects if I was applying for a counseling position. Jim
That depends on what you mean by "normal jobs." If the employer wouldn't care about something don't waste space, and their time, by including it.
If the job advert states that certain software package experience would be an advantage, then mention those, but I wouldn't mention anything totally irrelevant to the job - if you're just being hired as a secretary, then putting knowledge of Visual Studio .Net wouldn't help you too much, for example.
1 page resume will be fine, and will work well. dont forget to cover your key strength with that. try to show your employer what he/she want to read. you skill set, key features and your previous exp.
Unless you are one of the world's superman achievers everything you need to say can be said on one page. Assume the recruiters are busy people and just want to find the best person as quickly as they can.
Unless there is a very good reason to have more than 1 page, I hate anything longer. I have been interviewing people for the past 3 months and far too many have listed stuff I could care less about or which is clearly fluff. Best advice I can give you - make several versions of your resume and tailor it for the job you are sending it to. If you're going for a networking job, put all the important stuff concisely about that. If you want to highly some programming, put it on the bottom or somewhere else in your resume. Most of us don't need to be hit over the head. We can read. We'll ask you questions if we see something on your resume. But if it's longer than a page, MAYBE spilling over to page two, I'm turned off right from the start. Key - short, focus on the most important things you are pretty sure the interviewer is hoping to hear.