“A one page CV?! You can’t be serious?!!”
This is how you possibly react when asked by an employer to send a one page CV! You might think that a one page CV is just not long enough to do you justice. How can you possible describe your professional journey in one page? Well you can! That’s because the rule of resume writing seems to have changed today! A ‘one page’ resume is what employers are looking for. They now want information- short, sharp and concise!
Good enough reasons to have a ‘one page CV’
A one page CV can be a great strategy if used for the right reasons. You can give your reader a quick snapshot of what you bring to the table. In an otherwise crowded job market, where only a few have a quick, effortless, hard hitting message of benefit for an employer, you can certainly stand out! You won’t be weighed down by detail. You can be like a breath of fresh air for them!
Creates a great first impression
A one page CV exudes oodles of confidence. It tells the employer that you value their time. Recruiters are busy people — they don’t have time or the patience for your never-ending career chronologies. The startling reality is that an employer spends 30 seconds or less on a resume! So try and follow one simple rule. Select, don’t compress! Choose and write things which add value to your resume. The Summary section particularly, can be an instant ‘clincher’ in arousing interest if written well.
Move some information to the Cover letter
Deciding on what to leave out isn’t always a cake walk. You can save a lot of room in your resume by moving some information to your cover letter. Things like your job objectives and personal traits belong in the letter. Creating a separate section for the awards section is also a big ‘No’. You can club them with the jobs for which you have received them.
Create a well crafted Summary
The summary section of your resume is the high powered territory. Try incorporating strong ‘buzzwords’ to etch a memorable image of your signature style that gives your reviewer a glimpse of your possible leadership potential and cultural fit. But make sure that the keywords reflect your real experience. Don’t just use them to ‘pad’ your resume if you are not ready to use them while talking about your experience in your interview.
Simplicity Sells
Avoid using too much detail to describe your previous roles that you lose your reader in the process. A short and crisp summary, richly laden with strong keywords, your value proposition and personal branding are enough to grab attention in both the online offline worlds.
Writing a ‘one page resume’ isn’t a rule that every person has to follow blindly! You should know your audience and give them what they are looking for. If you’re planning on spilling over to a second page, make sure that it’s for information that is relevant and important that could, effectively, make or break your chances for the job
