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Hello Manager Tools Community,

I previously listened to and reviewed the show notes resume podcast, but I can't find if/when Mike and Mark ever mention if the one page resume is front and back or front only.  Can anyone confirm that it is one page front only?  I assume it is front only b/c if a book is 100-pages, that is 100-front only pages (opposed to 50 front and backs).

 

thanks,

Chris

TomW's picture
Training Badge

You are correct: 1 page = front only. Otherwise, it would be two pages.

jhack's picture

 1 page of single spaced, meaningful and quantified accomplishments is quite enough. 

Eschew surplusage...

John Hack

cjp147's picture

Thanks to both of you.  I also found the sample resume (again). 

 

http://www.manager-tools.com/podcasts/Sample_Resume.pdf

jib88's picture

To save paper in her letters Jane Austen used to fill up the page and then turn it 90 degrees and write over top of everything perpendicularly. Maybe that's a good way to get around this tough 1-page restriction.  :)

-JIB

aaronholmes's picture

BLUF: What's better for a direct mail campaign? Single page resume or the Long Copy readable story as described in Rites of Passage by John Lucht. (Chapter 12) - Mark recommended both the 1 pager and the Lucht book. How should I decide between them?

 

I'm six months into a job search, found Manager-Tools mid-July and have been soaking it up like a sponge for the last two months. (I wish I'd found it years ago, and I'm making up for lost time.)

I really enjoyed the resume cast and sample resume, and my resume (which started out already on one page) improved significantly thanks to its advice.

I'm considering a direct mail campaign as described in Rites of Passage, but the resumes he suggests tend to read more like short stories than the one-pager I've polished up. His arguments are compelling too. If somebody doesn't need you, then neither the short or the long resume will work. - If somebody is even faintly interested, you'd be inclined to read through the whole thing, and Long Copy Sells.

Does it change things if I'm considering a change in my area of focus? Or if I feel my career up to this point hasn't been particularly stellar?

I'm looking to clarify the dissonance I'm seeing from two highly qualified sources: M&M and Lucht.

Thoughts?

Aaron Holmes

FizzSagan's picture
Licensee Badge

 Keep in mind WHO are using the resumes in rites of passage.  Take a look at their achievements.  They are high-level executives.

Lucht advises using a 5-page long copy resume so you can fill it up with ACHIEVEMENTS.  Can you fill 5 pages with achievements relevant to the job you are applying for?

If you have the experience and achievements to fill up 5 pages similar to the resumes in Rites of Passage, then use that resume.

Both Manager Tools and Rites of Passage base their resume advice on filling it up with as many achievements as possible.

aaronholmes's picture

I'll save the 5 pager for later in my career, once I have the achievements to fill it up. - In the meantime, I'll start building it up, but stick with the one page resume for public distribution. - Thanks for shedding some light on that for me fizzsagan.

-Aaron. 

jason_koch's picture
Training Badge

Thanks Fizzsagan & Aaron - I'd wondered this question myself. 

I am sticking with the one-page MT format as I think it makes most sense and is most likely to get past the earlier stages. I don't see the people recruiting at my level spending time on 5 pages of copy.

Perhaps if it was a much more senior position they would spend the time; which I think is where Fizzsagan's comment is spot on.

Jason

stevesim's picture

If you want to hear John Lucht's views on resume length listen to Part 2 of the "John Lucht Interview" (Manager Tools and Career Tools podcasts - 7/21/2008) starting at the 15:50 point in the interview and going through to 28:00 which is the end of Part 2.

Steve Simmons
CGEIT, CISA, CISM, CISSP
DiSC=7115

aaronholmes's picture

Steve,

 

I just went back and relistened to that section. - It clears things up tremendously. I missed some of the nuance the first time around because I hadn't seen what John was proposing or the "Long Copy Sells" argument for longer (but still tight) resumes.

Much appreciated.

-Aaron. 

aaronholmes's picture