Resumes - one page resume doesn't work (?)

Hello MT Team and Community!

First I'd like to start by saying THANK YOU for all the work you do and the content you put out. I've grown tremendously in the past 10+ thanks to you.

After 14 years working in the same company as a mid-level manager I was laid off last Fall due to a restructuring and although I had moved roles multiple times internally, for the first time, in a long time, I was 'forced' to start applyin externally as well.

I was proud of my one-page resume, a model that I adopted many years ago following your guidance and one that seemed to work well - heck, I got promoted several times using it. The issues however started when I found myself in the job market again. My company offered a resume review service as part of my package and they were the first ones to redo into 2 pages, I resisted however because I could hear Mark's voice in the background encouraging me to stick to the 1 page :).

As time went by and I talked to more recruiters and HR managers, the reaction was always the same: surprise at first: "wow you could fit your resume in one page...?" then shortly after: "you should add more keywords or the ATS won't pick it up..." or "..why don't you follow this or that template instead, and add more details". It felt like have a one-page resume almost attracted negative attention.

All along it felt like noone appreciated the effort it went into sumarizing and distilling 15 years of experience into one page. Maybe the true good companies do, maybe the really good manager-tools managers do but unfortunately, I haven't come across any yet in the Toronto area... :(

In short, I've caved in and changed my resume. It's 2 pages now, and in my view unnecessarily long but it's the one I've started to use... Unfortunately, the Covid-19 crisis hit and 60% of leads have evaporated. I haven't had a chance to get feedback on it, but will post again here with an update once I either find a job or get enough interviews to form an informed opinion.

- Has anyone had a similar experience in the canadian market?
- Is the canadian market perhaps not ready for a MT resume?
- Are other factors weighted more heavily in canada? ie. your network..?

Thanks for reading this far and for sharing your feedback and experiences. The market has changed overnight and has become even more competitive now, so whether it's a longer or shorter resume, I want to be able to be as effective as I can in finding my next job.

Luis Martinez.