You sent out a resume so long it could be a novel. Guess what? Nobody’s reading it. Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds scanning your resume before deciding your fate. If yours looks like an encyclopedia, it’s going straight to the rejection pile. Cut the fluff, keep the impact, and finally get noticed!
How Long Should Your Resume Be? (Hint: Shorter Than You Think!)
📌 New Grads & Early Career (0-5 Years of Experience) – 1 Page, No Excuses
- Your summer job scooping ice cream? Not relevant.
- Bullet points, not essays. Recruiters aren’t grading you, they’re skimming!
📌 Mid-Level Professionals (5-10 Years of Experience) – 1-2 Pages, Max
- If it doesn’t relate to your next job, cut it.
- Nobody cares about your high school debate championship. Move on.
📌 Senior & Executive Roles (10+ Years of Experience) – 2 Pages (3 Max for C-Suite)
- Leadership and impact are your focus now, not every job you’ve ever had.
- Summarize anything older than 10 years. Yes, even if you were amazing at it.
How to Make Recruiters Actually Read Your Resume
❌ Ditch the Fluff – Phrases like “results-driven professional” mean nothing. Show the numbers.
❌ No One Wants an Essay – If your resume has paragraphs, congratulations — it won’t be read. Use bullet points.
❌ One-Size-Fits-All? Big Mistake – If you’re blasting the same resume to every job, you’re sabotaging yourself. Tailor it for each role.
❌ Messy Layout = Instant Rejection – Too many fonts? Giant blocks of text? If a recruiter has to squint, you’re done. Keep it clean and scannable.
Your Resume Is Your Sales Pitch, Not Your Life Story
Imagine scrolling past a 10-paragraph product description — that’s what recruiters do to your bloated resume. If you want the job, keep it tight, powerful, and impossible to ignore.
Want to stop getting ghosted? Let Sheldon Whispers optimize your resume and get recruiters actually reading it!