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Mine is two pages. I graduated from college six years ago in May and have had seven jobs since then. Two of the jobs were short-term contracts and I leave them off. Five of those were of the same role (help desk), but three I consider important. I have a "defining statement" and a list of technical skills.
Yes, the amount of jobs is a lot, but as long as you're moving yourself forward, I don't see a problem. I would rather "crack a few eggs to make an omelette" than stay at the same place for five years if you aren't moving. Depending on the role, like help desk, that's nearly impossible.
Yes, the amount of jobs is a lot, but as long as you're moving yourself forward, I don't see a problem. I would rather "crack a few eggs to make an omelette" than stay at the same place for five years if you aren't moving. Depending on the role, like help desk, that's nearly impossible.
The number of jobs is a problem. When reading resumes and making decisions as to who I am going to interview, I would immediately put a 6 job/5 year resume in the trash pile. No further consideration, no appeal, no looking for reasons. Just trash. I did it as recently as last week.
I understand the up or out mentality, and I have changed jobs myself for that same reason. But you have done 5 help desk jobs in 7 years. That doesn't read as up, that reads as lateral for no good reason. Don't leave a job for a comparable job, leave a job for a better one.
Both you and the OP are going to have to settle down and put 2-3 years into one position before employers are going to take you seriously. You might successfully change jobs a time or two again, but it almost definitely won't be for a promotion, and it's only going to delay the period of stability that you need to develop before you become eligible for career advancement.
The number of jobs is a problem. When reading resumes and making decisions as to who I am going to interview, I would immediately put a 6 job/5 year resume in the trash pile. No further consideration, no appeal, no looking for reasons. Just trash. I did it as recently as last week.
I understand the up or out mentality, and I have changed jobs myself for that same reason. But you have done 5 help desk jobs in 7 years. That doesn't read as up, that reads as lateral for no good reason. Don't leave a job for a comparable job, leave a job for a better one.
Both you and the OP are going to have to settle down and put 2-3 years into one position before employers are going to take you seriously. You might successfully change jobs a time or two again, but it almost definitely won't be for a promotion, and it's only going to delay the period of stability that you need to develop before you become eligible for career advancement.
I'm going to have to agree here. 6 jobs in 5 years for someone fresh out of college is a GIGANTIC red flag, outside of some very specific circumstances. Those kind of resumes get thrown out and rarely see an interview.
Working in a field where short term contact positions are common? probably fine, but you'd want to indicate that those positions were contract on the resume. An objective statement or cover letter indicating that you are looking for something *permanent* this time would probably help as well.
Working a number of fast food or minimum wage positions to pay the bills while interviewing for a career in your field? Also understandable, but you'd want to leave those off. If you're looking for a position as an entry level architect, your experience at Burger King isn't going to count for much.
Anything else? just looks like you're going to jump ship the first time someone offers you another dollar an hour. Why bother investing in that kind of employee?
The number of jobs is a problem. When reading resumes and making decisions as to who I am going to interview, I would immediately put a 6 job/5 year resume in the trash pile. No further consideration, no appeal, no looking for reasons. Just trash. I did it as recently as last week.
I understand the up or out mentality, and I have changed jobs myself for that same reason. But you have done 5 help desk jobs in 7 years. That doesn't read as up, that reads as lateral for no good reason. Don't leave a job for a comparable job, leave a job for a better one.
Both you and the OP are going to have to settle down and put 2-3 years into one position before employers are going to take you seriously. You might successfully change jobs a time or two again, but it almost definitely won't be for a promotion, and it's only going to delay the period of stability that you need to develop before you become eligible for career advancement.
The move out of the first job didn't pan out. I moved sight unseen to a state (TN -> IA) I had never set foot in before and the pay raise looked alright on paper (moved from $32k to $41k) but was quickly eaten up by higher taxes and cost of living. I didn't like the job or the area/people I worked with. I was unhappy and moved back to my home state, and ended up with two contract jobs (one I was fired/laid off from, then the rest of the team went a few months later, then had another for six weeks before I found a permanent offer) I was at three employers between the middle of June and the first of September 2013. Even at the permanent job, I was making so little money ($11/hr), that I knew I could do better elsewhere and simply wasn't going to do any more help desk. It took a few months, but by 2/2014 I had more than doubled my salary from the last permanent job, got out of the call center, and stayed there for two years, then moved to my current role which is better paying and more senior to any other role I've had.
When I've been asked, I say the move to IA was a mistake in hindsight and I had to return home to take care of a sick family member to explain the gap. It's rarely been a problem.
Would I have done things differently in hindsight? Absolutely - I would have never moved to IA to begin with, but I worked at the call center for two years out of college and was clearly going nowhere internally (the coworkers I talk to from when I was there are still on the phones, most never got more senior positions), the economy in IA was on fire compared to TN, and I needed a change. I should have never made the move, but once I got there, I should have sucked it up and found something more career oriented in Iowa or nearby, and not gone back to Tennessee to take yet another low paying call center job.
Folks are always going to have "would have, should have, could have" regrets. However, if I stayed at the first employer, I wouldn't have gotten out of the call center directorate, and it's unlikely I'd have even gotten off the phones. If I hadn't been desperate making that $11/hr, I'd likely not have taken what I did, uproot myself and go cross country (again) to get where I am today. I'm making triple what I was on 1/1/2014, and while I would have done some things differently, I don't apologize for it.
I have worked for ~20 years and up to this year I could squeeze it in 1 page...but now will likely go to 2 pages. It's personal - I think it's fine so long as you think key content needs to go on two pages but I think you would be surprised how much can actually be done with 1 page if you work at it
I've had 25 years work experience in technology. Three significant roles since college and those alone consume two pages. I leave the youth summer jobs off of my resume, and I don't include a few short-term contracts that I had between the long stints.
If you need to mention months instead of years on your resume, that is a sign that you may be perceived as too short-term by HR or hiring managers. It attracts attention as a "job hopper." During my last job search after the 2008 crash, I experienced one HR woman ask me the exact date I started a job in 1991. I thought for a moment, and I truthfully answered that I could not remember. All of the documentation had long been shredded. I soon realized that someone who is validating for this specificity is not offering the kind of job that I would want to have.
I currently do the hiring for my team, and while I will consider younger candidates, I want to see five years of experience and upward direction at _one_ company. And I never ask them what month or day they started.
The move out of the first job didn't pan out. I moved sight unseen to a state (TN -> IA) I had never set foot in before and the pay raise looked alright on paper (moved from $32k to $41k) but was quickly eaten up by higher taxes and cost of living. I didn't like the job or the area/people I worked with. I was unhappy and moved back to my home state, and ended up with two contract jobs (one I was fired/laid off from, then the rest of the team went a few months later, then had another for six weeks before I found a permanent offer) I was at three employers between the middle of June and the first of September 2013. Even at the permanent job, I was making so little money ($11/hr), that I knew I could do better elsewhere and simply wasn't going to do any more help desk. It took a few months, but by 2/2014 I had more than doubled my salary from the last permanent job, got out of the call center, and stayed there for two years, then moved to my current role which is better paying and more senior to any other role I've had.
When I've been asked, I say the move to IA was a mistake in hindsight and I had to return home to take care of a sick family member to explain the gap. It's rarely been a problem.
Would I have done things differently in hindsight? Absolutely - I would have never moved to IA to begin with, but I worked at the call center for two years out of college and was clearly going nowhere internally (the coworkers I talk to from when I was there are still on the phones, most never got more senior positions), the economy in IA was on fire compared to TN, and I needed a change. I should have never made the move, but once I got there, I should have sucked it up and found something more career oriented in Iowa or nearby, and not gone back to Tennessee to take yet another low paying call center job.
Folks are always going to have "would have, should have, could have" regrets. However, if I stayed at the first employer, I wouldn't have gotten out of the call center directorate, and it's unlikely I'd have even gotten off the phones. If I hadn't been desperate making that $11/hr, I'd likely not have taken what I did, uproot myself and go cross country (again) to get where I am today. I'm making triple what I was on 1/1/2014, and while I would have done some things differently, I don't apologize for it.
That is difficult to follow, and as a hiring manager I don't care. Its too much trouble for me to try and figure this out from a resume.
Your resume doesn't sound like a disaster though. September-June with three jobs gets one short line item, listed as: Various temporary help desk jobs. No responsibilities or accomplishments listed, no companies, just a timespan.
This drops your job count. Your previous job is 2 years, which is marginal but acceptable. Keep your current position for a couple of years and you are ok.
6 jobs over 5 years isn't too bad, especially for someone who does contracting. I used to be a contractor many years ago and I enjoyed working on short term contracts, 4-6 months contracts. Finish it and even if I got an extension, I would leave and hop on to the next. It was a planned strategy where I want to explore a bunch of industries, corporations, and regions. As long as someone has a good reason to justify the mobility, job changes by itself aren't too bad.
2-page resumes are ok. Just don't make it very wordy and include unnecessary information not relevant to the job.
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