FREE ENGINEERING RESUME & COVER LETTER ADVICE
How Long Should Your Engineering Resume Be - How Many Pages?
One of the most common questions engineers have about their resume is: “How long should my engineering resume be?”Well… Let’s start with what your engineering resume should be. For an engineer a resume should be many things but what it must not be is a detailed summary of your career. Why? Because depending on your level of experience that would be a 5 to 30 page document!
What your resume should be is a brief summary of achievements and skills. It should be a document that is easy for the reader to digest quickly. All information must be integrated by the engineering manager in under 2 minutes. Quick, simple, direct and rich in content. So what does this mean to the length of your engineering resume?
Typically for an engineer with less than 3-5 years of experience a one page resume should be enough. There are exceptions where 2 pages are justified but this is a good rule of thumb.
Over 3-5 years usually requires 2 pages, especially if you have worked in many different organizations or have had more than one career path.
Finally if you are a senior technical expert or a senior consultant it may make sense to go to three pages.
Remember the reader is looking for a brief snapshot of you. Keep it to a one page resume if you can. Use two pages if you are very experienced and must use 2 pages. If the resume is properly written in most cases you not need more. In some special cases for engineers in the last quarter of their career a 3 page resume may be justifiable, if written well.
Try to stick to these guidelines for the length of your engineering resume. And get yourself the best engineering resume and cover letter. It really helps get interview calls…
Get a head start with our Very Best Engineering Resume Collection, a collection of the best engineering resumes and cover letters, samples, examples and specialized advice.
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