[lucb1e]

I don't expect anyone to read it A through Z the first time they see it. Like, who ever reads a scientific paper A through Z without first reading the conclusion, perhaps scanning through it a bit and looking at a chart or two? The details are for when they're interested.

But it's not just my resume anyway, I've heard of others with three pages and seen others with two. I've also seen a friend's (he's French, I'm Dutch) which was one page, and I thought it didn't say anything about him, just the standard "I did compsci like everyone else, oh and look here is one toy project <end of page>". He said his school told him to keep it to one page. Looked like terrible advice when I saw the result of that.

[imron]

> I don't expect anyone to read it A through Z the first time they see it

The problem is that it might not get a second look, and you should be optimising your resume for the person reading it.

Granted, as you said a one-page resume is useless if it doesn't highlight your skills and experience related to the job you're applying for, and it seems your friend only picked up the first part of the advice and missed the second part that normally goes with it, which is to make that one page relevant to the job you're applying for.

A 2 page resume can work if the front page lets me know all the details I'm interested in knowing. The reality is though that the person reviewing your resume likely has a pile of 20-30 others to get through, and if they have to dig through your resume for the details, then you might find yourself losing out if there were sufficient other easier to read resumes to fill up the number of interview slots.

[lucb1e]

Sorry I was unclear, I didn't mean that it would get a "second look", rather, when someone first gets it, they'd skim through it and see if it's interesting to begin with. After that (while still in the same sitting) they might actually read it more or less from beginning to end.

And secondly I think there might be a difference in our experience and approach. Usually I do open applications, not for one very specific function. Like with security you can do penetration testing, forensics, crypto, etc. and while I have more experience in some areas than in others, I like all of it. If they can use someone in forensics, I have a basis to start with (I had a forensics course) and I'd love to do it. Or if they need another person for the pen test team, that's my main trade and I'm all ears as well.

Usually the companies don't actually have a pile of resumes and they want to hire anyone with skills. Typically I meet someone on Twitter, or heard of the company when talking to colleagues/classmates/teachers/conference-goers and I email the company as a result.

[debatem1]

I'm a hiring security manager. I will point out that even for people with very broad security experience the norm is still one page.

Also, if I like a resume when I read it the second step isn't "read it more". It's "schedule a phone screen". So if you filter yourself out in step one for no advantage in step two it's probably a bad move.

Having said that, that's how it works in the companies I've worked at, which are all American. I have no idea about how the Dutch do it and wouldn't be surprised to find out that it's different.