Barron Evans ⋅ Ann Arbor, MI Customer Experience Change Management ⋅ 30 years experience

Domonick… foremost, thank you for your service.

RE: your question... as one with 10 years on you (e.g. 30 years) … my CV is a 2-pager, narrowed down by:

> all contact info above a margin line at top (vs. beginning in body of document)

> no more than 11-pt. type; I use Calibri, as it's one of the smallest fonts, yet still readable

> 1-line -Intent- statement (vs. obj.) … written as an outcome; my ex.:
'Create transformational outcomes by employing innovative, sustainable enterprise strategies and tactics.' (I'm a change management consultant)

> opening paragraph of no more than 3-4 lines that profiles who you are, industries or capacities in which you've done it, and the skills you've brought to bear (I opted for 5 lines, then added 6 bullets below it with the capabilities: 3 left-justified and 3 right-justified justified). This saves you having to repeat the same skills in every role description. My ex.:
"GLOBAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE LEADER with strategy, marketing, communications and operations expertise benefiting healthcare, hospitality/travel, CPG, tech, transport, energy, retail, telecom, financial service, and 501 c 3, sectors. Disciplined, results-driven visionary creator of actionable ‘4D’ blueprints: Determine, Design, Develop, and Deliver. Facilitator of brand success, team engagement, and P&L in corporate, agency, consultancy, and 501c3 roles"

> In the body, shave off at least 5 years off, or if you feel compelled that the early years were critical, then clump the skills employed into a descriptive phrase, entitled by (e.g.): 'Misc. technical roles focused on designing, developing, and delivering technical solutions for client groups.' If asked during interviews, you can go deeper, but honestly, they'll more likely be interested in career, skill, and personal development progression.

> Finally, put all education and personal development at bottom; not needed at the top of page 1.

Know this is a lot, but ultimately the words only serve to pique their curiosity; your ability to bring them to life on phone/in person is what will matter. Best wishes for success!

James OBrien ⋅ Williamsburg, VA B/E Aerospace ⋅ 20 years experience

Domonick I think that Barron gave you some great advise. Here are a couple of other things to put into the pot to stew on. First remember that the people reviewing your resume are busy so if you don't stand out in that initial scan then it will be tossed. A way to help get noticed and not be too long is to really challenge yourself on the information that you put in the resume. Ask yourself so what, what is that important and most importantly what does it matter. Well written words are only part of the answer, rack your brain and enlist others to help put meat on the bones. Action words to convey leadership as well as depth/breadth of experience are critical and with your distinguished service this should not be a problem. The "so what" part needs to be results orientated with specificity. This again can be accomplished by many reviews that each improve the base product. One thing that I found helpful is to do a stream of all the things you did from beginning to end. Then attack all the data to become an attractive organized review of your career thus far. Iterate this over and over until it is tight and impressive. When your resume gets to the first line of review it will get passed on to the next where you get to sell yourself. Keep it to 2 pages please.
Best of luck and than you for your service.

Charles Bowen ⋅ Navarre, FL U.S. Air Force, Master Sergeant ⋅ 20 years served

If its your Master Resume, it can be as long as it needs be. But, if you are applying with say a Chronological Resume, then I would only add your last 10 years. Unless the job requires something you've done beyond the 10 years, then you can use a Functional Resume. Once you tailor it to a job you are applying for, you should have no problem knocking it down to 2 pages.

Karen Galecki ⋅ Chicago, IL Aligned Search ⋅ 18 years experience

Technology related resumes can oftentimes be 5 or more pages, but I wouldn't recommend going over 2-3 the most. I agree that after the last 10 years, experience is not as relevant. If you want to put it on there, sometimes people will list only their titles and dates or a general description of their roles during that time frame, but not all the bullet points as the most recent. I would also recommend a chronological resume. It seems to be (myself included) the preferred format.

Domonick Stewart ⋅ Copperas Cove, TX U.S. Army, Master Sergeant ⋅ 20 years served

Thank You Mr. Evans! I will review my current resume and apply the above.