Wordy Resume? Consider An Addendum

If you feel your resume is too lengthy, it probably is. These days, resumes longer than two pages with very little open space are likely to remain unread.

However, there are options to shorten your resume for marketability, and transfer your more detailed “nuts and bolts” information to a separate document. This is called an addendum and it is especially useful for IT and academic professionals who may have a lot of certifications, trainings, speaking engagements, or published work that should be highlighted, but will bog down a resume.

It is becoming increasingly popular to offer a shortened resume, or “executive summary”, that highlights your best attributes, including hard skills (e.g. computer software knowledge) and soft skills (e.g. sales know-how). Then, you can use an addendum to present at an interview or send upon request. An addendum is an often bulleted listing of your detailed qualifications that serves to essentially back up your resume data.

For example, your resume may state, “Successfully presented Oracle training to five large-scale conference audiences.” Then, your addendum would actually list those conferences with dates.

This method brings your top selling points to the forefront of your resume, and makes hiring managers interested in learning more without growing bored while looking through a three-page resume. While it is not for everyone (some may opt for a curriculum vitae instead, which is a longer, more detailed version of a resume), it is a great option to have on hand in addition to your traditional resume.