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I've been working in corporate IT for the last two years and would like to apply to graduate school for a MA in East Asian Studies.

I was told I should keep my work resume to one page, so I have done that. It wasn't that hard to do because jobs aren't as concerned with your volunteer experience as a masters program would be.

The MA program is asking that I attach my resume. I'd like to add back in my volunteer + other experiences a graduate school would be interested in... but that would put it over one page.

Is that okay? Is there any difference (apart from content) in the structure/general guidelines of submitting a resume in the work world vs the grad school world?

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  • Look at the CV of an academic you admire. I bet it runs over 10 pages. Academics love lists.
    – perenniallydisappointed
    Commented Jan 23, 2020 at 9:20

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I am not a fan of the "1 page resume." If you have had a number of relevant educational experiences and work experiences (and relevant volunteer experiences), and it goes over two pages and is in an aesthetically pleasing form (e.g., 10-12-pt font, 1-in margins, etc.), don't worry about it. I've seen some absolutely horrible resumes where the applicant has tried to cram everything onto a single page, and it is a detriment to that person's application. I haven't had a 1-page resume since just after undergraduate school.

Graduate schools are normally looking for a proper Curriculum Vitae (CV), which would include education, work experience (primarily academic), publications, awards, and possibly references. Now, this isn't to say that you must reformat your resume into a CV, especially if you don't have research/publications/awards/etc., but you do want this document to highlight your experiences to some degree.

Finally, your resume/CV is not as important as some of the other documents you will provide with your package: letters of recommendation, transcripts, and your research/personal statement. Your resume/CV should list the pertinent information from your past, but it will be amplified in your other documents.

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  • So If my main job is IT, but my Masters will be East Asian studies, I should move my IT work experience below anything I've done related to East Asia?
    – user3871
    Commented Aug 28, 2013 at 14:36
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    It depends, but that's probably a good idea. You do want to highlight the EA work and experiences, and if you can break your resume into sections that do separate the work from the EA experiences, then do so. If it doesn't make sense, then keep it in chronological order (e.g., if you had an EA related job, you would still put that in the work experience category in chronological order).
    – Chris Gregg
    Commented Aug 28, 2013 at 14:55
  • What about the summary / profile? Should that be included in the resume for graduate school application?
    – shar
    Commented Jul 3, 2017 at 4:39

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