Should a Resume Be One Page?
A resume should be one page most of the time, but ultimately depends on the job description and your work experience. Recruiters typically look at a resume for less than 30 seconds, so a single page is approachable and offers clarity quickly. Your resume can be longer than one page when you have 10+ years of experience or lots of relevant professional achievements, so it’s best to tailor it to each application.
When to Use a One Page Resume
Having a single page resume keeps it relevant and forces you to evaluate and prioritize what information is essential. Everything needs to be applicable to the job you’re applying for, each bullet point should be impactful, and every skill listed should be one you need for the specific job you’re applying for. Most hiring managers will spend a very short amount of time looking at your resume and that doesn’t magically increase if you send multiple pages.
If this is your first job or internship or you have less than 10 years of experience, you’ll likely be able to fit your work experience and achievements on a one page resume. If you have experience with only one or two companies or you’re making a career change, a single page should allow you space to provide enough information strictly relevant to the position. If you’re having difficulty fitting everything onto one page, look at every point in your resume critically.
Your resume should answer the following: what relevant experience do you have and what are your accomplishments and qualifications? Remember you do not need to list every single job you’ve had. Keep the information you provide short, simple and to-the-point and make sure your resume looks good by including readable sized fonts, margins and white space.
When to Use a Multiple Page Resume
Hiring managers are busy and a one-page resume gives you space to communicate your experience and skills in a timely manner, but that doesn’t mean you have to cram everything onto one page with a teeny tiny font and no margins. Readability and overall presentation are important, too. A two-page resume makes sense for job seekers with 10+ years of relevant experience that need an extra page to convey all of the information an employer needs to know. Remember, tailor your resume to each application.
While entry-level candidates shouldn’t feel pressured to cut their resumes down to one page, they shouldn’t try to stretch their resume to a two-page format if it doesn’t make sense. Although you don’t have to fill the entire second page of your resume, you should have enough text to fill at least a third of the page. If your text is running short, try to add more relevant information, keywords and bulleted accomplishments and play with font sizes and margins. If these strategies don’t work, you should probably stick with a one-page resume.
The most important thing to do while creating a resume is to make it specific to the particular job that you’re applying for and that may result in a single or multiple page document. Once your resume is done, be sure to create an account and post it on our site!