The Final Word On Resume Length
In the end, the length doesnt matter quite as much as the content filling the pages. If you can capture your qualifications on one page, great. But if it takes two pages or more, thats OK, too.
Ive had new grads do well with two-page resumes and top executives do well with only one page, Isaacs says.
Just remember: Your resume should be a high-level look at your accomplishments that entices the hiring manager to want to learn more. A resume is like the copy on the back cover of a book, designed to make you want to read the book, Isaacs says. Its not the whole book.
Describe What You Did
The biggest shortcoming of a one page resume though, is the lack of detail. The person who is evaluating your resume wants to know if you’re the right person for the job. Besides stuffing your resume with the right keywords in the right order, you need to explain yourself and why your experience is relevant to the job you’re being considered for. Explain the nature of your role, the results you achieved, the changes you implemented, the revenue you created all the things that would make you more desirable than the next person.
BUT MY ONE PAGER LOOKS REALLY GOOD. IS THIS NECESSARY? Yes. It is. Reading between the lines takes more time than turning to the next page.
WARNING!This is not a licence to write a novel. You don’t want to mention that summer internship during the summer between sophomore and junior years in high school. As Juanda Calloway put it, “Please do not list every job you’ve ever had since the age of 16.”.Just stick to whats relevant to the job you’re applying for.
If you have taken relevant details to save space in order to get your resume down to less than a page, you’ve done yourself a disservice. Get your details back in your resume! If this pushes your resume to 2 pages, its absolutely fine. In fact, its better than a 1 pager without them.
Youre Hoping To Attract The Attention Of A Recruiter
Many senior managers and executive-level professionals work with recruiters to source coveted positions. The same is true for companies that are looking for very specific candidates to fill critical roles. This makes it important for job-seekers to find effective recruiters to land them dream gigs. And in a competitive market, you need to stand out more than ever.
According to Amanda Augustine, a career expert for TopResume, a 2018 study revealed that recruiters typically prefer two-page resumes over one page, regardless of their job level. Though this doesnt mean you should automatically try to fill two pages if you dont have content, it should alleviate some of the stress you feel when going from a single to a double-sided. Many believe since recruiters spend only a hot second blazing through resumes, it should be as short as possible. The opposite is actually true, Augustine says. You want your resume to cover the important details that support your candidacy as succinctly as possible, she continues. However, the last thing you want to do is cram valuable information into a single page with a tiny font size and narrow margins. Given that recruiters skim over resumes in such a short amount of time, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to quickly pull out the details that matter most to themwithout going cross-eyed in the process. A two-page resume will often allow you to create the necessary white space to strike this visual balance.
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Make Your Name Smaller
Many people choose to write their name across the top of their resume in 13940292 pt font. We get it its dramatic, eye-catching, etc., etc., but its a total waste of space.
Its plenty attention-grabbing to write your name in bold, maybe one or two font sizes larger than the rest of your resume. Recruiters know they can find your name at the top of the page, so you dont need to make it so obvious for them.
Whats Wrong With A Two
There might be some readers out there for whom two-page resumes are the norm who are wondering why this article exists at all. To those readers, we extend our congratulations so far, youve been lucky enough to avoid lazy or harried interviewers who consistently receive far too many applications for them to read.
While everyone who applies for a given job position deserves a fair shot, the truth of the matter is that at the end of the day, hiring managers and recruiters are just people. And people are flawed, stressed out, and above all usually in some kind of hurry.
Thats why two-page resumes have historically been viewed as bad for a hiring manager at a large company who might typically receive over a hundred applications for any given listing, reading every resume closely just isnt feasible.
But that doesnt mean that two-pagers are always a bad thing. In fact, there are a lot of situations in which a second page might be preferable, even with the added time this might take to read.
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How Long Should A Resume Be: The One
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to squeeze 15 or more years of work experience into a one-page resume. In fact, until recently, only entry-level candidates were urged to keep their resumes to one page, as most employers assumed someone who was new to the post-college workforce wouldn’t have enough information to justify more than one page of resume real estate. But, thanks to new data, this resume-length rule may no longer apply to most job seekers at any level, as career experts claim.
According to a study that involved nearly 500 recruiters, hiring managers, and HR professionals and nearly 8,000 resumes, recruiters are 2.3 times as likely to prefer two-page resumes over one-page resumes, regardless of a candidate’s years of experience.
So, why the change in opinion? I think there are two factors to consider.
Are There Any Rules To Resume Writing
So, it seems the resume length rule is really not a rule about length at all. Length is not a measurement of quality content and content is what your resume is all about. The rule regarding the length is just an illusion.
But are all the resume rules worth breaking? Well, not exactly. There are certain golden rules you cant start jeopardizing. You cant do these things no matter how tempting it might seem so while you are free to play around with the length, do not try these tricks on your resume:
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Submit It As A Pdf Unless Otherwise Specified
Once youve made all these changes, save your resume as a PDF. Employers want to see PDF resumes 99% of the time, so unless the application specifically says to submit it as a Word Document, you should save it as a PDF.
Nothing says careless like submitting a Word document that highlights typos, and you never know if the formatting will change on the recruiters computer, making it look sloppy and possibly over one page. Submit a PDF so you know exactly what theyll see when they open it.
Remember, you can always to cover additional experiences. Make sure you include your in the contact section of your resume so employers can easily find out more about you.
Can A Resume Be 2 Pages
Yes, a resume can be two pages long. A two-page resume is a good choice if you have more than 6 years of relevant job experience. In this case, a two-page resume may even be necessary to convey all of the critical information an employer needs to know. Also, two-page resumes are usually accepted for academia and grad school applications.
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When Quantity Equals Quality
As you evolve in your career, you’ll find that things that were once relevant on your resume aren’t anymore. For example, if you’ve been in your career a few years or are changing careers, there’s no need to list every duty for every position. Learn to recognize when compromising the quantity of your experiences will impact the quality of your employment story. If you have enough relevant experience, training, and credentials pertaining to the position to showcase on more than one page of your resume, then go for it.
Note: I said relevant. This doesnt mean you detail all your accomplishments since your high school babysitting job. It also doesnt mean listing every college course you’ve taken and certification you’ve earned.
As a recruiter, I can tell you, if Im going to read a resume thats more than one page, it better tell a good story about what you bring to the table. Listing every task you did as a manager doesn’t make you a good manager. But if you tell me that you increased productivity by 25% or highlight process changes for multiple teams at several companiesyou’re justifying that space.
If you can succinctly quantify your accomplishments to tell how you made a role, job, project, or assignment better and you need more than one page to demonstrate it effectively, thats time well spent.
When Should Your Resume Be Two Pages
Most resumes should be two pages long. Two pages are the standard length in 2021 to fit all your keywords, work history, experience, and skills on your resume.
Here are some situations that indicate you should use a two-page resume:
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You are not an entry-level candidate.
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You have enough relevant skills, experience, and keywords to fill at least a page and a half.
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Youâre submitting a resume online.
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Youâre handing a resume to a hiring manager.
If youâre concerned a two-page resume will slow down a hiring manager during their six-second resume test, remember that this âsix-secondâ figure comes from a review after an ATS scan has determined your fit for the position. If youâre able to bypass an ATS, one study suggests that when time constraints are not an issue, recruiters are 2.3 times more likely to prefer a two-page resume.
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Quick Tips: How To Fit Your Resume On One Page
Its true, both students andprofessionals add more qualifications to their resumes today. There are moreawards, self-study courses, internship projects, software skills, andextra-curricular activities available today compared to a few years back.
Unfortunately, its also the sheer numberof these experiences that makes it hard to cut your resumes length. Beloware 15 tips that’ll show you how to make your resume one page:
You Are Heavily Involved In The Community
Its not only executives who need a two-pager. Sometimes, four-year or business school graduates can benefit from this resume approach. Particularly if you were heavily involved in extracurricular groups that employers find attractive, according to Augustine. These include, but are not limited to, internships, co-ops, campus activities, sports teams, volunteer work, and leadership programs. You can even organize by your contribution, allowing you more space to articulate why these items define your professional brand.
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When You Have More Than 10 Years Of Experience
If you have 10 or more years of experience in your industry with multiple employers, or a history of promotion and professional achievement, you should definitely use a two-page resume. This will give you the room you need to describe the accomplishments and contributions that will set you apart from your competition.
How Long Should A Resume Be One Page Resume Vs Two Page
How many pages should a resume be? One page resume vs two page resume. Get the answer to how long should a resume be with expert tips to shorten yours.
One page resume? Two page resume?
How long should a resume be?
“If it’s too short, the hiring manager might think I’m inexperienced. If it’s too long, will they ever read it?”
Dont panic.
Theres an easy answer to the resume length dilemma.
It depends on your experience.
This guide will show you:
- Definite answer to the nagging How long should my resume be? question.
- One page resume templates you can use.
- When to use a 2-page resume.
- How to make a resume one page.
Save hours of work and get a resume like this. Pick a template, fill it in. Quick and easy. Choose from
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One Page Resume Guide How To Fit Resume In One Page
How long should an ideal resume be: One page or Two?
The experts will say it depends. If you are a seasoned professional with loads of relevant experiences and achievements, it wont hurt to have a two-page resume. In all other situations, it will be better to stick to a one-page resume.
But then, how to make it all fit into a single page? What to include and what to leave out?
Confused, right? Well, dont you worry. This article will guide you through the exact steps to make your resume fit.
Maximize The Line Spacing
And by maximize, I mean use as little as possible, obviously. In Microsoft Word, you can manually set the spacing between lines and new sections. It frequently defaults to something quite generous, so at the very least, change it so that there is no additional spacing between lines.
You can fiddle with this under the paragraph settings. While youre messing with the line spacing, go ahead and set your entire resume to 10-point font .
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So What Kind Of Candidate Benefits The Most From A Two
The two-page format is perfect for candidates with a long history in the workforce and therefore, who have plenty of achievements and experience. Its generally used by higher-level applicants and can fit well for anyone with an academic background. If youve written a host of relevant essays that have been published in respected journals, you want to take the space to mention them, for instance.
Make Your Work Experience Relevant
If you have had more than three or four previous jobs, select two that relate closest to the job you are applying for. Where your work history is extensive, select two or three of the most relevant and recent positions that demonstrate your experience. State briefly who you worked for, the position you held, the dates you were there and what you did that makes you a quality candidate for this job. Be sure to use keywords from the posted job description.
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Include Contact Details On Both Pages
Adding your name and contact details to the top of both pages allows the hiring manager access to your contact information regardless of the page they happen to be looking at. It also helps them to reunite your resumes two pages if theyre separated.
To make your name and contact details easy to find, set themside inside a colorful resume header. Your header acts like a company letterhead, emphasizing your personal brand and ensuring your resume stands out.
Does Your Rsum Have To Fit On A Single Page Roger Ebert Has The Answer
Every time I speak to a group of people, and people talk to me afterwards, the topic of résumés always comes up. And every time people ask about résumés, someone always asks “Does my résumé have to only be one page?”
Your résumé does not have to be limited to only one page. It just needs to have nothing irrelevant and uninteresting in it.
I refer to film critic Roger Ebert‘s rule about how long a movie should be:
“No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough.”
You should apply the same rule to your résumé.
As long as what’s in your résumé is relevant to the reader, and the reader finds it interesting and it helps show how you’ll be a valuable addition to the hiring manager’s team, you can put in whatever you want, and your resume can be as long as you need it to be.
This means that when you apply for a job as a network engineer, you don’t bother mentioning your job at a pet store back in college, unless it somehow relates to the job for which you’re applying. If the job for which you’re applying is at PetSmart corporate headquarters, then by all means, include it.
This also means that you have to tailor every résumé you send out. You have to go through every line and think “Will someone reading this résumé care about this?” You have to figure out if some bullets in your work experience should be expanded.
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Focus On Your Most Relevant Experience
If youâve jumped around on your career path, try to downplay positions that arenât relevant to this particular job description. Your resume does not have to include every place youâve worked or every job youâve heldâthatâs a common myth but isnât doing you any favors.
If you do want to list all your positions to establish a career trajectory or avoid gaps in your resume, limit the information you include with the less-relevant jobs. Expand the impact and results of your most recent and relevant jobs, and include three or fewer bullet points for the other information.