How To Get Your Resume Down To One Page

More Tips To Make Your Resume One Page

Use Bullet Points And Omit Unnecessary Words

Bullet points are easy to scan and showcase your ability to communicate concisely. As you write your bullet points, strive to use as few words as possible. For example, “I managed media relations and served as an external spokesperson” could easily become “Served as media spokesperson.” Look for pronouns and articles to trim.

Revise Sections To Fityour Needs

Thesetemplates have a section for Certificates. But feel free to revise thatsection header to Continuing Education to include seminars, licenses, or otherqualifications. If you dont have anything to list that could be considered ascontinuing education, use this section for awards or another job entry.

Just renamethe header name to the appropriate title and revise the boxes below to includethe information you would like.

Read Also: How To Say Basic Knowledge On Resume

Not Every Piece Of Information Warrants Having Its Own Line

If your resumes too long, the chances are youve dedicated separate lines to information that couldve been grouped together.

• Consolidate your contact information. Instead of you can simply write , followed by other contact details in the same format. This way you can fit all your contact information on a single line.
• Create multi-use lines. In every section, look for opportunities to group connected information together. For example, in your subheadings put the name of each position, time period, and the name of the company in the same line. Also make sure to conflate you bullet points by grouping achievements of the same type together.

Reduce The Size Of Yourcontact Information And Address

Some people think this part of theirresume needs to look fancy and attention grabbing. It doesnt. If a recruiterwants to contact you, they’ll find this information. But until that happens,theyre only focused on your qualifications.

Dont waste the limited space on aone page resume on your contact information. Just make sure your name andprimary job title are slightly bigger than the rest of your resume, and thenuse a smaller size for the rest of the text. You can even use a slightlysmaller size for the contact details because its not as important as your jobexperience and skills.

Also Check: Sample Resume With Master’s Degree In Progress

Get Rid Of Your Objective

Weve heard plenty of mixed feelings from recruiters on the objective. Some find it helpful, some say its a waste of space. We happen to side with the latter.

Let your experience show your objective. If your experience doesnt seem obviously relevant to the position, then use your bullet points to demonstrate how those roles apply. Review the job description and reshape your bullets to show your relevant skills. Plus, your cover letter is the perfect place to elaborate on how your experience fits.

Should A Resume Be Onlyone Page

Theres nosimple answer to this question. The perfectresume length depends on your professional situation.

Onlyprofessionals with more than 10+ years of experience or lots of certificationsand achievements should have a two-page resume. Entry level candidates and eventhose with a few years of experience under their belt, can benefit from writinga concise single page resume.

Accordingto data from a CareerBuilder Survey of more than 5000 employees and HR professionals, 66% ofemployers say entry-level applicants should use a one page resume. But 77%claim that more experienced workers should have at least two pages in their resume.

Think ofyour resume like a movie highlights reel. Only the best action scenes areincluded to build hype and intrigue people into watching the movie.

Of course,its hard to believe how you could benefit from a one page resume when youvebeen accustomed to a two page resume. Below are several benefits of using a singlepage resume:

• A singlepage resume stands out because most applicants send two pages or more.
• Yourachievements and qualifications are easier to spot on a one page resume becausetheres less stuff to read.
• Manyrecruiters, especially those hiring for entry level jobs, claim they dont readpast the first page of an application.

Recommended Reading: How Many References To Include On Resume

Why Are There So Many Opinions About Resume Length

Unfortunately, theres no best answer.

The hiring landscape has changed considerably in recent years. Not even 20 years ago, keeping your resume down to one page was both a strategic and cost-effective move .

Going even further back in time youll read that keeping your resume to a single page is your best option.

Two pages are also acceptable.

But, anything longer makes it too difficult for employers to go through.

Today, these worries are less pronounced. In fact, theres a growing trend of recruiters preferring two-page resumes over single-page ones.

According to a study by ResumeGo, its found that hiring managers are 2.3 times more prone to select a two-page resume format over the one-page resumes. No matter what the candidates professional level is, it doesnt make a big difference.

So why do people still argue for a one-page resume?

In one word: relevance.

Every resume has an audience. But, not everyone will have the same opinion.

And, thats why its difficult to assume what the ideal resume length is.

Some recruiters and hiring managers will follow the one-page rule to the letter while others will think the rule is useless. To help overcome this difficulty, its best to research the hiring practices of the organization youre applying to and see the common traits associated with page lengths.

How Many Pages Should A Resume Be

One page is the standard resume length. But this isnt an absolute rule its flexible depending on how much experience you have.

As a general rule of thumb, you can get away with one page for every 5-10 years of relevant experience you have. Which means that as an entry-level or early career hire, you do want to stick to one page. This remains the same in 2022 while it’s a lot more common to have a two page resume than it was 10 years ago if you don’t have a lot of experience, try to keep it concise and to a page.

If youre a mid-career or more experienced applicant, you may need to expand your resume to two pages, and thats okay! In 2022, a two page resume is totally fine if you have the experience to justify it that means you have at least 10 years of work experience. More than two pages is pushing it, even for high-level positions, with the exception of some very specific situations .

Recommended Reading: How To Put References In Cv

How About A Video Resume

Even if the position you are applying for isnt in the internet field, a video resume might be a great way to alert the HR department of the company you are applying to. Producing one doesn’t take a great deal of time unless you want to make it something of a professional production. Doing so would show a potential employer just what you are willing to do to get the vacant position.

You can use any one of a number of great editing tools to make it really shine, using video templates that aid you in your endeavors. A video resume might be you speaking to the camera and telling HR about yourself, or it could be more technical and specifically relevant to the position you are going for.

Either way, when you send in your resume, offer the option of a link to a video resume in other words, give the HR team the option of viewing it rather than it being your only source of attack.

Resume Length: How Long Should A Resume Be In 2021

Resume length is one of the great mysteries of the job application process. Because of it, you might be wondering, how long should a resume be?

Should it always be one page?

What if you have a lot of relevant experience and need more space to describe it?

If you have a work history that goes way back because youve been working for 25+ years, is three pages okay?

Well, it doesnt help that you can find arguments for just about any length online if you look hard enough.

Fortunately, weve analyzed the resumes of real users hired at competitive companies such as Spotify, Booking.com, Verizon Digital Media Services, Amazon, Intercom, and more. Instead of throwing opinions around, all your questions about resume length are answered in this guide.

Contents:

• Why are there so many opinions about resume length?
• How long should your resume be in 2021?
• How far back should a resume go?
• Should a resume be one page?
• Whats the ideal resume length for the hiring manager?
• How to shorten my resume?
• Summary & Key Takeaways

Alternatively, you can skip this whole section and find a PROVEN resume example for your specific job position. From there, building your resume and seeing what works is simple and easy. Best of all, its free to use!

At any point in time, I would recommend Enhancv as a platform to prepare ones CV. It offers a lot of sample templates as well. Kudos to the entire team and thanks again for getting my dream job! Imran Khan

Also Check: Microsoft Office 2010 Resume Template

Is It Ever Okay To Send A Resume Longer Than Two Pages

There are some exceptions to the 1-2 page resume rule. One of these is for very high-level positions think C-level positions, not just any management position. The other is for academic jobs, which have their own set of industry standards and often require a full CV and list of publications.

• Tags:

Online Include Relevant Experience

Only include relevant experience that is relevant to the position you are applying for. If you have experience relevant to the job you are applying for then take it out. They potential employer does not need to know about this.

These are just a few tricks you can try if you are wanting to get your resume down to one page. We hope you have found them helpful. Please give them a go. You will be surprised at just how well they work.

Don’t Miss: How To View Your Resume On Linkedin

Will I Get Rejected If My Resume Is Longer Than One Page

Can resumes be 2 pages? Absolutely! You wont be automatically rejected if your resume is longer than one page. But if youre a recent graduate with a two-page resume, or youre sending out 3-4 page resumes completely out of line with industry standards, it may cause recruiters to wonder about your professional judgment.

+ Effective Resume Examples

Knowing how to write a resume is one thing, actually creating a resume that stands out is something else entirely. Without inspiration, even top career experts might stumble on a roadblock or two.

Check out the following effective resume examples to get a better sense of what a good resume looks like…

Want to see more examples? Check out our compilation of 20+ resume examples for different fields.

Also Check: How To Write Cpr Certified On Resume

Adjust Your Contact Details

The traditional format for addresses and contact information isnt applicable in todays resume writing. Ditch those spaces which can easily increase the number of lines in your resume. Instead, type them up along one line and just break them up as you would your Skills section, with slashes or dots.

How To List Skills In Your Resume

When mentioning skills in your resume, there are 3 essential steps to follow:

Step #1 – List Hard Skills with Experience Levels. For each hard skill you list, you want to mention your proficiency level:

As a rule of thumb, you can divide them by:

Beginner – You have some experience with the skill, whether its from some entry-level practice or classroom education.

Intermediate – Youve used the skill in a work environment with a good level of understanding.

Advanced – Youre the go-to person for the skill in your office. You can coach other employees, and understand the skill on a high level.

Expert – Youve applied this skill in more than a handful of different projects & organizations. Youre the go-to person for advice about the skill, not just in your office, but even amongst some of the best professionals in your field.

Make sure to NEVER lie about your skill levels. Otherwise, its going to be pretty awkward both for you and your employer.

Imagine your first task at work as an Illustrator – to create a graphic vector to go nicely with an article. If you end up delivering a hastily drawn stick figure colored with a paint bucket tool in Microsoft Paint, youll be out of the job before your probation period ends.

Step #2 – Tailor Your Skills to the Job. You might have some super rare, awesome skills, but theyre not always going to be useful. For example, its awesome that you know accounting, but would you really need it at your new job as a line cook? Exactly!

Don’t Miss: What Is Related Coursework

How Far Back Should A Resume Go

One question on your mind might be how far back should a resume go for work history.

As mentioned, it depends on where you are in your career and how much work experience you have. These are the factors that vary for every candidate which can determine how long your resume should be.

And, thats why it can be difficult to assume the best answer.

To get a better understanding of how where you are in your career can match your resume length, see below!

One Page Resume:

• You want to ensure the recruiter sees everything
• This is your first job or internship
• Your focus is on your skills and not on previous experience
• Youre making a career change that requires robust industry knowledge

Two Page Resume:

• You have robust technical knowledge
• You want to balance your work experience and culture fit
• Youve made a significant impact in your previous role
• You have experience the company isnt aware they need
• You have both extensive work and volunteer experience
• You have multiple relevant educations
• Youre applying for a mid-level position
• Certain sections are required on your resume

Three+ Page Resume:

• Youre applying to an Industry-specific role
• Youre an executive / high-seniority
• Youre using a portfolio style
• Youre certain that HR wants the amount of detail you can provide in this many pages

When Youre Drawing Parallels Between Your Experience And The Job Youre Applying For

Its absolutely okay to include a two-page resume. I want to know your qualifications that relate to your job at my company and what did you do and where were you successful, says Jennifer L.. Foster, President of Catalyst Media Factory.

I would much prefer you lay out your resume graphically and it be on two pages then you try to cram a novel on one page or forget to draw a parallel to how your work experience is relevant to our company.

I dont want to have to guess at how what youre presenting me relates to what I need you to do now, she adds. Limits are ridiculous. Use the space efficiently to convey what you think needs to be conveyed!

Also Check: How Many References On Resume

Eliminate Unnecessary Section Headers

The summarya three- to four-sentence pitch where you highlight what makes you uniquely qualified for the jobshould appear at the top of your resume, but you dont need to label it summary.Thats just a waste of space, says Ward.

Also, instead of creating separate sections for professional and volunteer experience, combine them under one experience section. Relevant volunteer experience is not something that you should necessarily cut when trimming your resume, says Ward

If youre an entry-level, volunteer work can help boost your resume. If youre more experienced, that volunteer work, like a hobby, could give you an edge over a similarly qualified candidate, if its highly relevant.

Trim The Content If Needed:

Its hard when its your own resume. Everything is important and worth mentioning, right? Not exactly. In the end, it is meant to be a summary of your experience, so make sure you are adding only the most pertinent information. While trimming your content, look for details that may not be valid anymore for example, highlighting your management experience may be irrelevant if you are applying for an individual contributor role.

Trimming your resume from two or even three pages down to one can be a challenging job. But its very doable. At the end of the day, make sure its neat, concise and easy to read. Recruiters and Hiring Managers will thank you!

Don’t Miss: Do You Put Gpa On Resume