The Resume Length Debate
You’ve heard conflicting advice. Your friend insists everything must fit on one page. A recruiter told you two pages is standard. Your mentor says length doesn’t matter. Who’s right?
Resume length isn’t about following a rigid rule, it’s about strategic choices based on your experience level, industry, and what will make hiring managers want to interview you. After all, a resume is not what gets you the job, it is what gets your the interview.
Let’s cut through the confusion with clear, actionable guidance.
The Old Rule vs. The New Reality
The Traditional Rule You’ve Heard:
- One page for entry-level candidates
- Two pages for experienced professionals
- Academic CVs can be longer
- Never exceed two pages
The Reality of Modern Hiring:
- Resume length depends on your unique situation
- Quality of content matters infinitely more than page count
- Industry standards vary significantly
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) don’t penalize length
- Hiring managers spend 6 to 7 seconds on initial resume screening regardless of pages
- A strong one-page resume beats a weak two-page resume every time
The key question isn’t “how many pages?” It’s “how can I present my strongest case in the most effective way?”
One-Page Resume: When and Why
Who Should Use a One-Page Resume
Recent Graduates and Early Career (0-5 Years Experience)
If you’re within your first five years of professional work, one page is almost always your best choice.
Why one page works:
- You haven’t accumulated enough substantial experience to justify more space
- Your education is still a primary qualification
- Internships, projects, and entry-level roles fit naturally on one page
- It forces you to be selective and highlight only your strongest points
- Entry-level roles receive hundreds of applications and brevity helps you stand out
What to emphasize:
- Relevant internships with quantified achievements
- Academic projects that demonstrate job-relevant skills
- Leadership roles in student organizations
- Certifications and coursework aligned with your target role
- Part-time work that shows transferable skills
Real example: A recent graduate applying for marketing roles should highlight that social media campaign that increased engagement by 47%, not every single class project from sophomore year.
Career Changers Making a Pivot
When you’re transitioning industries or functions, less is often more. (For comprehensive strategies on positioning your career change, see our career change resume guide.)
Why one page works for career changers:
- Your previous experience may not be directly relevant
- You need to emphasize transferable skills over job titles
- A focused page highlights what matters for your new direction
- It prevents hiring managers from getting distracted by irrelevant history
What to emphasize:
- Transferable skills that apply to your target role
- Any relevant side projects, volunteer work, or freelance experience
- Training, certifications, or education related to your new field
- Achievements that demonstrate skills needed in your new career
- Brief summary of previous work without excessive detail
Real example: A teacher transitioning to corporate training shouldn’t list every grade level taught. Instead, highlight curriculum development (instructional design), public speaking to diverse audiences, and measurable learning outcomes.
Specific Industries That Prefer Brevity
Certain fields have strong preferences for concise resumes:
Startups and tech companies: Fast-paced environments value the ability to communicate clearly and quickly. A tight one-page resume demonstrates you can prioritize and get to the point.
Creative agencies: While your portfolio showcases your work, your resume should be crisp and well-designed without becoming a design experiment itself.
Management consulting: These firms receive thousands of applications from top candidates. A one-page resume that screams “I accomplished impressive things” gets noticed.
Competitive programs: MBA applications, rotational programs, and fellowships often explicitly request one page to level the playing field.
Advantages of One-Page Resumes
Forces ruthless prioritization: You can’t include everything, which means you include only your strongest material. This naturally weeds out weak content.
Faster to scan: Hiring managers can see your entire story without flipping pages. In a 6-second screening, your complete narrative is visible.
Demonstrates communication skills: The ability to distill your experience concisely is valuable in almost every role.
Reduces risk of weak content: With limited space, you’re less tempted to add filler just to have something there.
More portable: Easier to print, email, share at networking events, and hand to someone between meetings.
Prevents information overload: Every piece of information competes for attention. Fewer items means each one stands out more.
Disadvantages of One-Page Resumes
May require omitting relevant achievements: If you’ve had a rich career, cutting to one page means leaving out accomplishments that could strengthen your case.
Can appear cramped: Squeezing too much onto one page with tiny fonts and microscopic margins looks desperate and becomes hard to read.
Difficult for complex technical backgrounds: If you’re a software engineer with diverse tech stacks across multiple projects, one page may not allow adequate detail.
May undersell experienced candidates: Ten years of progressively responsible leadership roles deserve more than three bullets each.
Challenging for career progression stories: It’s hard to show a compelling narrative of growth when you can only list bare-bones information for each role.
Two-Page Resume: When and Why
Who Should Use a Two-Page Resume
Experienced Professionals (10+ Years)
Once you hit a decade of professional experience, you’ve likely earned the right to a second page.
Why two pages works:
- You have a substantial track record worth explaining
- Multiple roles deserve meaningful detail
- Your career progression tells a compelling story
- You have space to show increasing scope and impact
- You can include leadership, achievements, and specialized expertise
What to include:
- Recent roles (last 10-15 years) with 4-6 strong bullets each
- Earlier positions summarized more briefly
- Leadership progression and promotions
- Significant projects or initiatives you’ve led
- Relevant board positions, advisory roles, or volunteer leadership
- Professional certifications and ongoing education
Real example: A marketing director with 12 years of experience should detail brand launches, revenue impact, team leadership, and strategic initiatives across multiple companies—not cram it all into generic bullets.
Technical and Specialized Roles
Engineers, data scientists, researchers, and other technical professionals often need two pages.
Why two pages works for technical roles:
- Technical skills sections require detailed enumeration
- Certifications and specialized training take space
- Complex projects need context to be meaningful
- Technical achievements often require explanation for HR reviewers
What to include:
- Comprehensive technical skills organized by category
- Project descriptions with technologies used and outcomes achieved
- Publications, patents, or technical presentations
- Relevant certifications with dates
- Open source contributions or technical community involvement
- Specific technical problems solved and impact
Real example: A senior software engineer shouldn’t just say “developed applications.” Detail the architecture, scale, technologies, performance improvements, and business impact of your work.
Senior Leadership and Executives
If you’re applying for director-level or above positions, two pages is standard.
Why two pages works for executives:
- Leadership roles carry broader scope worth explaining
- Board positions, speaking, and industry recognition matter
- Strategic initiatives and business outcomes require context
- You’re competing with others who have comparable depth
What to include:
- Executive summary highlighting leadership value proposition
- Strategic initiatives and their business impact
- Team sizes, budgets, and scope of responsibility
- Board positions, advisory roles, and industry involvement
- Recognition, awards, and speaking engagements
- Revenue, cost savings, or other significant business outcomes
Real example: A VP of Sales should include territory size, team management, revenue growth percentages, strategic partnerships developed, and how you transformed go-to-market strategy—not just “exceeded quota.”
Advantages of Two-Page Resumes
Room for your complete story: You can show the full arc of your career progression without artificial constraints.
More achievements per role: Instead of picking only the single best accomplishment, include 4-6 strong bullets that paint a complete picture.
Space for additional relevant sections: Professional development, publications, speaking engagements, volunteer leadership, and board positions all add credibility.
Better readability: Adequate white space, comfortable margins, and readable fonts make your resume pleasant to review.
Demonstrates appropriate seniority: For senior roles, a one-page resume can actually signal that you don’t have the depth expected.
Disadvantages of Two-Page Resumes
Risk of filler content: With more space, you might be tempted to add less impressive achievements that dilute your strong ones.
Many recruiters only read page one: If your best material is on page two, it might never be seen. Your first page must be compelling.
Requires strong content throughout: A weak second page is worse than no second page. Every bullet must earn its place.
Harder to maintain focus: More space means more opportunity to wander off-message or include tangential information.
Creates higher expectations: A two-page resume signals significant experience, so the content needs to deliver on that promise.
How to Decide Your Optimal Length
The Experience Timeline Test
Use this as your starting framework, not an absolute rule:
0-3 years of experience: One page, no exceptions. You don’t have enough content yet.
3-5 years of experience: One page is still standard, but you might stretch to two pages if you have exceptional achievements or technical depth. Be honest with yourself.
5-10 years of experience: The gray zone. One page works if your accomplishments are exceptional and concise. Two pages works if you have meaningful content throughout. Consider your industry norms.
10-15 years of experience: Two pages is appropriate. You have enough career history to warrant the space.
15+ years of experience: Two pages maximum. Yes, even with 25 years of experience. Edit ruthlessly and focus on the last 15 years.
Important: Don’t include every year of your career. A 20-year career doesn’t need 20 years of detailed descriptions. Focus on what’s recent and relevant.
The Quality Over Quantity Test
Before you commit to one or two pages, evaluate your content quality and ask yourself these honest questions:
- Does every bullet point demonstrate measurable impact? If half your bullets are task descriptions without outcomes, you have a quality problem, not a length decision.
- Are achievements quantified wherever possible? “Increased sales” is weak. “Increased sales 34% year-over-year, adding $2.4M in revenue” is strong.
- Is every word necessary? Cut phrases like “responsible for” and “duties included.” Use active verbs and get to the point.
- Would removing any section significantly weaken your application? If not, remove it regardless of page count.
- Does your second page (if you have one) contain content as strong as page one? If page two is noticeably weaker, consolidate to one page.
- Have you removed all obvious filler? “Proficient in Microsoft Office” for a senior role, outdated skills, irrelevant jobs from decades ago—cut it.
The acid test: If you can’t confidently explain why each bullet point makes you a stronger candidate, it shouldn’t be there.
The Industry Standards Test
Different industries have different expectations. Research matters.
Industries That Strongly Prefer One Page
Startups and fast-growing tech companies: These environments value speed and clarity. They want to see impact quickly.
Creative agencies and design firms: Your portfolio demonstrates capability; your resume should be tight and well-crafted.
Management consulting (entry to mid-level): McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and similar firms have strong one-page preferences for non-partner roles.
Competitive graduate programs: MBA programs, law school, medical school typically request one page.
Early-stage companies: When a founder is reviewing resumes personally, brevity respects their time.
Industries That Accept (or Expect) Two Pages
Enterprise technology companies: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and similar large tech companies expect detail for senior roles.
Fortune 500 corporations: Established companies with formal hiring processes often expect comprehensive resumes.
Government and public sector: Federal positions especially often require detailed experience descriptions.
Healthcare and medical (non-clinical): Administrative and leadership roles in healthcare settings.
Engineering and manufacturing: Technical roles with project-based work.
Finance and banking: Especially for roles above entry-level.
Academia (for industry positions): If you’re leaving academia for industry, two pages bridges the gap.
Special Cases Requiring More Than Two Pages
Academic CVs: Faculty positions expect comprehensive CVs including all publications, grants, teaching, service, and presentations.
Federal government resumes: Often 3-5 pages with very detailed descriptions following specific formatting requirements.
Medical CVs: Physicians often have extensive publications, presentations, certifications, and clinical work.
Senior research scientists: Publication lists and grant history can be extensive.
International positions: Different countries have different norms; research your target location.
What to Include (and Exclude) Based on Length
One-Page Resume: Priority Framework
When space is limited, every line must justify its existence.
Essential Elements (Must Include)
1. Contact information (3-4 lines)
- Full name, phone, email, LinkedIn URL
- City and state (full address not needed)
- Portfolio or personal website if relevant
2. Professional summary or headline (2-3 lines)
- NOT an objective statement about what you want
- Brief value proposition highlighting your strongest selling points
- Example: “Marketing professional with 4 years driving digital growth for B2B SaaS companies. Increased qualified leads 156% through SEO optimization and content strategy.”
3. Work experience (2-3 most recent/relevant positions)
- Focus on roles directly relevant to your target job
- 3-5 strong bullets per position emphasizing achievements over tasks
- Prioritize the last 5-7 years
- Older or less relevant roles can be condensed into a single line if needed
4. Education
- Degree, institution, graduation year
- GPA only if recent graduate with strong GPA (3.5+)
- Relevant coursework only if you’re a recent grad and it’s directly applicable
5. Skills section
- Technical skills relevant to the job
- Organized by category if you have multiple skill types
- Only include skills you’re actually proficient in
- Match keywords from the job description
Elements to Consider Excluding
Cut these to make room for stronger content:
- Objective statements (“Seeking a challenging position to utilize my skills…”)
- “References available upon request” (this is assumed)
- Jobs from 15+ years ago unless highly relevant
- Irrelevant early career positions
- Extensive volunteer work unless it’s genuinely impressive or demonstrates leadership
- Personal interests and hobbies (very rare exceptions for unique relevant hobbies)
- Full address (city and state is enough)
- Headshot or photo (not standard in US)
- “Soft skills” without demonstrated context
Two-Page Resume: Expanded Framework
With more space, you can provide depth while maintaining quality.
Essential Elements (Must Include)
Everything from the one-page list, plus:
1. Extended work history (10-15 years)
- Recent roles get 4-6 bullets with substantial detail
- Mid-career roles get 3-4 bullets focusing on key achievements
- Earlier positions get 2-3 bullets or can be grouped
- Anything beyond 15 years can be summarized in a single line or omitted
2. Additional relevant sections
- Certifications with dates and issuing organizations
- Professional development and continuing education
- Relevant volunteer leadership (board positions, significant community impact)
- Publications or speaking engagements (if relevant to your field)
- Awards and recognition (if prestigious or recent)
- Professional affiliations (if meaningful, not just membership)
3. Expanded skills section
- Technical skills organized by category
- Tools, platforms, and technologies with proficiency levels if needed
- Specialized methodologies or frameworks
4. Strategic projects or initiatives
- Major accomplishments that don’t fit neatly in a job description
- Cross-functional leadership
- Special assignments or task forces
Elements to Consider Excluding
Even with two pages, these rarely add value:
- Positions older than 15-20 years (summarize or omit)
- Internships from long ago if you have substantial professional experience
- Outdated technical skills (listing “Windows 95” doesn’t help)
- Excessive detail on older roles (shrink to 2-3 bullets maximum)
- Redundant information stated in multiple sections
- Every single certification if you have many (prioritize current and relevant)
- Personal information (marital status, age, etc.—not relevant in US)
How to Condense Content Without Losing Impact
Getting from two pages to one (or from three to two) requires surgical precision. You want to cut volume without cutting value.
Strategic Condensing Techniques
1. Combine Related Roles at the Same Company
Before (takes 12 lines):
Senior Marketing Manager, ABC Company
June 2020 - Present
- Led team of 5 marketing specialists
- Increased lead generation by 45%
- Managed $500K annual budget
Marketing Manager, ABC Company
January 2018 - June 2020
- Developed content strategy
- Grew social media following by 200%
- Launched email nurture program
After (takes 7 lines):
ABC Company
Senior Marketing Manager (2020-Present) | Marketing Manager (2018-2020)
- Led team of 5 marketing specialists while managing $500K annual budget
- Increased lead generation 45% through integrated campaigns and SEO strategy
- Grew social media following 200% and launched email nurture program that converted 12% of subscribers
2. Consolidate Early Career Experience
Before:
Sales Associate, Retail Store A (2010-2012)
- Assisted customers with product selection
- Processed transactions and managed inventory
- Achieved monthly sales targets
Sales Associate, Retail Store B (2008-2010)
- Provided customer service
- Organized merchandise displays
- Trained new employees
After:
Early Career: Sales Associate roles at Retail Store A and B (2008-2012)
- Consistently exceeded sales targets while training new team members
3. Ruthlessly Edit Bullet Points
Before (21 words): “Was responsible for coordinating and managing the entire process of planning and executing the annual marketing conference with over 500 attendees”
After (11 words): “Managed annual marketing conference for 500+ attendees, improving satisfaction scores 23%”
What changed:
- Removed filler phrases (“was responsible for,” “entire process of”)
- Used active voice and strong verb (see our action verbs guide for more powerful alternatives)
- Added quantifiable outcome
- Cut word count by nearly 50% while adding more value
4. Use a Summary Line for Distant Positions
Instead of detailed bullets for jobs from 15+ years ago, use a single summary line:
Early Career: Analyst roles at Investment Bank A (2005-2008) and Consulting Firm B (2003-2005)
5. Integrate Education More Efficiently
Before:
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Marketing
University of State
Graduated: May 2015
GPA: 3.7
Relevant Coursework: Digital Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Statistics
Certifications:
- Google Analytics Certified
- HubSpot Inbound Marketing
After:
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
B.S. Marketing, University of State | Google Analytics Certified | HubSpot Inbound Marketing
(For more formatting best practices, see our guide on resume formatting mistakes to avoid.)
Content Condensing Priority Order
When you need to cut, remove in this order:
- First: Objective statements (should already be gone)
- Second: “References available upon request”
- Third: Jobs from 15+ years ago that aren’t highly relevant
- Fourth: Redundant skills clearly demonstrated in your experience
- Fifth: Excessive detail on older positions (reduce to 2-3 bullets max)
- Sixth: Personal interests unless they’re remarkably relevant or impressive
- Seventh: Generic task descriptions that don’t show outcomes
- Eighth: Bullets that duplicate information stated elsewhere
- Ninth: Less impressive achievements when you have stronger ones
- Tenth: Overly detailed technical descriptions that could be simplified
The Tightening Test
For every bullet point, ask: “If I only had space for 5 bullets total on my entire resume, would this make the cut?”
If the answer is no, consider whether it should be there at all.
Formatting Strategies by Length
Making One Page Work (Without Looking Cramped)
Smart Formatting Tactics
Font and sizing:
- Use 10-11pt font for body text (10pt minimum—anything smaller is hard to read)
- Your name can be 14-16pt
- Section headers can be 11-12pt
- Stick to professional fonts: Calibri, Garamond, Georgia, Helvetica, or similar
Margins and spacing:
- Adjust margins to 0.5-0.75 inches (not smaller—resume needs to breathe)
- Use 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing (single-spaced can look too dense)
- Add small space between sections for visual clarity
- Don’t eliminate all white space—it guides the eye
Structure and layout:
- Use a two-column layout for header (name/contact on left, LinkedIn/location on right)
- Consider a single-column layout for cleanliness, or two-column for skills/experience
- Use horizontal lines sparingly to separate major sections
- Bold job titles and company names for scannability
- Ensure bullet points align properly
Strategic content choices:
- Use a brief professional summary (2-3 lines max)
- Limit to 2-3 most relevant positions with 3-5 bullets each
- Consolidate older roles into a single line
- Combine education and certifications into one section
- Skills section should be concise but keyword-rich
Warning Signs Your One-Page Resume Is Too Cramped
Stop and expand to two pages if:
- You’re using 9pt font or smaller
- Margins are smaller than 0.5 inches
- Text is crammed with zero white space
- Bullet points have no space between them
- You’re trying to fit 15 years of detailed experience
- The resume is difficult to scan quickly
- You had to eliminate significant achievements to make it fit
Remember: A readable two-page resume is always better than an illegible one-page resume.
Maximizing Two Pages Effectively
Smart Formatting for Two Pages
Page distribution:
- Page one should be completely full with your strongest content
- Page two should have at least 50% content (if you only have 3-4 lines, consolidate to one page)
- Never end with a second page that has only a couple bullets—either fill it or cut to one page
Readability principles:
- Keep margins at 0.75-1 inch for comfortable reading
- Use 10.5-12pt font (you have room for readability)
- Include header with your name on page two so pages don’t get separated
- Use consistent formatting between pages
- Ensure clear section breaks with adequate spacing
Content distribution strategy:
- Page one: Contact info, professional summary, most recent 2-3 roles (or last 5-7 years), key skills
- Page two: Additional work history, education, certifications, relevant additional sections (publications, speaking, volunteer leadership)
Second page header: Include your name at the top of page two in case pages get separated:
John Smith - Page 2
Content Tactics for Two Pages
Recent roles (last 5-7 years):
- 4-6 bullet points showing impact and progression
- Include context (team size, budget, scope) where relevant
- Lead with strongest achievements
Mid-career roles (7-15 years ago):
- 2-4 bullets focusing on key accomplishments
- Less detail than recent positions
- Highlight promotions and increasing responsibility
Earlier positions (15+ years ago):
- Single line summary or omit entirely
- Only include if highly relevant to target role
Additional sections to consider:
- Certifications with issuing organization and dates
- Professional development and continuing education
- Relevant publications or speaking engagements
- Board positions or volunteer leadership with impact
- Awards and recognition (if recent and prestigious)
- Technical skills or tools organized by category
Common Resume Length Mistakes
Mistake #1: Arbitrary Page Filling
The problem: You’ve heard “resumes should be two pages” so you add filler content to reach that length, or you’ve heard “one page only” so you cram everything with 8pt font.
What it looks like:
- Adding generic task descriptions to fill space
- Including irrelevant jobs or volunteer work
- Listing every single skill even if outdated
- Describing obvious responsibilities everyone knows
- Repeating the same accomplishment in different words
The solution: Let your actual content dictate length naturally. If you have one page of strong content, don’t artificially expand. If you have two pages of valuable content, don’t arbitrarily shrink. Quality over arbitrary length rules.
Ask yourself: “Does this addition make me a more compelling candidate, or am I just filling space?”
Mistake #2: Microscopic Fonts and Vanishing Margins
The problem: Trying to squeeze two pages worth of content onto one page by using tiny fonts and eliminating margins.
What it looks like:
- 8pt or 9pt font that requires squinting
- 0.25-inch margins or smaller
- Zero white space between sections
- Dense blocks of text
- Generally overwhelming appearance
The solution: If your content doesn’t fit comfortably on one page with 10pt+ font and 0.5-inch+ margins, use two pages. A readable two-page resume is infinitely better than an illegible one-page resume.
The test: If you have to lean forward or adjust your screen to read it comfortably, it’s too small.
Mistake #3: The Barely-There Second Page
The problem: Your second page has only 2-4 lines of content, usually just education or references.
What it looks like:
Page 2:
EDUCATION
B.A. Business Administration, State University, 2010
References available upon request
The solution: Either consolidate to one page by tightening content, or expand to fill at least half the second page with meaningful content (additional roles, certifications, projects, volunteer leadership).
The rule: If your second page is less than 50% filled, you don’t have a two-page resume—you have a one-page resume with overflow.
Mistake #4: The Historical Novel Approach
The problem: Including every job you’ve ever had, going back 20-30 years with equal detail for all positions.
What it looks like:
- Summer job from high school when you’re 40
- Every single position with 5+ bullets regardless of when it was
- Outdated skills and technologies from decades ago
- Positions that have no relevance to your current career direction
The solution: Focus on recent, relevant experience (typically last 10-15 years in detail). Older roles can be summarized in a single line or omitted entirely. Your resume shows career trajectory, not exhaustive history.
The guideline:
- Last 5 years: detailed
- 5-10 years ago: moderate detail
- 10-15 years ago: brief
- 15+ years ago: one line or omit
Mistake #5: Ignoring Industry Norms
The problem: Using a two-page resume for a startup that expects one page, or submitting one page when your industry expects comprehensive detail.
What it looks like:
- Two-page resume for an entry-level consulting position
- One-page resume for a VP-level role in a Fortune 500 company
- Academic-length CV for a corporate position
- No research into target company or industry expectations
The solution: Research your specific industry, company size, and role level. Look at what successful people in similar positions use. When in doubt, check with recruiters in your field or browse LinkedIn profiles of people in comparable roles.
Pro tip: If a job posting has specific requirements about resume length, follow them exactly.
Special Cases and Exceptions
Academic CVs (Curriculum Vitae)
Academic positions don’t use resumes—they use CVs, which follow completely different rules.
Length: Often 3-10+ pages depending on career stage
What to include:
- Education with comprehensive detail (dissertation title, advisor, etc.)
- All publications in full citation format
- All presentations and conference participation
- Grants and funding received
- Teaching experience with courses listed
- Research experience and projects
- Service to the profession (committees, editorial boards, peer review)
- Awards, honors, and fellowships
- Professional development and training
Key difference from resumes: CVs are comprehensive records of academic work; resumes are marketing documents. Don’t conflate the two.
Transitioning from academia to industry? Create a resume (1-2 pages) that translates academic work into business value, not a shortened CV.
Federal Government Resumes
Federal positions through USAJOBS have unique requirements that look nothing like private sector resumes.
Length: Typically 3-5 pages (sometimes longer)
Requirements:
- Very detailed job descriptions with hours per week
- Specific dates (month/year) for all positions
- Supervisor names and contact information
- Detailed accomplishment descriptions
- Salary history
- Country of citizenship
- Veterans’ preference information
Key difference: Federal resumes require extensive detail to match specific job requirement questionnaires. This is not optional verbosity—it’s required.
Resource: Use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or review their specific guidelines before creating a federal resume.
International Resumes and CVs
Resume expectations vary significantly by country.
Key regional differences:
United Kingdom and Europe:
- Term “CV” used instead of “resume”
- Often 2+ pages
- May include photo, date of birth, nationality (illegal to request in US)
- Different formatting conventions
Asia-Pacific:
- Photo often expected or required
- Personal information including age, marital status common
- Length varies by specific country
- Some countries expect handwritten documents for certain positions
Latin America:
- Similar to US in some countries
- Photo and personal details more common
- Length expectations vary by country and industry
Solution: Research specific country norms before applying internationally. What works in the US may be inappropriate elsewhere, and vice versa.
Creative Portfolios and Design Resumes
If you’re in a creative field (graphic design, UX/UI, marketing), you might be tempted to make your resume a showcase.
Important guidelines:
Your resume should still be 1-2 pages:
- Even creative professionals need concise, readable resumes
- Your portfolio is where you show creative work, not your resume
- Many companies use ATS that can’t parse creative designs
Maintain ATS-friendliness:
- Use standard fonts and clear structure
- Avoid text in images or graphics
- Include keywords in actual text
- Save creative typography for your portfolio
When design is appropriate:
- Simple, clean design that enhances readability is good
- Overly creative designs that sacrifice clarity are bad
- Consider creating two versions: ATS-friendly and visually designed for portfolio
Link to your portfolio:
- Include portfolio URL prominently in header
- Let your portfolio showcase creativity
- Keep resume professional and parseable
Testing Your Resume Length
The Print Test
Print your resume (yes, actually print it) and review it as a hiring manager would.
Questions to ask:
Visual balance:
- Does it look balanced and professional on the page?
- Is there adequate white space to guide the eye?
- Are sections clearly distinguished?
- Is the hierarchy of information clear?
Readability:
- Can you scan it in 6-7 seconds and get the main story?
- Does anything look cramped or crowded?
- Is the font size comfortable to read?
- Do your eyes naturally flow down the page?
Content strength:
- Does the top third immediately show your value?
- Are the strongest points on page one?
- If there’s a second page, does it add significant value?
- Would anything be better expanded or condensed?
Pro tip: Hand it to a friend and time how long they look at it. Ask them to tell you what they remember. If they can’t articulate your value proposition, revise.
The Recruiter Reality Test
Put yourself in the hiring manager’s shoes.
Honest questions:
About length:
- Would I read a second page of this resume? Why or why not?
- Does page two add genuine value, or just volume?
- Is my most impressive content on page one?
- Would cutting to one page lose critical information that makes me competitive?
About content:
- If I only read the first half of page one, would I want to interview this person?
- Does every section make me more interested in this candidate?
- Is there any content that makes me less interested?
- Are achievements specific and impressive, or generic?
About competition:
- If I’m comparing 50 resumes, does this one stand out?
- Does the length match the candidate’s experience level and role?
- Is this appropriate for the company and industry?
The reality: Most hiring managers skim resumes in seconds. If your key selling points aren’t immediately visible, length is the least of your problems.
The ATS (Applicant Tracking System) Test
Good news: resume length doesn’t affect ATS parsing or scoring. (For a complete understanding of how ATS systems work, see our comprehensive ATS resume guide.)
What ATS actually cares about:
- Keyword matches with the job description
- Standard formatting that can be parsed
- Relevant skills and experience
- Clear section headers
- No complex designs or graphics
What ATS doesn’t care about:
- Whether your resume is one page or two
- How aesthetically pleasing it is
- The specific font you chose
- Exact page count
The implication: Don’t sacrifice readability or content quality to hit an arbitrary page count because you think ATS prefers it. ATS scores based on content relevance, not length.
Best practice: Optimize for both ATS and human readers by using clear formatting, relevant keywords, and strong achievement-based content—regardless of whether that takes one page or two.
Final Resume Length Checklist
Before you finalize your resume, run through this checklist:
Experience and length alignment:
- [ ] 0-5 years experience = one page
- [ ] 5-10 years experience = one to two pages based on content strength
- [ ] 10+ years experience = two pages
- [ ] 20+ years experience = still two pages (edited to focus on recent/relevant)
Content quality:
- [ ] Every bullet point demonstrates measurable impact or achievement
- [ ] No filler content added just to fill space
- [ ] Accomplishments are quantified wherever possible
- [ ] Task descriptions converted to achievement statements
- [ ] Most recent roles have the most detail
Formatting and readability:
- [ ] Font size is 10pt or larger (ideally 10.5-11pt)
- [ ] Margins are 0.5-1 inch (adequate white space)
- [ ] Consistent formatting throughout
- [ ] Clear section headers
- [ ] Easy to scan in 6 seconds
- [ ] Bullet points are concise (1-2 lines each)
Page distribution (if using two pages):
- [ ] Second page has substantial content (at least 50% filled)
- [ ] Most important information is on page one
- [ ] Second page includes name header
- [ ] No orphaned content (avoid 2-3 lines on page two)
Industry and role appropriateness:
- [ ] Length matches industry norms for your field
- [ ] Appropriate for the role level you’re targeting
- [ ] Follows any specific employer requirements
- [ ] Competitive with others at your level
ATS optimization:
- [ ] Standard formatting that ATS can parse
- [ ] Relevant keywords from job description included naturally
- [ ] Clear section headers (Experience, Education, Skills)
- [ ] No text in images or graphics
- [ ] Saved in ATS-friendly format (typically .docx or PDF)
Final review:
- [ ] Printed resume looks professional and balanced
- [ ] No typos or grammatical errors
- [ ] Contact information is current
- [ ] LinkedIn URL included and profile matches resume
- [ ] Someone else has reviewed it for clarity
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