Your Resume-How Long Should It Be?

If you google this question, you will see so many different answers including information indicating that your resume should be no more than one page if you have less than 7-10 years of experience. While it is true that a one-page resume may work for many people with less than 7-10 years of work experience, the reality is that a good resume can be one to two pages depending on your level of experience. It may even be more than two pages, again, depending on your level of experience.

Your resume may naturally increase with the number of years of experience that you have. Higher level candidates like executives may have lengthier resumes due to more experience, however job level is not necessarily an indicator of how many pages a resume should be. A student, who one might say MUST have a one-page resume could very well have a well-written two-page resume highlighting relevant experience, projects, coursework, leadership experiences and internships. There are no hard and fast rules, however, there are industry guidelines that you’ll want to pay attention to. Let us explore how to make the best decision on the length of your resume.

Why is Resume Length Important?

The average recruiter or hiring manager spends about 7 seconds scanning your resume before moving on to the next resume, so keep it interesting, relevant, and succinct. There are advantages to a single-page resume, but determining how long your resume should be, is not necessarily so simple.  The ideal length of your resume is a resume that is customized to the position and demonstrates your fit for the position. When deciding on resume length, the focus should be more content and high clarity rather than the length.

Keep it Interesting!

Keep your resume interesting by including accomplishments that are related to the position you’re applying to. Your resume should not just be a list of job responsibilities. That’s boring. Include your accomplishments which are relevant to the role.  If you can do that with a one-page resume, then do so, however, if the one-page resume does not provide enough opportunity for you to demonstrate and include your significant accomplishments that are most relevant to the position then it should obviously be more than one page. Most recruiters would rather read a well-written, organized, two-page resume than a one-page resume that is crammed with all your information and difficult to read.

One-page Resume

A one-page resume may be considered ideal as it is easy for recruiters, hiring managers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan for information. However, if your resume is too short it may convey the impression that you do not have the relevant experience for the job. If you are seeking an entry level role, you are a student, new graduate, or a professional with limited work experience, a one-page resume is going to be your best bet.

Two-page Resume

If you end up with a two-page resume that succinctly demonstrates your relevant accomplishments as they relate to the position that’s ok! A two-page resume format would be appropriate for job seekers with extensive work experience and qualifications. However, it is important that you are presenting your experience as accomplishments rather than a laundry list of job responsibilities.  Keep your font size between 10-12 points and make sure you organize the information in a way that is easy to read.

More than two pages

There are times when a three-page, or even a slightly longer resume may be appropriate. Most senior-level executives with deep work experience may have resumes that are longer than two pages. Recruiters and hiring managers will be interested in your overall work history and training for senior level and executive level roles, therefore, in situations like this it’s content over length. The content should again be relevant to the role with your accomplishments highlighted to demonstrate your fit. However, in this specific situation, a resume addendum can also be used.

TIPS to help you achieve the right LENGTH

Align Your Resume Length with Your Experience Level

The resume of a recent college graduate with little to no work experience will be different from that of a senior executive with over 10 years of experience and multiple jobs. Therefore, it will make perfect sense for that recent college graduate to have a one-page resume versus the senior executive whose resume could be two pages or even spill into three pages.

Your resume should be ONE page based on the following guidelines:

• You’re a recent college graduate with little to no work experience
• Your professional work experience consists of various positions with one single employer
• You’ve made the decision to change careers

Your resume should be TWO pages based on the following guidelines:

• You have over 10 years of related work experience
•  a recent college graduate with little to no work experience
• Your background in within the technical or engineering sector and you need to list technical skills and knowledge

Your resume may be THREE pages based on the following guidelines:

• You’re at a senior level in your career such as CEO, senior executive, or senior management with a strong record of leadership and significant accomplishments
• Your resume needs to demonstrate your technical and other relevant experience such as speaking engagements, patents, licenses, publications, course work etc. in the case of medical professionals, scientists, and academic professionals
• Any pages after two pages should be added as an addendum

Keep it Concise!

Regardless of how many pages you resume will be based on the above recommendations, it is important that it is clear and concise. First of all, remember that your resume isn’t a one size fits all, so it’s important to review the job description and tailor your resume with the most relevant experiences and skills that best aligns with the job description.

• An important tip to keep in mind is that the first page of your resume will get the most attention so list those relevant skills and experiences first.
• Optimize your resume using key words and avoid using filler words such as “a”, “the”, “that”, “like”, “an”.
• Remove Pronouns from your resume such as “I”, “me”, “you”, “she”, “he”. Your resume should be written in the 3^rd person.

Bullet Points

Your most recent job should include more bullets and fewer for your older jobs, but typically 3-5 bullet points per job is ideal to thoroughly describe your relevant accomplishments. The bullet points should be 1-2 lines each with impressive accomplishments.

• Resist the temptation to include every single job duty, instead consider including three or four bullet points of relevant quantifiable achievements if possible.
• Avoid fluff words which are oftentimes highly overused. They’re distracting and will make the Recruiter or hiring manager think you’re trying too hard especially if there are no quantifiable results to back them up.  Avoid words like “motivated”, “strategic”, “expert”, “innovative”.
• Keep an eye on those action verbs and make sure you remove weak action verbs from your resume. Avoid using words like “responsible for”, “helped with”, “supported”.  Instead use “facilitated”, “collaborated”, or “coordinated”.
• Keep your font size between 10 to 12 points.

Only List Work Experience Spanning 10-15 Years

Recent college graduate? You’re probably not going to worry too much about this. However, for those with more extensive work experience this is oftentimes a dilemma. There are varying opinions on how far back career experiences should be listed on a resume. The rule of thumb is to list experience no more than 10 to 15 years. There is little value to listing experience that dates back further than 15 years if it’s not relevant to the role you’re applying to.  However, there are industries where listing experience beyond 10 to 15 years is valuable, so again, it’s not a one size fits all.

• 10-15 years of work experience is enough in most cases to demonstrate the skills necessary to convey your alignment with the role.
• Listing more than that could be overwhelming and distracting from more current and relevant experience.
• If it does not add value, there’s no reason to include it.

Margins and Fonts

Keep your font size between 10-12 points. You can also play around with this. Example you have created your resume and there are 2 lines that go onto another page, making it a two-page resume. Try adjusting the font and margin to get that back to one page.

• Appropriate margins for a resume are 0.5, 0.75, or 1 inch.
• Aim to have your text evenly distributed on the page and not packed too closely.
• Play around with the margin to see what makes the most sense and looks best for your resume.

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