How Long Should a Resume Really Be?

When you begin to write a resume, one of the top questions on your mind is probably what length it must be. Should a resume be one page? Some people will suggest a one page resume at most, and other sources will say that is too short. Another group of people will say your resume can be as long as it needs to be to convey your skills to a hiring manager.

The question of whether a resume should be one page often comes up for job seekers. The good news is that when it comes to resume length, there’s actually a pretty wide margin of success. When you’re drafting a new resume, it’s important to remember that a one-page resume can sometimes be a powerful way to convey your skills concisely. A one-page resume might be ideal for entry-level candidates with limited experience. For the vast majority of job seekers, a resume should be between the better part of one page and three full pages. A resume can effectively be two pages if the content is relevant and concise. If your resume spills onto the second page, try reworking the format or removing some less relevant content. Within that range, the best resume length will depend on your particular job goals and experience.

Determine Your Key Job Details

You don’t need to think of length as a rigorous rule to follow or whether a resume should be one page. Instead, it’s the natural result of following a precise process designed to filter out all but your most relevant details. For candidates with limited experience, a one-page resume is generally the most effective format. A two-page resume can be appropriate for mid-career professionals. If your resume is too lengthy, consider trimming details to ensure a targeted two-page resume. Sometimes, a resume naturally stretches to two pages, but it can often be condensed if the content isn’t directly related to your target job. As you grow in your career, this may become more daunting if you do not maintain an up-to-date resume.

1. Create a master resume

Starting with your very first position, brainstorm all career details you’re proud of for each role you have held, and gather them into a single long document. You can name this document something like “Master Resume,” “Full Detailed Resume,” or “Master Career Document.” This should be a reference document to help you build your targeted resume for each new position.

2. Develop a targeted resume

Any time you’re drafting a new resume, save a copy of your master document with a new title related to the position you are applying for. Then review all the information one item at a time. Continually ask yourself if it is relevant to your job search and the position you are targeting. If not, delete that item. Work your way through your master document in this fashion to allow yourself to create a strong, targeted resume that showcases your skills relative to the job you are aiming for.

3. Filter your experience

For your resume, it doesn’t matter how recent, lengthy, or even how objectively impressive any given career experience was. If the experience isn’t too relevant to your current job goals, it doesn’t need much detail. For example, if you are applying for a position in sales and one of your previous jobs required you to perform security on a film set, you may not include that. It is not relevant to a position in sales. The only information you’re required to give on your resume is your name, contact information, and a basic outline of your recent work history. Everything else is optional and should depend on this “relevance filter.” To see what you should put on your resume, check out this guide on what to put on a resume.

Declutter Your Resume

This process of filtering information has a surprising resemblance to the home decluttering method championed by expert organizer Marie Kondo. She recommends clearing your living space of clutter by holding one object at a time in your hands, asking yourself if it sparks joy — and tossing out anything that doesn’t. For your resume, the equivalent question could be: “Does this spark relevance?” In other words, does the detail describe an activity you’ve done similar to the activities you’ll do in your next job?

Kondo’s approach resonates with resume variability because two different people can follow the exact same procedure yet arrive at completely different results. Does a resume have to be one page? Many mid-career professionals find that a two-page resume works well to display their experience. If your resume exceeds two pages, reassess whether every detail adds value. If you need to go onto the second page, consider tightening up your formatting or eliminating redundant details. Rather than ending up with a lot of empty space on the second page, adjust your layout accordingly. It’s acceptable if a resume reaches two or three pages, as long as all the information is relevant to the person’s job search.

Focus On the Relevant

Focus On the Relevant

Should resumes be one page? If your resume is well above three pages (or just seems too long) after working through the filtering process, some additional pruning may be in order. Here are three types of relevant information that you may safely take out:

Early career details

All other things being equal, your older work experience is less relevant than your newer roles, so condense those early positions first. It’s also valuable to consider how far back your resume should go based on the job announcement.

Standard job duties

Under any given job description, your standard duties are less important than your results and achievements. Try paring back your task-based information for a more concise look. You can also combine your task-based duties and achievements. This will help drive home that you understand that each standard duty can lead to success.

Repetitive details

When you have a long list of similar items all equally relevant to your goals, it’s often a good idea to select just a few of them to highlight on your resume. A common example of this is projects. If you’ve supported various projects and have had a lot of successful completions, consider removing all but the most important ones and naming the section “Select Projects.”

Tighten Up Format

If you’re still looking for ways to streamline and shorten the look of your document, consider adjusting these formatting areas:

• Font style

Some fonts occupy more space on the page. If you’re looking for a font style that takes up less space, try Arial Narrow. It can tighten up the overall format while retaining a clean, professional look.

• Font size

Many assume that their name and section headers need to be in a large font size on their resume to capture the hiring manager’s eye. But if you’re already setting off those elements with different formatting (such as bold, italic, or all caps), they don’t need to be much larger than the body text. You could make your name and headers a size or two more than the document itself. For example, your name could be size 16 font, headers a size 14, and the remainder of the document a size 12.

• Headers and footers

These are optional and can add unnecessary space at the top and bottom of the page. Consider eliminating them entirely.

• Margins

Margins are another great way to adjust the spacing on your resume. Typically, margins are set at 1.0 inch. However, narrow margins, at roughly 0.5 inches, work well to provide more space per page on a document. Traditional 1.0-inch margins were great for when everything was printed, but in a digital space, the 0.5-inch margin looks just as good while giving that extra space.

• Character spacing

You’ll find this in the Advanced tab of the font dialog box in Microsoft Word (to access, just click Control-D on a PC or Command-D on a Mac). This lesser-known tool lets you reduce the amount of space between letters. Set it to “Condensed” by as much as 0.3 points. Similar to decreasing your margins, this tip can help give extra space that works well in a digital space.

Remember Your Audience

Resumes are an ever-changing and flexible document, taking whatever shape and structure is needed to serve their sole purpose: getting you interviews for jobs you want and are qualified for.

Don’t let anyone tell you your resume is wrong because it’s a certain number of pages. Does a resume have to be one page? The only way a resume is ever wrong is if it’s not getting you interviews. And that happens primarily because the resume does not provide or focus on qualifications that matter to a hiring manager. For this reason, avoid adding irrelevant details to your resume just to reach a certain length, and never take out crucial details just to get it down to a number of pages. Give the hiring manager the information they need to make an informed call about your candidacy, and you’ll maximize the chances that your resume gets you traction in your job search.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resume Length

Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.