Does My Resume Have to be One Page?

The single page resume. It's a somewhat controversial topic. I bet that you've been told that your resume has to be one page. No exceptions. Right?

Actually, it's not black and white. That's outdated advice.

I have some key criteria to help you determine if you're able to run into a second page with your resume. But, let me be clear. There is nothing inherently wrong with a one or two page resume. One is not greater than the other. It's all about what YOU need given your career story.

Here's how to know which one is right for you.

You need a one page resume if...

• You recently graduated from college

• You have been in the same career less than 8 years

• You've worked longer than 8 years BUT you've changed career paths and have roles that aren't relevant to list in depth anymore

• You are in a career where your job descriptions don't change significantly between roles (common in the medical and education fields)

You may need a two page resume if...

• You are in a senior level position after working your way up in your career for over 8 years

• You have worked in roles that are accomplishment driven (like sales) and have significant accomplishments to list under each role. In this case, I would still recommend than you have over 5 years of experience before going past a single page.

• You have cut out all the "fluff" and a single page is very crowded with text and overwhelming for the reader to try and scan. 

Here are some tips around resume length if you need to utilize a second page:

• Keep each role's bullets on one page. Do not split a single role between two pages.

• Only go to a second page if you have a robust section or role to put on it. Having only a few lines dangling on a second page should be avoided.

• Have your Profile Section and at least your most current role on the first page. You still have to work hard to grab their attention and keep it if you want them to look at the second page. If your second role is really important for them to see, make sure you keep it on the first page.

• Try to avoid filling the second page completely. That can definitely feel too overwhelming on the reader.

Need to keep it to one page based on my criteria? Look critically at each role in your work experience. If it's not vital for a potential employer to know or is obvious/trite, cut it. Focus on what job(s) you want and make sure that the way you list your experience makes that clear above all else. Even if you have more experience you "could" list, cut what isn't actually relevant. I'm referring to bullet points here. You don't want to cut jobs entirely if that gives you a career gap on your resume. Just don't get into details with bullets that are irrelevant.

Three pages is really too long. If your resume currently sits at 3 pages, you definitely need to focus on whittling it down to two. If you know that you need to get down to a single page and need more ideas for what to cut, I've got a free guide that I've created just for you. This is going to really help you cut things out that are holding you back. Click here and find out the 7 Things to Take Off Your Resume Right Now.