How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be

How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be As I talked with a client tonight, he asked me a simple question: “Do you think my resume should only be one page or should it be longer?” The reason he was asking is that he had plenty of previous resumesâ€"some were one page and others were extended to two or three pages. So, what is the correct answer? If you ask resume writers, human resource professionals, and hiring directors, you may receive several different answers. My philosophy is this: your resume should be as long as it needs to be to succinctly, efficiently, and effectively tell your story. For some people, that means a one-page resume; for others, that may mean two pages. In general, I try to keep most client resumes to one page. There are many reasons for minimizing the resume length. First, hiring managers are busy. They may not have time to read several pages from each candidate. This means that shorter, clearer, and concise messages will be read; others may simply be viewed as too long orâ€"even worseâ€"boring. Next, many resumes that are over one page are simply regurgitating information that has already been stated. While it may be fun to devise fancy synonyms and new ways of explaining qualifications, it can also look like you are simply exaggerating your expertise. Hiring managers can see through these tactics and resumes that contain “fluff” and non-pertinent information may be circulated directly to the “no” pile. Finally, remember that not everything needs to be included in your resume. While that high school job at a local fast-food restaurant may have given you an introduction to the workforce, it may not be necessary to include that particular job experience on your resume if it is 30 years later. Likewise, you probably no longer need to include your college scholarships if you graduated from college in 1985. Eliminating some of these items from your resume will help trim the document. While it is important to be concise with your resume, be sure to include any pertinent information that is specific to the job you are seeking. And, if you have a great deal of experience that leads to two full pages, then make your resume that length. However, if you do decide to have more than one page, make sure consecutive pages are full and not half-pages. The bottom line is that you need to decide the length of your resume. Get a second opinion from a trusted colleague and decide if there are any items that may not be necessary. There is no one “correct” resume length for everyoneâ€"decide what works for you and showcases your skills best.