Common Resume Questions Answered: How Long Should My Resume Be?

There’s a common myth about resume length. Specifically, that you should limit it to just one page.

This is nothing more than a myth—in fact, employers prefer to see resumes that are two pages long! ResumeGo did a study on this very topic and found that recruiters were 2.3 times as likely to hire someone with a two-page resume!

In managerial roles, that number rose to 2.9 times as likely to hire someone.

It makes sense—after all, when you’re hiring for a more-senior position, you want to be sure that person has the necessary experience and track record of achievement to be successful in the role. Plus, the more information you can provide, the more you can set yourself apart from other applicants. You simply cannot effectively fit all of that information on one page.

An entry-level applicant may have a simple, one-page resume, but by the time you’ve reached the mid-point of your career, you should absolutely have enough material for an impressive two-page resume. If you’re applying for C-suite or executive-level positions, three pages may even be needed to convey your experience and skills effectively.

However, don’t just put fluff and filler in your resume to make it longer. Remember, every word and every chart/graph/image on your resume needs to be there to make a strong point. Employers may want to see a two-page resume, but they will get bored if it’s just the same clichéd, meaningless jargon they see on everyone else’s documents.

You need your resume to keep a hiring manager’s or recruiter’s attention—and making it two pages of strong, relevant information can help you do that. The same study I cited above also found that recruiters spent twice as much time reading a two-page resume. Well, that seems pretty obvious, right? But think about it—if they spend two minutes with a one-page resume and then four minutes with your two-page resume, that’s twice as much time that they have to be focused on you, your brand, your experience, and what you can do for them as an employee.

Don’t fall prey to the common myth of the one-page resume. Improve your probability of landing the job by making yourself stand out with two pages of essential and impressive information about your career.

For a deeper dive into resume length, check out this article from the Great Resumes Fast blog archive.

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