Resume Page Length - One Page Or Two?

There used to be the old resume "myth" that if you didn't have ten years of experience, keep your resume at one page. That just doesn't apply anymore in today's job search arena. Why? Because many talented professionals early in their careers have opted to use a more current resume format known as the combination resume format (or hybrid resume format) to suit their current career situation or new job search.

This resume format allows them to showcase their skills and experience right up front and allows for less focus on career gaps or several job changes. What it also allows for is the ability to use the first page to focus on their skill summary and their skill groups and leave the second page for their employment history as well as education and training.

So when it comes to resume page length, here are our recommendations:

If you are just starting out in your job search out of high school or college and your work experience has only been with one or two companies, then a single page resume should work well for you.

If you have been in the workplace for more than a few years or have worked in more than one position or career field, then you should have enough experience to warrant a 2-page resume. Again, choose a resume format that suits your employment history.

I rarely ever write any 3-page resumes due to the fact that we feel that you should be able to list all of your pertinent skills and experience into two or three skill groups on the first page of your resume followed by your employment history and education/training on the second page. If you are looking to write a curriculum vitae (CV), that's a totally different format.

Your resume should be a positive and effective representation of your skills and experience no matter what the page length. Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to cram all of your information onto one single page.

We've spoken with many Human Resources managers and they've shared with us that they are very comfortable with both single and 2-page resumes.

For my resume writing clients, I almost always opt for 2-page resumes as they have worked extremely well for our clients with experience levels from just past entry-level all the way to executives with 20+ years. These clients have received many calls for interviews and ultimately have been hired!

Our single-page resumes have also done very well for our first time resume clients and early career clients.

It all comes down to how well you write your resume and does it showcase your skills and experience?

Resume page length should not be a hurdle for you, write the best resume you can and then see where your page length is at once you are finished.

For more help with writing your winning resume visit our free resume help website.