One of the many questions that I frequently hear when working with new clients is in regards to what the rules are for the length of resumes. I especially hear this from new graduates concerned about staying in the one page format. I usually respond with something like, “It really depends, lets take a look at what you’ve got”. 

For most new graduates and job seekers with less than two or three years of experience, a one page resume is typical, fitting and usually expected. The new job seekers will benefit from showcasing their educational experience in the top area of the resume, leaving the Professional Experience for the end of the document.  

If seeking an entry level position, the hiring manager for the position will not be expecting a great deal of experience, but they will be looking for education or experience that speaks of your most relevant skills or achievements. This can be internships, projects completed while attending college or even non-academic activities such as leadership positions in sports, associations or volunteer work.  

New graduates often use two page resumes when they have many related academic projects that can be elaborated on as work experience, including graduates or students with Computer Science/IT majors, or pre-law and pre-med. students that are looking for internships or research positions. Here it is common to see at least two pages because of the importance in the volunteer and internship or shadowing experience. An alternative to the two or more page resumes would be offering a one page resume with an Addendum. The Addendum should be included in the resume portfolio and available to hiring managers or recruiters. This keeps the resume concise yet allows those interested to easily see the details of the academic projects or experience. 

Those who have a longer work history and more relevant information that warrants a second page also use a two page resume. This is where things can get sticky. Some job seekers have lots of information they want to share but it isn’t truly necessary and can actually hinder the strength of the document. On the other end of the scales, however, are  those who have significant experience to necessitate a second page, but are old school and feel all job seekers should have one page resumes. Again, the experienced job seeker may do more harm then good, by cutting away crucial details from the document or leaving achievements out just to fit it onto one page. 

I have seen resumes with the font so small that even the best eyes will still need to enlarge the document for easier reading. The margins too, are so scarce with such little white space on the document, that the resumes become very hard to read. 

A resume needs to be inviting, easy to read and written to draw readers in, wanting to read more than just the top third or half of the first page. This is the area of the resume that sells the reader, if your document is read past this point the reader is looking for details, and probably want to see some applicable experience. Now, many people will give you their point of view and although they mean well, your job is to write the resume for the one who is looking to hire you. A bit of research into the hiring practices and chain of command might give you a better understanding of who will be reading and screening your resume. 

Remember the main purpose of the resume is to obtain, for the job seeker an interview offer. If you can write what you need to say in one page then a one page resume is what you need. If you have enough relevant achievements and experience to fill the second page, then by all means you should use the second page. Knowing who your target audience is will be the best way to determine the proper length of your resume, and the best way prepare for achieving an interview offer and potentially a job offer.