One page for most people early in their careers, two pages for most people with ten or more years of relevant experience, and longer only where the employer expects it. That is the whole rule, and it has good reasons behind it.
Length is not a goal in itself. A resume should be as long as it takes to show you fit the job, and not a line longer.
One page or two?
| Your situation | Usual length |
|---|---|
| Student, recent graduate or first job | One page |
| Up to about ten years of experience | One page, two if every line is relevant |
| Ten or more years, or a senior role | Two pages |
| Academic or research positions | A CV of as many pages as your record needs |
| US federal jobs through USAJOBS | Two pages at most for most announcements |
Recruiters often make a first decision quickly, so what matters is what they see first. A focused one-page resume puts your best evidence in front of them. A second page is worth it when it carries experience that is recent and relevant; it is not worth it when it carries older jobs and filler.
When is a two-page resume the right choice?
- You have ten or more years of experience related to the job.
- You work in a field where depth is expected, such as engineering, healthcare leadership or IT architecture.
- You have licenses, certifications, publications or major projects that the employer will want to see.
If you go to two pages, fill most of the second one. A second page with three lines on it looks like a formatting accident. Put your name on page two in case the pages are separated when printed.
What are the exceptions?
Academic CVs
Universities and research institutes expect a full curriculum vitae with every publication, grant, course and presentation. It can run to many pages, and cutting it would remove what committees are looking for. See our academic CV example and the guide to the difference between a resume and a CV.
Federal resumes
Since September 2024, the US Office of Personnel Management has limited resumes for most federal job announcements to two pages. Federal resumes also need details other resumes leave out, such as hours per week. Check each announcement, and see our federal resume example.
Other countries
In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, a CV for private-sector jobs is usually two pages. In much of continental Europe, one to two pages is typical too. Follow what employers in the country you are applying to expect.
How do you shorten a resume that runs long?
- Remove jobs older than fifteen years, or list them in a single line each without bullets.
- Cut bullets that describe duties rather than results. Keep three to five per recent job.
- Delete the objective, "references available on request" and unrelated hobbies.
- Merge short, similar roles at the same employer into one entry.
- Shorten bullets that run over two lines; most can lose a clause.
- Only then adjust the layout: margins no smaller than about half an inch, body text no smaller than 10 points.
Shrinking the font to squeeze everything in makes a resume harder to read, which defeats the purpose. Cut words before you cut space.
The builder's preview marks where each printed page ends as you write, and you can switch to a more compact template without retyping anything.
What if your resume is too short?
Half a page is common for a first resume. Rather than padding it, add real content that shows how you work: volunteering, school projects, clubs, part-time jobs, caring responsibilities and courses. Describe each with what you did and a result, just like a job.
Our examples for students, high school students and people with no experience show how to fill a page honestly.
How much space should each section take?
A resume reads well when most of the space goes to the evidence that you can do the job. As a rough guide for a one-page resume:
| Section | Share of the page | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Header | About a tenth | Name, headline and contact details on two or three lines |
| Summary | About a tenth | Two to four sentences |
| Experience | About half or more | Most space for recent, relevant jobs |
| Education | A tenth to a fifth | More for students and recent graduates |
| Skills and other sections | About a fifth | Skills, certifications, languages, projects |
If education or skills take more room than your experience and you have several years of work behind you, the balance is probably off. Students are the exception: for them, education and projects can fill half the page.
Does the right length depend on the industry?
Somewhat. Retail, hospitality, customer service and most entry-level jobs are hired quickly, and one page is almost always right. Technical, engineering, medical and senior management roles often justify two pages because the detail matters. Creative fields care more about the portfolio than the resume, so a tight single page with a link usually works best.
Our resume examples by job are all one page, including senior roles, to show how much fits when every line counts.
Questions
Is a one-page resume always better?
No. It is better when you have less than about ten years of relevant experience. With more, a full two pages is normal and often expected.
Can a resume be three pages?
Only in special cases such as academic CVs or some senior technical roles. For most jobs, three pages is too long.
Does a two-page resume hurt me with applicant tracking systems?
No. The software reads every page. Length matters to the people who read it afterward.
Should the second page have a header?
Your name and page number at the top of page two help if the pages are printed and separated.