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When Is It OK To Have A Two-Page Resume?

Updated: Aug 3

The length of a resume is one of those things job seekers actively fret about. Everyone’s talking about limited attention spans among hiring managers, and how you only get a couple of seconds of their time. That’s why job seekers do the best they can to abide to the one-page resume rule. They shrink their resume down to a single page, often doing more harm than good in the process.

The truth is – if hiring managers only give you a couple of seconds of their time, even a one full page resume would be too much. Yes, it is important not to overdo it, but some things are more important and should not be sacrificed for length. Let’s take a look at when is it OK to have a two-page resume:

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What Is The Proper Resume Length

Length is a means to an end, not the end itself. Do not cut down on your resume just for the sake of fitting into the one-page category. The idea behind the short resume is to cut down on time hiring managers need to read through it. If you cramp it with information, then the length isn’t really doing you much good. If you eliminate important information in order to have a one-page resume, then you probably won’t get hired. Having a one-page resume is good if you’re fresh out of college or don’t have much experience in the field you’re applying for.

In every other scenario, going for more than one page is acceptable, especially for seniors with accomplished backgrounds. Hiring managers will look for a couple of things in your resume: they’ll look for related previous work experiences, they’ll look for accomplishments and they’ll look for skills you can bring to the company. That's why, if you want to make more money, you hire a professional resume writing service.

Everything else is basically irrelevant. You can easily remove all the work experience unrelated to the field you’re applying for, all the accomplishments that can’t be repeated in the new company, and all the skills that bring no extra value. If you have plenty of experience, skills and achievements, then don’t worry about your resume moving past page one – your hiring managers most definitely won’t.

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Going beyond two pages on a resume

Now you must be asking yourself, if two pages are ok, can my resume be longer than two pages? Three, four and beyond? If your resume is in such shape, then one thing is for certain – you’re not really good at identifying irrelevant information. Your resume should not go beyond two pages, and if it does – it’s time to do some quality cutting. The best way to start is with previous work experiences.

Hiring managers will usually look for the most recent and most relevant experiences. They really don’t want (and need) to know what you did 15 years ago, or if you volunteered during local elections (unless you’re applying for a position closely related to politics, but you get my point). Sure, if you have limited work experience and practice, then by all means, add whatever might help you. But if you have a rich professional history, choose to list only the most relevant information, in this order:

  1. Most recent work experiences

  2. Most relevant work experiences

Everything else can be omitted without worrying about it.

Writing a really great two page resume

Never forget what you’re trying to achieve. You need to write a *great* resume, not a short one. If you’re omitting quality information because of the now long-dead one-page rule, you’re doing it wrong and most likely won’t get hired. If you’re cramping everything into a single page, sacrificing readability in the process, you’re doing it wrong again. A wall of text will just have the hiring managers throw your resume into the bin. Having a professionally written two-page resume is completely acceptable, especially if you have a rich professional career.

On the other hand, don’t overdo it. A two page resume is fine, three and more, not so much.

Why Your Resume Should Never Be Longer Than Two Pages

If you’re going beyond two pages, you’re adding too much information, most of which is most likely irrelevant. If you’re having trouble identifying which information to omit and which to keep, you might want to consult a professional resume writing company in Tempe, AZ.

Experienced writers will be more than happy to walk you through the process which will result in a well-crafted, high-quality resume. And such documents are setting you up for a successful career.

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