Ideal Length of a Resume

kaushikangara Level 1

November 21, 2018, 8:41 am

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Ideal Length of a Resume

Hello all, I have a two page resume of my profile. I was wondering what would be ideal length of a resume. Most of the people say it should be restricted to a single page as most recruiters do not have the time to go through all the details mentioned. But, the thing is I have too many details to be written out on a single page and all of them are very important. I have work experience, internships, academic awards, a summer school participation, and a lot of other miscellaneous stuff that cannot be neglected and which I consider to be highly worthy content. How long is your resume? I would want to know more.

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katarinamurtin

katarinamurtin

I am not very well informed when it comes to resume, but I recommend you, if you have " work experience, internships, academic awards, a summer school participation, and a lot of other miscellaneous stuff that cannot be neglected" to leave it and hand over the two page resume. That is better than having one page with font size so small you need magnifying glass.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

Two pages are not bad. The print also should be legible enough. If you squeeze on one page then you will be forced to use small print.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Well, if you have some work experience 2 pages are good for you, but if you don't have any job experience, you should have only one.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I agree. It is better to put the most important details and experiences of yours to your resume because it might come in handy. It would be better to have a clear and space-wised resume than do a resume that has a small fonts, that may leave a negative expression to the interviewer.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Yes, the employer can easily look at it, just point out all the necessary information so they can easily read it.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

We just need to consider the place of the employer. That if we are in their position, we also don't like to read a long resume. I think that's the first thing that we should consider when applying for a job.

6 years ago

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jayjaydimson

jayjaydimson

Well, if you are a fresh graduate and doesn't have a work experience yet, you should have at least 1 paper.

6 years ago

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stbrians

stbrians

I suggest that you print about two pages. You can make the fonds large enough to be easy to read. How can someone restrict you to one page?

6 years ago

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Barida

Barida

This so the standard way to do it. There is no how you will make it just one page and feel that it is going to convince the employer that easily unless there is going to be another form of oral interview to go with it.

6 years ago

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stormbreaker10

stormbreaker10

Its good if the font is largest than usual but is better to be normal font size only, i think 14 is enough.

6 years ago

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Bravosi

Bravosi

Resume is very important as you know, so it has to be done efficiently.
It must look nor too long or too short.

I always write no more than one page, with a short summary of my employment history.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

I agree with you. Even if you think that a very long resume would impress the employer, wrong, not all of them. The same goes for very short resumes.

6 years ago

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mcnasci24

mcnasci24

As a former boss would tell me, "size does matter (on your CV)." Regarding the answer to your question, I have to separate it into two cases:

1. Persons without work experience or with work experience of 1 or 2 companies: In this case, your curriculum vitae never (I repeat, never) must exceed one page.

Now, that you should use a single page does not mean that you will put the font size tiny or huge. I have seen both cases and although the CV is on a single page, to do those "tricks" with the size of the font makes the curriculum look really bad.

2. People with extensive work experience (more than 3 companies or positions): In this case, the curriculum vitae can reach 2 pages.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

Oh! This is a good eye opener. Someone told me that it's better to have one page. But, that was when I was still starting. I didn't think it through.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

Super helpful advice for people who are wondering about their skills and the appropriate length of a resume! I think those guidelines are helpful in keeping things concise and to the point.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

It is always important to write all about what you are required to and the longer your experience and certifications then the longer it might be.

6 years ago

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Franzel2oo

Franzel2oo

I once heard an employer say the most important part on a resume for employers is not where you went to school, or what grades you had while there. They are often interested in the "Work Experience" section. I guess people want to feel comfortable hiring a person they know practically nothing about. Nothing is more reassuring than a person who has previous experience in the job they are seeking. So how long should your resume be? My advice is keep everything brief and focus more on gaining the proper experience.

I should add that, this is no "one rule applies to all".

6 years ago

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Jelineex

Jelineex

I agree with you no "one rule applies to all". Sometimes, what we think is important is not for others. Long or short resume may seem inviting and interesting but the interview does matter. Let those employer feels that you are willing to learn and sincere in your desires. Always have an eye contact with your interviewer.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

I think two pages is plenty. Any more than that and it's just more for a potential interviewer to read. List the key points on there, and put something like "more information available upon request". IMO you've got to leave them wanting more - being punchy and to the point makes a potential interviewer intrigued and wanting to learn more about you.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

Someone actually told me that as much as possible, make your resume just one page. Also make sure that the highlights of your skills or experiences should be on the first page because there are employers who just scan the first page and may be unable to flip to the next one.

6 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

I used to handle the interview for the applicants to vacancies in our department. I'm not saying it is the standard but I usually see 4 to 5 pages of resumes. Most of the applicants have work experience of at least 2 years but when the work experience is longer, the resume gets longer too. For me, it is 4 pages long that is the optimum because I get tired in reading long resumes especially those longer than 5 pages.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

That’s what I worry about with longer resumes - that people will get bored reading them anyway. I’ve even heard of things that are too long just getting thrown in the trash.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

For me the ideal length of a resume is between one to two pages because employers prefer the shorter ones to save time and to have some sort of convenience.

6 years ago

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burgosmichael24

burgosmichael24

A two pages resume for someone with work experiences is ideal for me. When you are applying for a specific position, you don't have to write all your details like seminars and trainings as well as awards and achievements. Write only those things you think are necessary for you to get that job. Focus on your strength related to the position you are applying for. Focus on your strength and advantages.

6 years ago

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superlicca

superlicca

I believe that two pages of resume are not bad. That is the most common number of page for a resume. And as long as the information that you have on your resume is important then you can add them to your resume.

6 years ago

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edencaga

edencaga

Some says two to three pages are enough. Just don't detail it too much. Just put the most important highlights like objectives skills and experience. This was told by our professor before as hr gets tired of reading longer pages than 1 to 3 pages. If you have longer experience you may want to summarize less or just put some of the good companies you have work.

6 years ago

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emiaj55

emiaj55

If you feel that all of your past experiences would be of great advantage to the position you are applying for, then go for two pages. But if some of your experience do not really give you points for your applied position, it is wiser to not include them and stick to a single page. Include only those that would put you in your desired position.

6 years ago

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stormbreaker10

stormbreaker10

I think just to be true of what your putting information at resume. If you too many achievement, atleast filter your achievements that company is looking for or can help you too.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

This is exactly what I meant by saying that the resume should be written in such a way that it's just going to be concise.

It's good to add all your details but it's more important to add the ones that would be helpful for you in the particular job you are looking for.

6 years ago

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theresajane

theresajane

That is a very good point no matter how short and long your resume is. What's more important is the truth.

6 years ago

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gutzman

gutzman

I don't think that there's a problem with this as long as the details you've written is precise, accurate and complete. These three characteristics of a good resume is very important. Just avoid including things that aren't necessary in your resume which consumes too many spaces or writing something that is confusing, like writing a noble instead of just writing down two to three words for an information.

6 years ago

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jaymish3

jaymish3

It depends on how modern the company and its human resource office is. If it is a modern company a one page resume that has a summary of everything is sufficient. If it is an old company that still has old human resource practices then the lengthier the resume the better.Modern human resource practitioners prefer shorter resumes that they can scheme through at a glance. They are so many people applying for job vacancies no one has the time to read through a lengthy resume. Write a resume that describes who you are from the beginning.

6 years ago

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ajahcuizon

ajahcuizon

I, personally, have a two pages resume as I included my skills and work experiences to add up more information about myself. For me, I limit myself in 2 pages maximum of resume in order for the HR to read it fast and concise. You only have to put all the information that you think can help you to win the job. Do not put in too much information because the interviewer might feel lazy reading it. Make it short but sweet and professional.

6 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

In my opinion, you should try and keep it as simple as possible but let it be concise and well informative because when it lacks the requirements in the needed information, it's already a useless paper.

Keeping it at a maximum of 3 pages isn't a bad idea in my opinion.

6 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

Funnily enough, I’ve actually never had to write a resume because all of my employers actually directly approached me to work for them. I say that not to gloat, but to point out that I actually don’t have any experience in writing resumes, but I have read up a lot about them in preparation for doing so.

In any case, most people seem the agree that the ideal length of a resume is two pages. Many employers have stated that three pages is already pushing it, and that the content has to be well worth their while for them to consider it. Anything more than three is probably not even going to be read.

6 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I do think that 2-3 pages of resume is enough for employers to get an overview of an applicants profile. Sometimes having a very long resume is counter productive, it's best to just have a few pages by sticking to the important stuff.

6 years ago

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knnon

knnon

As people would say one page is ideal, but since you have a lot of important things jotted down on your resume then a two page is fine. I was going to suggest using a smaller font but smaller font might not make your resume readable and it might end up annoying your future employer reading such small words because I know I would definitely be annoyed with really small fonts.

6 years ago

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mhingnhormz

mhingnhormz

Ideal length of resume: Making a resume be sure that it can capture the heart and mind of the evaluators, make sure that all needed information especially in presenting your self are complete, your skills and knowledge that you can be proud of don't forget to share it there in short as long as you put all your information that you want to share it in your evaluators don't mind how short or long your resume is.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

I agree that we only just need those important information to be attached on our resume, only those that are really needed and applicable so that employers would be impress on our resume. It is very important that our resume should look neat and clean as much as possible since it will really reflects our personality as an applicant.

6 years ago

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Youngshark

Youngshark

Two pages is ideal my friend as long as you have included all the important staff about your academic life and skills that you have as well as your experience.

6 years ago

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jpk0007

jpk0007

I think that a one or two page resume is the most ideal for both the employer and the Employee. I dont think that longer resumes are required by any professional organization. The most important part of the resume is your work experience and your educational qualification. The employer has no time to go through all your personal details and hobbies etc. Some candidates try to include as much information about themselves as they can in order to impress the employer. This is not required and often can make your resume look very unprofessinal.

6 years ago

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amelia88

amelia88

I think sometimes these days people even forego hard copy resumes since most of that work history is available on sites like LinkedIn. Using those from a recruitment point of view can be handy!

6 years ago

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agbuyarashel

agbuyarashel

You should minimize the paragraph spacing or decrease the font size a bit.
Also, just make everything simple and just include the main idea so that when they call you for an interview, that's the time where you can say more. You'll tell them everything that you miss in your resume.

6 years ago

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esteban123

esteban123

Sometimes it is very hard to set some ideal length when it comes to resume especially if we have a lot of working experiences and achievements already since for sure it will make our resume longer than the traditional ones. It would be tough to summarize those important details that we really need to attach on our resume to make it looks good and interesting. It must have the ability to impress our employers as much as possible.

6 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

I think 2 pages at most. Anything beyond that is pushing it.

6 years ago

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