How Many Pages Should My Resume Be?

true for engineering resumes as well as sales and marketing resumes. The rule that your resume should only be one page long no longer applies. The only hard and fast rule about page count in a professional resume is that there are few rules. Two pages, three pages? Perhaps. This is Jobs are competitive and employers need you to provide enough information for them to make the right decision. The question: How many pages should my resume be has become as complex as the common question: What should a resume look like.

This does not mean that your resume must be more than one page in length. Sure, one page may be all you need and including more than that could be at your disadvantage. Although many employers do not specify how long they want resumes to be, there are a few things you can keep in mind to help decide how many pages yours should be.

If you are going to make your resume two or more pages, you must have something useful to convey. The last thing you want is to waste employers' time. For a college student or a recent graduate, one page is often enough. Most college students lack enough experience to have a resume longer than that. Putting irrelevant information on your resume is only going to hurt you.

However, if that college student has engaged in many extra-curricular activities, internships, and part-time jobs, then this information will create a more professional resume. Only use this information if it applies to the job you are applying for. You may need to revise your resume slightly for each job. Employers eliminate those who don't seem qualified at a glance, so make sure everything you add is relevant.

For those with at least ten years professional work experience, your resume will likely take two pages. During these ten years, you may have had a job change, acquired new skills, or obtained more credible professional references. It is difficult to keep all that information to one page.

When your resume goes to more than a page, try to use at least half the page. You can adjust formatting and font size, if need be. Make sure every section is clearly labeled and your resume is easy to navigate.

Those who have a C-level position or another job at a high level and many years experience may even need a third page on occasion. Keep your resume current, covering information only from the last ten to fifteen years. Including job experience from a time period longer than that is unnecessary for most employers and will weigh down your resume.

Avoid including information like marital status, age, and birth date. This uses room on your resume that you could be using for other important information. It is also completely irrelevant to the job and a professional resume writer will never include such pointless data.