Anyone can use a one-page resume no matter how many years of experience you have.
But you might’ve come across conflicting advice online regarding the best length to keep your resume at.
That’s why in this guide, we’ll be going through whether or not it’s the better option, including:
- The advantages and disadvantages
- One-page resume examples for all job levels
- How to keep your application one page long
- What information should come first
- What information could be removed
Here’s all that you need to know.
Are One-Page Resumes the Best?
It’s ideal because it’s easier and faster for recruiters to go through your application.
The average amount of time employers spend reading resumes is less than 10 seconds. Within that short span of time, get them to remember the most important parts of your resume.
How?
By keeping your application condensed into a single page. As opposed to a two-page resume, one-page resumes take less time and effort to read through.
A two-page resume means having to get through both pages from start to finish. It’s the same with a one-page resume except there isn’t an extra page to review. So, they’ll be putting all their attention on what they have in front of them without worrying about what comes next.
And assuming it’s well written, they’ll stop for an extra second to finish reading a point. This can leave a lasting first impression.
The Advantages of a One Page Resume
You might have heard of the saying “less is more”. But here’s what it actually does for your resume:
- It makes your achievements stand out
- Your application becomes easier to read
- Respects your employer’s time
- Demonstrates writing skills, efficiency, and creativity
The Disadvantages of a One Page Resume
The only cons of keeping your resume to a single page are that:
- Less space means having less things to include in your resume
- Listing more than 8 years of work experience could look cluttered
So… Should You Not Use Two-Page Resumes?
A can a resume be 2 pages isn’t recommended as an option unless you have more than 8 years of work experience. They’re used only to fit in all relevant information possible. As seasoned professionals use this type of resume, they’ll have a lot to talk about and a single page simply isn’t enough.
Even then, it doesn’t change the fact recruiters spend only a few seconds reviewing your application. This is why we still suggest one-page resumes to job seekers at all levels.
One-Page Resume Examples for Different Job Levels
To be more precise about the value of a one-page resume, let’s go through a few examples for different job levels.
Each of these is free to use and optimized to beat the applicant tracking system (ATS). In other words, they’re designed for you to overcome the initial hiring phase to increase the chances of landing an interview.
If your job wasn’t listed below, you might find it in our free samples library of over 300 resumes here.
Entry-Level One Page Resume
Below is an entry-level resume example for a web developer. One way to entry level resume tips is to use additional sections.
Mid-Level One Page Resume
The front-end developer resume below is another good example. It keeps the additional section of coursework minimal. This way, you can maximize the amount of content you write for your work experience.
Manager One Page Resume
The technical project manager sample uses a bold resume format. It’s different yet highly readable. The candidate is selective with what they’ve chosen to write about.
Senior Level One Page Resume
The senior business analyst resume example below was designed to help a candidate apply for Deloitte.
Executive Level One Page Resume
The chief product officer resume template below is a great example of being minimal.
Workers at this level will have many different things they could talk about. However, it’s clear how intentional you are when you keep everything down to a single page.
How to Keep Your Resume One Page Long Even If You Have More Than 8 Years of Work Experience
What job seekers tend to do is include as many things as they can. Whether that’s hobbies and interests, or coursework they’ve completed… They determine the quality of their application based on quantity rather than relevance.
The only exception to quantity here is when you have how to make a resume with no experience.
In total, there are 12 things you can do to condense your application into a single page. Let’s get right into it.
Adjust Your Resume Format Settings
The ats resume format include things such as:
- Line height
- Font size
- Spacing
- Margins
Try adjusting each of these to a tolerable point where your application can still be read by both an ATS and human reader.
Use a Resume Template Optimized for Space
Did adjusting the format settings not work? Then it might be worth changing the resume template you’re using.
It’s not surprising if you feel you haven’t got enough space when you’re using Google docs or a Microsoft word document. Most times, the default template here isn’t fully optimized for:
- Maintaining a one-page resume
- Beating the resume scanners
ATS resume templates like the compact resume template are designed in a way that allows you to write more words in less space without sacrificing readability.
Try a Different Resume Font
A different professional font could do the trick.
Some fonts take up more space than others. Likewise, there are fonts that take up less space than others. A few of these alternative options are also highly readable and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Be Deliberate About Your Work Experience
You don’t need to begin listing your what to write in a resume for work experience from your very first job.
While corporate experience is valuable, there’s no rule stating you need to list everything you can. The more important aspect is how relevant the job positions are and if there are a range of transferable skills you’ve learned or developed.
A minimum of 2 jobs would be good, 3-4 is also a good number to aim for. But feel free to include more as long as they’re useful. If you decide to list jobs from more than 5 years ago, then you can omit the description for these roles.
Focus on Work Achievements Rather Than Responsibilities
Make your work achievements the priority. Not all the job duties and responsibilities you carried out in the past.
It’s not necessary to talk about your daily routine and what you did during every hour in previous companies. The recruiter will already be aware of what the job entails. What they want to know about you is whether or not you’re the best person to hire.
So ask yourself, what are things that truly demonstrate your expertise?
Cut Down the Summary Section
Even a single sentence can be more than enough for the summary section of your resume.
It should be no more than 3 sentences long and 3 lines long. This is also an optional element in your application, so you have the option to leave the entire section out if necessary.
Cut Down the Education Section
The main details required for your how to list education on resume are the following:
- Qualification title
- Place of study
- Year of graduation (optional if you’ve graduated more than 10 years ago)
List your place of study and year of graduation horizontally to save space. Or if you have more than one qualification you want to mention, all these details could be listed horizontally too.
Here’s a few examples below.
Cut Down the Skills Section
When you have a variety of skills you want to list, categorize them. It makes the section more readable by adding specificity.
Alternatively, you might only list a few. In this case, make sure they’re resume keywords as well as crucial skills for carrying out the job. Going back to what we said earlier, be deliberate with what you write about.
Get Rid of Optional Sections
Only focus on what’s most relevant to the job criteria.
The additional sections on your resume such as hobbies and interests might not be as compelling to the hiring manager.
Everything you write about should help employers get a measure of what you’re capable of. So put your technical skills and knowledge first before all else. Writing fluff makes an application less convincing compared to a how to tailor your resume to a job that pinpoints your strengths.
Reconsider Your Word Choices
Some resume buzzwords to avoid that you’ve used could be replaceable. The same applies to your weak action verbs resume.
Although there are ways to rephrase your sentences, there might also be words you could replace with another that takes up less space. When used in the right context, it can help with keeping your resume condensed into a single page.
Follow the Best Bullet Point Practices
Following the best how many bullet points per job on resume enables you to keep your application concise.
Some sections such as your work experience will use bullet points as a vertical list to make it readable. In contrast, other parts of your resume such as the skills section may not need bullet points at all.
Here are some more common practices:
- Ensure sentences are one line long
- Start with an action verb
- Quantify your descriptions
Forget the Resume References Section
It’s normal to leave the references section out of your resume.
From the ats resume, you’ll notice that there’s no references section mentioned. It used to be a thing in the past but now they’re not necessary unless it’s been stated in the job description.
Not only does it take up valuable space. It prevents you from writing about other things which are more important.
What Sections Should Be Prioritized the Most?
The essential resume sections you’ll need are:
- Work experience
- Education
- Skills
Everything else other than these is optional. That said, don’t let it stop you from including other resume sections. Most importantly, it needs to demonstrate your skills and reinforce your professional summary.
Analyze the job description. If you’re conflicted about what you should remove, try to keep them both. Edit the format and sentences first before resorting to removing blocks of content.
What Information Could Be Removed in a Resume?
There are bits of information that don’t always belong in a resume. The only time these should be mentioned is if it’s a job requirement or if you’ve been directly asked by your employers to include them.
Here’s what could be removed:
- Street address – the only location details required is the country and city.
- References – as mentioned, it’s common to leave this out.
- Older jobs – job positions exceeding 10 years could be omitted.
- Personal details – only your contact information is required.
Moreover, the descriptions for jobs exceeding the 5 year mark can be omitted. The bullet points of minor details under your qualifications such as your GPA could also be omitted.
After completing your resume, go through it again and how to edit resume accordingly.
Never Get Conflicted Again Over What Should Be Deleted
Being forced to choose one resume section or sentence over another is painful.
You know those details match the job description and they’re strong representations of what you’re capable of.
But then again – it seems like you don’t have any other choice.
It keeps going over the one-page mark and it feels near impossible unless you remove one of those key bits of information…
You’re not the only one.
More than 245,000 job seekers had similar struggles initially but were able to create a one-page resume with ease. In the end, over 50% of all those candidates managed to secure an interview for the job they were applying for. This includes top companies like Apple and Facebook.
Here’s the tools that helped them get there:
- AI bullet point writer
- AI bullet point editor
- Real-time content feedback
If you want free access to all these resources including 300+ fully optimized resume templates, all you need to do is sign up here.
One-Page Resumes Are Your Best Friend
There are two things to look at to shred your resume down to a single page:
- What you’ve written in your resume
- The format of your resume
It’s not as difficult as it seems when you know what details are essential and what aren’t.
On top of making it easier for the reader to find your strengths at first glance, it makes your application more compelling since these are the things they’ll notice.
If you have less than 8 years of work experience then one-page resumes are a must.
And if you have more than 8 years of work experience, they’re still a must. But it’s up to your professional judgment to decide how important the extra details you want to include are. If they’re really that important, then don’t shy away from a two-page resume.
