When was the last time you spruced up your resume? Experts recommend you update your resume after each position you hold or every six months in a position – as your duties could change. Now that we got that settled, how long is your resume? Contrary to popular belief, regardless of how many years of experience you have, you don’t need to stick to one page. With that being said, please don’t have pages and pages, detailing every experience you’ve had. You want to land somewhere in between. And since this changes based on the situation, we put together a guide for every job seeker. 

The One-Page Resume

New Grad or Early in Your Career

If you’re fresh out of school or less than four years into your career, chances are you won’t have enough information to fill more than a page. For graduates that are lacking professional work experience in your field, we recommend you highlight academic work and internships that relate to the position you’re applying for. If you’re a couple years into your career and have had the same position, it’s good to showcase accomplishments or projects you’ve been on to give the hiring manager a deeper understanding of what you can do. 

You Want to Change Industries

First of all, it’s totally normal to pivot in your career. It’s just as important to know what you don’t want compared to what you want. So if you’re considering a new industry or new type of role, a lengthier resume might not be relevant. The key is to focus on transferable skills and experiences versus job title. You’ll make a much stronger case for your candidacy.

The Two-Page or More Resume

Two pages are perfect for those of us with eight years or more of experience or those of us that work project-based. They are ideal for digging into your accomplishments in more detail and can offer brilliant subject sections to give your resume more context and clarity. Although you have two pages to work with, avoid cramming in all of your professional or volunteer experience. The general rule of thumb, include the last 10-15 years and make sure you tailor the resume for the specific role. This will ensure you highlight the most relevant skills. If you have gaps in your work history, the easy solution is to alter the section headings to “Relevant Work Experience.” This will alert the reader that it is not all-inclusive and only relevant work, so gaps won’t give you a disadvantage.