How Long Should a Resume Be?
4 min read
One page or two? The clear, modern rules for resume length by experience level — and how to cut a resume down without losing impact.
The short answer
A resume should be one page for most people with under 10 years of experience, and up to two pages for senior professionals with a long, relevant track record. Three pages is rarely justified outside academia or senior executive CVs.
Length by experience level
- Students & new grads: 1 page.
- 1–10 years of experience: 1 page (2 only if every line earns its place).
- 10+ years / senior roles: 1–2 pages.
- Academic CV, medicine, or executive: 2+ pages is acceptable.
How to cut a resume down
- Remove roles older than ~15 years or unrelated to the target job.
- Cut the bullets that describe duties rather than achievements.
- Tighten wording — drop "responsible for", articles, and filler.
- Reduce margins and use an efficient template before shrinking the font below 10pt.
Put this into practice
Build an ATS-friendly resume on a live canvas — free, no sign-up.
Create my resume — FreeFrequently asked questions
Is a two-page resume bad?
Not if you’ve earned it. For experienced professionals, two focused pages beat one cramped page. For early-career candidates, stick to one.
What font size should a resume be?
Body text 10–12pt, headings slightly larger. Don’t go below 10pt to fit more in — cut content instead.