How Long Should a Resume Be

How long is too long for a resume? A question that’ll keep coming back again and again, in your quest for a job.

If you’re asking this question, chances are you have a certain resume structure in mind. But if you’re unsure what to do; you can check out How to Make a Professional Resume.

The length of a resume is often miscalculated and understated. The optimal length of your resume varies on multiple factors. These include the type of job you’re applying to, the stature of the targeted firm, and the experiences you’re required to showcase. But why is it so important to figure how many pages should a resume be? What could possibly go wrong with a miscalculated resume?

The answer to these questions is in this Statistic:
Recruiters skim your resumes at an average time of 7.4 seconds.
So, this means that an average employer glances at your resume for about 6-9 seconds. Making your document longer than 1-2 pages will divert the attention it gets in this time, which will then in turn hurt your chances of securing the job. Combining a cover letter with a decently written resume is entirely another thing. It can help your resume get noticed and read. If you’re thinking about it, you can take some time to learn How to Write a Cover Letter.

In here, we’ll be discussing the following topics to get you all cleared about the perfect length of your resume:

• How Long Should a Resume be in 2020?
• Resume Length and Why it Matters
• Is a 2 Page Resume OK?
• Is a 3 Page Resume too Long?
• How Far Back Should a Resume Go?

How Long Should a Resume be in 2020?

The landscape of hiring employees has changed considerably in the past few years. Interviews and selection methodologies are way more complex and involuted. In these times of accelerating competition, one question arises more than often: How many pages should a resume be?

• If you’re a fresh graduate or an entry-level applicant having no experience, you should use a 1 page resume.
• If you’ve been working in a field for 5+ years and have the required experience, you should use a 2 page resume.
• If you’re an accomplished academic person applying for a technical job, then you should use a 3 page resume.

Resume Length and Why it Matters

Gone are the times when the length of the resume indicated your relevance to the job. We are moving toward modern methods. In 1955, research revealed that 1 page resumes are easier to cover and hence attract your employer. But if we look at 2020, the methods have changed, and so have the ideal lengths of resumes.

According to an astonishing fact:
Job seekers spend an average of 11 hours a week looking for work.
So, if you’re one of those high-achievers, who have all the required experience, but can’t seem to get a job. Then you’re probably going wrong with the size and format of your resume.

The length of the document also helps to distinguish between a resume and a CV. CVs are generally lengthier than resumes. So, if you don’t want to give an impression of CV in your document, you should make it compact to look like a resume. CV and resume are often linked with each other. While in reality, there are huge differences in their uses. You can get to understand them by our previous article CV or Resume; What is the Difference?

Is a 2 Page Resume OK?

There is no certain answer to “how long is too for a resume?”. For Example, if you’re an engineer with plenty of experience in project handling. You’d like to talk about them in your resume. This way, the employer will get an idea of your work and will prefer you for an interview.

According to a study,
2 page Resumes have 70% more chances of attracting the Employer, as compared to 1 page Resumes.

So, if you have sufficient experience to back you, you should prefer to go with a 2 page resume, that can highlight your skills accordingly.

Is a 3 Page Resume too Long?

The answer is: Yes (in most cases). A 3 page resume can lose the interest of your employer and can make you look showy. If you’re applying for a standard job with about 5-10 years of experience in the field, then a 2 page resume is your best bet.

But there’s a twist. In some conditions, you may need to apply for a technical or academic position requiring a lot of experience. In such circumstances, you can go for a 3 page (or even longer) resume.

How Far Back Should a Resume Go?

Resumes should be entirely industry-related. You should mold into the shape; your employer wants to see. Adding an experience about a company, that closed 15 years ago, is not professional. To make the resumes as succinct as possible, you should be compact with their use.

That is why, you should only go back about 10 years. Anything before that should be avoided when applying for a job. With that said, only include experiences relevant to the job. For Example, mentioning a fine arts experience while applying for a marketing gig isn’t going to help you.

Conclusion

There could be many answers to “how many pages should a resume be?”. What matters is your job description and relevant experiences. While deciding on the length of your resume, be sure to create a relevant and concise document.

It should be easy to read and attractive. Don’t stuff it with bulky words and smaller fonts, just so it can fit into 1 page. Instead, take the risk of going into the second page while remaining compact and expressive at the same time. If you think that the technique is not working for you, try out different formats and notice the response it gets from the employer.