Resume Page Counts - How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be?

A question we hear often is, “Is it okay for my resume to be more than one page?”

The one-page resume used to be a hard-and-fast rule. ‘The times, they are a-changin’, but that hasn’t stopped pundits from touting their own answers as the ultimate truth. And so, resume page count is still an area full of debate and contradictory answers.

There’s one critical element that every answer to that question we’ve seen misses: the fundamental notion of a page itself.

You see, page count does matter, but not in the way you might think.

What Is a Page?

No, seriously, what is a page?

You’d agree that it’s a physical piece of paper, usually rectangular, that contains text, graphics, or both. It’s useful as a measurement unit for printed materials. Sometimes, it can also be useful as a reference in the digital realm.

In the days when paper resumes were mailed, delivered, or printed out by a company, pages were really something. By that, I mean that they were a tangible object that occupied physical space.

Today, with a minuscule percentage of resumes ever making it to actual paper, the notion of a digital resume page is effectively arbitrary. Mostly, we have it for hysterical raisins, a.k.a. “historical reasons.”

Think of the overwhelming majority of online content today, including this article—no page breaks. Only one long column of text from beginning to end.

First came ancient scrolls, then books, and now we’re back to scrolling. That’s because scrolls (and clay tablets) worked, but the innovation of books helped save physical space by breaking apart the text. Now that digital storage has taken much of the burden off our shelves, we can go back to the simplicity of the original approach.

But Digital Resume Page Count Is Useful (for Now)

That said, digital page counts can be useful to let the reader get a sense of how much material she’s going to have to go through.

Most people have a pretty good idea of how much text one page can hold. The size of a PDF or Word document page is usually based on the size of traditional physical pages. So, in that sense, keeping your resume at the lowest possible page count can be effective to show you’re direct and to the point.

But recruiters we’ve spoken to express that it’s really not that jarring to their user experience if they have to scroll down a little to view a second page, maybe even a third, as long as the information stays relevant and interesting.

We’ve taken all this into consideration, plus our experience with what works, to arrive at our resume length recommendation.

It’s quite plausible that, in not too many years, resumes—or whatever medium takes their place—will do away with page breaks and counts. LinkedIn profiles are already doing this. Being attached to the idea of resume pages may become detrimental.

So, don’t stress so much about page count that you muddle your value proposition. Focus on delivering your message clearly. You have a potential employer who needs you.

We’re happy to help you sort out any resume challenges or answer any questions you may have. Contact us to get started.