How long should your resume be? First let’s consider the risks of choosing the wrong length for your experience, then I’ll talk about how to choose the right length.
Everyone knows that listing too little information is detrimental. But people sometimes wonder: can it hurt to include too much information?
Yes, yes it can. Here’s why. First and most importantly, too much information makes your resume hard for readers to skim quickly. Resumes that are quick to skim get read more often and garner more respect. Second, it’s a strike against you if you’re applying for any position that requires you to prioritize tasks. If your resume doesn’t prioritize your experiences thoughtfully, the reader could infer that you won’t be good at prioritizing tasks on the job, either. Third, it’s respectful to the reader to be concise. No one, including a hiring manager, likes to feel like their time is being wasted. And finally, listing too much information is unflattering. Your resume is expected to include your most important experiences and accomplishments. The reader may think, “If being a middle school Spanish Club member is one of the most important things this person has ever done, then they obviously haven’t done much that’s important.”
What’s the right length for you? If you just finished college and your resume is 2 pages long, then you’re listing too much information. If you’ve been working for 30 years, then it should be challenging for you to fit everything into two pages. Everything in between is a little grey. As a rule of thumb, I recommend shooting for one page if you’ve been working less than 10 years, or two pages if you’ve been working for 10+ years. But there are lots of exceptions to this rule, so use your best judgement. If you’re really struggling to come up with content for a second page, leave it at one.