How Long Should a Resume Be? A Definitive Guide to Resume Tips
Published on: May 7, 2025
In my decade of experience as a senior recruiter at Frontline Source Group, one of the most common questions I receive from job seekers is surprisingly straightforward: "How long should my resume be?" While this seems like a simple question, the answer requires nuance. As a nationwide staffing agency specializing in executive search and professional placement across various industries, we review thousands of resumes each month. Here's my professional guidance on resume length in today's competitive job market.
The Current State of Resume Length in 2025
The debate between one-page and two-page resumes has evolved significantly. According to recent studies, approximately 60.6% of job seekers use one-page resumes, while 29.7% opt for two-page resumes, with fewer than 10% submitting resumes that are three pages or longer. But what's more interesting is how recruiters are responding to these different formats.
Research by ResumeGo found that recruiters generally favor two-page resumes over one-page versions, but with important distinctions based on seniority. For entry-level positions, recruiters were only 1.4 times more likely to prefer a two-page resume, while for managerial positions, that preference jumped to 2.9 times. This data challenges the old "one-page rule" that dominated resume advice for decades.
My Recommendations Based on Career Stage
For Early Career Professionals (0-5 years experience)
If you're a recent graduate or have less than five years of professional experience, a one-page resume is typically your best option. At Frontline Source Group, we appreciate concise, focused resumes for entry-level positions because they demonstrate your ability to prioritize information.
Your resume should highlight your academic accomplishments, relevant part-time work, projects, or internships that demonstrate your readiness for the role. A concise resume emphasizes your top qualifications, making a stronger impression on employers who may be reviewing hundreds of applications.
For these positions, focus on quality over quantity. Each bullet point should showcase a specific achievement or responsibility and provide enough detail to give employers clear insight into your capabilities.
For Mid-Career Professionals (5-15 years experience)
With 5-15 years of experience, you're in a transition zone where either a one-page or two-page resume can work, depending on your specific situation. As a general rule of thumb, you can get away with one page for every 5-10 years of relevant experience you have.
If you can effectively communicate your qualifications on a single page without making the document cramped or difficult to read, there's no reason to force it to two pages. However, don't sacrifice important details just to maintain a one-page limit.
As Mary Morgan, SHRM-CP notes, "Keeping the resume to one page while leaving out crucial details may get you overlooked. Including keywords that database searches look for and basic information regarding your qualifications, such as education, certifications and location, can help you gain the recruiter's interest."
At Frontline Source Group, our AI software matches qualified candidates to positions, so ensuring your resume includes the right keywords and adequately represents your experience is crucial.
For Senior Professionals and Executives (15+ years experience)
If you're a senior professional with extensive experience or an executive, a two-page resume is entirely appropriate and often preferred. Two pages are generally acceptable for mid-level to senior-level professionals or those with extensive experience, allowing you to properly showcase strategic initiatives and significant career accomplishments.
When reviewing executive candidates at Frontline Source Group, we expect to see a comprehensive overview of leadership achievements and career progression. Senior-level managers or executives with impressive track records of leadership accomplishments often benefit from the additional space to properly document their expertise and impact.
Remember that even with a two-page resume, every word should count. Focus on your most recent and relevant roles, with less detail for positions from earlier in your career.
Quality Over Length: The Frontline Perspective
At Frontline Source Group, we don't automatically reject resumes based on length alone. What matters most to us is relevance and readability. As one expert puts it, "The job of your resume is to showcase the top 10% of your experience that's directly relevant to the role you're applying for."
Our screening process is designed to identify the best match between candidates and positions. We review each resume we receive carefully, but due to the volume of submissions, we cannot call every candidate who applied. That's why it's essential your resume has the correct contact information and clearly highlights your relevant qualifications.
Practical Tips for Optimizing Your Resume Length
No matter how long your resume is, here are some tips from our recruiting team at Frontline Source Group:
- Prioritize relevance: Focus on information directly related to the job you're targeting.
- Use concise language: Remove filler words (like "very" and "extremely") and minimize your use of adjectives.
- Format for readability: Recruiters would much rather read well-organized pages with relevant information than one page that's difficult to read with cramped text in a small font.
- Consider bullet point length: Keeping each bullet point to two lines makes it easier for reviewers to quickly understand your key qualifications.
- Focus on recent experience: In most cases, 15 years of experience is enough to demonstrate the skills necessary to succeed in a role.
- Quantify achievements: Where possible, use numbers to measure your impact rather than listing duties.
The Bottom Line
The ideal resume length depends on your career stage, the complexity of your experience, and the position you're applying for. While a concise document is always appreciated, don't sacrifice important information just to hit an arbitrary page limit.
At Frontline Source Group, we're looking for candidates who can effectively communicate their value proposition to employers. Whether that takes one page or two, what matters most is that your resume clearly demonstrates why you're the right person for the job.
Remember that your resume is often your first impression with potential employers. It should be polished, professional, and appropriately detailed to showcase your qualifications effectively. In today's competitive job market, the quality of your resume matters far more than adhering to outdated rules about length.
This blog post was written by Emily Longsworth, Senior Recruiter at Frontline Source Group, a nationwide professional staffing agency specializing in temporary, direct hire, and temp-to-hire recruitment across various industries including IT, Accounting, Finance, Administrative, Legal, and more.
