The Death of the One-Page Resume?

We've long been told to keep the resume to one page. But now that the job hunt has turned digital, job seekers are left wondering: Does that rule-of-thumb still stand?

While the answer depends largely on who you ask, many career coaches, recruiters, and hiring managers agree on something that comes as a shocker to job seekers who have edited, tweaked, and downsized fonts to abide by what was once regarded as a universal rule. If you need more than one page to showcase your fit for a position, they say, you should go for a second one.

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Comment by Paul S. Gumbinner on March 18, 2011 at 9:45am: I have always believed that a resume should be as long as necessary to give the following information: where did you work, what did you work on, how long were you there, did you get promoted and, if there were any significant accomplishments, what were they. I posted this on my blog a while ago. I don't think any of us mind resumes which run two pages (as long as they are not from someone only two years out of college), as long as they are not redundant. I tell candidates not to describe their jobs because most people will know what they do from their title, but rather to list one or two accomplishments which they want to be asked about since one of the great uses of resumes is as an interview guide. Paul S. Gumbinner, President, The Gumbinner Company, www.gumbinnercompany.com Blog: www.viewfrommadisonave.blogspot.com

Comment by Jerry Albright on March 18, 2011 at 10:07am: The "One page vs. Two Page" resume is perhaps one of the bigger non-topics around. What's the difference? Not being snarky here - just wonder why it's a topic at all....

Comment by Christopher Poreda on March 18, 2011 at 11:27am: Truth be told, in 12 years of recruiting I've never read a resume cover-to-cover. If I did, it's all I would be doing. I know what to look for and scan.

Resumes are designed to entice, not inform. Mandatory: education and an accounting of time between college and current. Name of company, title and two/three bullets of major a significant, with specifics if possible. Not "I increased sales by 30%"...More..."I increased sales by 30% by...."

Keep it one page.

Comment by Amber on March 18, 2011 at 11:58am: Jerry, I think it keeps coming up as a "topic" because it is always a huge topic of advice given to job seekers. So along with how long should it be, what "keywords" to use, etc. the job seeker has been bombarded with conflicting advice over and over. The real bottom line to what is "correct" lies in who's looking at it. That is one of the advantages a candidate has working with a good recruiter - they know what the person who is hiring wants and needs to see. And a good recruiter will be sure that's what the client gets.

Comment by Justin McMillin on March 18, 2011 at 12:13pm: One pagers are about as sensible as Hummers (dis on Hummers) - if you have relevant information that you need to convey, DO IT. This "rule" has no bearing in any kind of reputable organizations. And if it is adhered to and things are negated because of it - things I want to see - then shux, the job seeker decided to adhere to some trvial misconception rather than let me know what they bring to the table in however many pages it takes.

Comment by Justin McMillin on March 18, 2011 at 12:14pm: *Trivial

Comment by Jerry Albright on March 18, 2011 at 12:16pm: With so many ex-recruiters trying to make a go of job hunting tips, resume tips, etc. (still not sure how - but that's a different story....) they've got to keep circulating the same made-up concerns. Make people think something is an issue - when it's not - and then offer their brand of advice.

(This is not directed at Chris - the author of this post)

Comment by Maggie Theisen on March 18, 2011 at 1:01pm: I think that the 2 page resume is necessary. Candidates with 10 years of experience in different fields need more space to clearly summarize their experience. One page could limit their job descriptions and possibly have their resume pushed to the side in favor of another resume that is more descriptive. I do think that more than 2 pages is excessive and if you need more than 2 pages you might be over describing your skill set.

Comment by Marcia Tiemeyer on March 18, 2011 at 1:46pm: I'm in the IT world and If I see a one page resume, I assume that the candidate is just out of school. Since my clients want experienced people, I don't look at it at all. That resume has to tell me job history, Education and certifications, and techical skills, along with how they used those skills at each place of employment. I don't care if the resume is 4 pages long, if it takes that much space to tell my client what they want to know. If we have a candidate with ten years of experience, on one page, the first thing we do is tell them to elaborate. We need more information.

Comment by Valentino Martinez on March 18, 2011 at 1:47pm: RIP...one page resume, and the horse you rode in on (figuratively speaking--I love horsies).