When it comes to resumes, many job seekers hang onto outdated ideas and practices, such as including a street address, featuring an “Objective,” or assuming the document should be only one page. In this post I’ll address the question, “How long should a resume be in 2025?”
(Of course, the answer will apply to 2024, and beyond 2025 as well.)
In recent years, I’ve read survey after survey confirming that most recruiters prefer to receive a two-page resume, unless the position is entry level.
Why the change? It may be for the same reason that interview and hiring processes are longer and more complex than they used to be: because employers are increasingly concerned about the high cost of a hiring mistake. They want to make sure they’re interviewing and hiring the right person, and they hope that obtaining more information may help them do that.
Who should consider a resume longer than one page?
Anyone with more than a few years of work experience should think about including an additional page. If you have plenty to say for yourself, it’s likely you should go beyond a page.
Why should your resume be two pages (probably)?
There’s a lot of value you can convey, given this extra space.
Accomplishments in addition to job responsibilities: Responsibilities show what you’ve done, but accomplishments show the results and impact of your work. That can mean naming the projects you’ve completed, initiatives you’ve led and problems you’ve solved, among other items. In each case, be sure to convey results–quantified if possible–and how your work benefited the company.
Context: Recruiters like to know understand what kind of companies you’ve workd for. It’s usually helpful to add a line above each job description (right after the company, location, job title and dates) stating the nature of the business, such as Global leader in professional staffing and consulting services, with more than 700 offices worldwide, or Leading online retailer in swim goods, known for cutting-edge e-commerce marketing. Putting this description in italics helps differentiate it from the surrounding information. This line can also show what was prestigious about your employer, which reflects well on you.
Core Competencies and Skills: Many modern resumes include a “Core Competencies” section near the top, highlighting essential abilities such as “Social Media Marketing,” “Team Leadership & Development” or “Partner Relationship Management.”
The heading “Skills” is more commonly used for technical skills and tools, which can be equally important or more so, depending on your occupation.
LinkedIn recommendations and other kudos: Social proof is increasingly powerful in our reviews-driven world. Why not have previous bosses and/or co-workers vouch for you, right there in your resume? This cutting-edge technique can raise your resume’s credibility, not to mention the way those quotes pop off the page and grab attention.
Branding: Should a recruiter have to read your whole resume before they understand what’s special about you? Why not make that clear within the first third of the page? Craft a compelling introduction that includes any of the following elements:
- Headline, which succinctly communicates who you are and the type of role you’re seeking. For example, “Higher Education Management Professional,” “Marketing Leader,” or “Quality Assurance Engineer.”
- Subhead, which can be either a tagline such as “Dynamic Results in Business Process Improvement,” or a few key skills or selling points, such as “Networking | Security | MacOS/io.”
- A three- to five-line paragraph, or three to six bullets, conveying some of your key selling points.
And more: read my post, 7 Surprising Things You Can Put on Your Resume.
What about three pages, or four…?
Although two pages is the “sweet spot” for most job seekers, you may want to consider additional pages if your work is highly technical, if you are a C-level executive, or if you’re a professor, a doctor, or in some other profession where a curriculum vitae (CV) is expected instead of a resume.
So, how long should your resume be in 2025 and the foreseeable future?
Ultimately, you want a resume length that works. For all of the reasons above, there’s a good chance that means two pages. And for more help with what to put in those pages, read my post, 10 Resume Must-haves.
