How to Keep a Resume One Page

Writing a resume is one of the most nerve wracking and also boring things you are going to have to do while on the job hunt.

If you aren’t paying someone to write a resume for you, then you’re going to have to handle it on your own. And one of the tricky aspects of writing a resume is the formatting process.

Because, if you’re not experienced with writing resumes you might not know that you should keep a resume to one page. A single page resume is the standard norm and if you’re not sending out a single page resume you are doing yourself a disservice.

This article won’t go into too much detail as to why a one page resume is preferable, but rather it’s going to focus on how to keep a resume to one page. It actually isn’t as easy as it sounds.

If you’re someone who is not experienced writing resumes, then you might end up with a multi-page resume which won’t be of any real benefit.

So, let’s jump in and look at how to keep your resume to one page.

Does Your Resume Have to be One Page?

While I won’t go into too much detail as to why a single paged resume is preferable, lets take a quick look.

First, the majority of employers and hiring managers don’t have the time to read through a ton of writing. If you are listing out multiple awards, dozens of job responsibilities, and a ton of other items, then odds are they will gloss over it.

Also, many employers who are hiring for a role might see a long, two page resume and determine that the person is overqualified and would not want to work for them. While this might not be true, it can very well prevent an employer from moving forward with your resume.

Finally, there is the ugly topic of age discrimination. Many employers do not want to hire older workers. They do this for a variety of reasons. Some of them simply do not want to pay a decent wage and believe that older workers will want a respectable salary. That’s why they only want to hire young people.

And there are still more employers who are straight out ageist. They will see a resume that is more than one page and simply trash it. So, to avoid these people make sure your resume is only one page.

How Long Should a Resume Be?

The simple answer is that your resume should only be one page. The more complicated answer is that your resume should be as long as it needs to be in order to get you the job.

More importantly, not all one page resumes are the same. There are some that are jam packed with information and too dense.

Then there are one page resumes where there is hardly any information. These resumes are written by people who barely even describe their former jobs and what they did at them. These resumes are worthless as well.

The sweet spot is a resume that is a single page and has all of the necessary information laid out.

Your resume should be visually appealing. If it’s too dense and hard to read, then you know that you’ve overstuffed your single page resume and made it too cluttered.

A cluttered resume is not worth anything. People who read and review resumes will simply pass them over much like they will skip over a long two-page resume.

Do not make the mistake and think that a tightly written single page resume is sufficient. If you over stuff if, you’re doing it wrong.

How To Shorten a Resume with Lots of Experience to One Page

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Another problem that you encounter when writing a resume is how to handle a lot of experience. It can be incredibly daunting to try and summarize a whole lifetime of work into a single one page document.

But, as we have discussed above, it’s important to not create a multi-page document. It’s just too much for the typical employer to read through.

So, how exactly are you supposed to handle this problem? If you are someone who has lots of experience, what is the solution when it comes to creating a resume?

Well, there are several ways:

The first tip is to cut out your first few jobs if you are someone who has several jobs listed on their resume. Really, there is no reason for someone who is applying for a C-Level role or a high level executive position to list every single job they’ve ever had. It looks ridiculous.

And most executives know this. However, you don’t have to be someone applying for executive level roles to take the hint. Simply model your resume after them.

You can start with your last few most recent roles. As long as they are substantial and display your relevant skills.

Believe me, no one cares about your first few entry level roles once you’re a decade into the work world.

Second, cut down any non-relevant info. While I suggest that recent grads list things like internships, volunteering, and even sororities and fraternities, it’s not something I think works well for more senior people.

If you are someone who is over 30 years old, then really you should not bother listing much about your college experience. Internships, etc… are used for recent grads to help them land their entry level job upon graduating.

Once you’ve been in the workplace, you can feel free to cut that stuff out of your resume. It’s simply not worth listing. It will be glossed over, and it will also clutter up your resume. It’s one of the main reasons why you won’t get an interview when submitting a resume.

A tight one page resume is a better use of your time when applying for roles.

Finally, what I advise is to keep your sections brief. Hit the main points: recent job titles, areas of expertise, key competencies, and job duties.

Don’t list out every single task you performed at your last three jobs. It will be overkill.

How To Fit a Resume On one Page in Word (or Adobe)

This is simple. Make sure you know how to view the outline of your document in word.

On the View Tab—select Print Layout. This will show you how the document looks as a single page.

You can Zoom out to view it from perspective of a single page and see how it looks.

Use this technique to make sure you’re not going over a single page.

Also, try and avoid anything that squishes the lines together or makes the resume too hard to read.

So, for instance, do not try and accomplish anything fancy with line spacing or font.

Really, what’s the purpose in squeezing your entire resume onto a single page if it’s too hard to read?

So, don’t try and be tricky and make it single spaced with small font. That is more than not just going to make the employer, recruiter, or whoever is reading the resume skim it or just skip it.

My final words of advice would be to be concise and don’t add more than necessary. Hit the main points on your resume and keep the flow moving.

For Adobe versions, just pre-test them in Word and then save the files as PDFs.