The honest answer is as long as it needs to be, and for almost everyone that means one or two pages. The goal is not to hit a page count. It is to make sure every line earns its place.
A guide by experience
- Students and first jobs: one page.
- Under about 10 years of experience: one page is usually enough, and two is fine if it is all relevant.
- 10 years or more: two pages is common.
- Academic, medical and some government roles: longer documents may be expected, so follow the instructions in the posting.
What recruiters actually need
A recruiter usually starts with a quick scan: your current role, your recent experience, and whether your skills match. Put your strongest information near the top of page one, so it gets seen no matter how long the document is.
How to shorten a resume
- Cut roles from more than 10 or 15 years ago, or reduce them to one line.
- Limit older jobs to two or three bullets.
- Remove duties anyone in that job would do, and keep your results.
- Delete “references available on request” if you need the space.
- Use a tighter template or a slightly smaller font size.
If you go to two pages
Make the second page worth reading. Try to fill at least half of it, and avoid leaving a section heading stranded at the bottom of page one. Put your name in the file name, too, so nothing gets lost.
Do not shrink it to fit
Tiny type and narrow margins make a resume harder to read, not shorter. If it will not fit at a comfortable size, edit the words instead.