I am an advocate for resumes that can fit on one page. I find two-page resumes unappealing if there is no imperative reason behind them. Throughout my career, I have screened and interviewed many qualified applicants who had less than a decade of experience. This amount of expertise can be effectively summarized on one page in my view.
As a recruiter, it can be difficult to determine who is the right fit for your company when you are sifting through hundreds of resumes. You need to get an understanding of the person quickly and efficiently—without any superfluous details.
Even with a two-page resume, I have been able to condense it down into one page. To help you do the same, here are six simple tips and strategies that will ensure your resume is limited to only one page.
Cut out some content
If there’s an outdated or unnecessary experience on your resume, it might be time to trim down the details or get rid of them entirely.
For instance, after you have entered the working world for some time, your internships won’t need to be highlighted as much. In fact, doing so might give off an impression of inexperience in comparison to what you are currently striving for.
After gaining firsthand knowledge with one or two full-time jobs, list your internship experiences in a separate section called “Internship Experience” without any descriptive bullets. Alternatively, you can eliminate them completely from the resume if desired.
Unless the jobs you held while in school or looking for a career are pertinent to the positions you’re applying for, omit any gig work such as babysitting, bartending, and ice cream serving that helped you save up money.
Keep your bullets succinct
To make sure your resume stands out, keep the details of your experience concise and relevant. Rather than giving a comprehensive list of every task you’ve ever done in each job role, focus on the most important ones that are applicable to this particular position. Aim to keep the majority of your work history sections between three and six bullet points. When including more crucial roles, feel free to add extra bullets; however, if you had shorter stays at jobs that aren’t particularly impactful for the narrative flow on your resume, then it’s best to lower the number of bullet points used.
Your resume doesn’t need to be filled with all the details regarding your skills, volunteer experiences, and hobbies. You can simply list them side-by-side in separate bullets for a quick overview of who you are and what you do. But if volunteering is an important part of how you spend time, it’s worth giving this section more attention by having its own dedicated space on your resume that provides further information about your roles. For example:
- Skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Taleo, Photoshop, AS400
- Hobbies: Biking, tennis, photography
- Volunteer experience: Junior League, Boys and Girls Club
Transform your text with a different font style and size to make it stand out!
Times New Roman size 9.5 or 10 is the ideal font and size combination if you’re aiming for clarity and legibility, as well as saving up space in your document. If things are beginning to feel a bit congested, simply adjust the paragraph settings by increasing line spacing to 1.1 or 1.2 – this will ensure your writing looks neat and orderly!
Change your margins
Don’t let wide margins be the reason your resume spills onto page two – customize them by selecting document under format and setting Top=.3, Bottom=.65, Right/Left=.5 in Microsoft Word! This simple step can save you plenty of space so that all important details fit neatly on one page for a more effective presentation to hiring managers.
Reduce the size of your contact information
Many believe that the header of a resume must be flashy or large, but this isn’t true. To make your name stand out, you can increase its font size to 12 or 14 – no need for outrageous designs! Keep it simple and straightforward; boldness speaks louder than intricacy when it comes to resumes.
With the aid of these strategies, you’ll be able to condense all your remarkable credentials into one succinct page – a resource that recruiters will undoubtedly appreciate.
What resume strategies have been successful for you? Share your own advice and leave a comment!
Interested in learning what Vice President, Recruitment and Organization & Workplace Diversity at Disney ABC Television Group, Daisy Auger-Dominguez looks for when considering a candidate? Ask her directly! Get your questions answered by the mentor herself.
