Should a Resume be One Page? Examples & Advice (2025)

There’s a lot of discussion about resume length: Is one page best? Are two pages ever okay? How does the amount of experience factor in? What if you want a one-page resume but can’t figure out how to fit everything onto a single page? Does page length even matter? It’s enough to make your head spin.

Luckily, we have plenty of information to help you decide if a one-page resume is right for you and how to craft one that excites recruiters and hiring managers. 

Let’s get started.

Should your resume be one page?

There’s no hard and fast rule that your resume must be a single page. If you have less than five years of experience, it is a good idea to stick to one page, but beyond that, with more experience can come an additional page. In most cases, you don’t want to go past two pages. 

What’s most important is to determine how much experience you want to convey to the hiring manager or recruiter. If a job posting calls for 15 years of experience as an accountant and you’ve got exactly that, you should flaunt it in a longer resume. But if you’re applying to an entry-level role or making a career change with limited experience in your new field, one page may be best.

Generally, the advice is:

If your resume falls between 1 and 2 pages

1.5 pages can work if absolutely necessary, but ensure the content justifies the extra space. Avoid half-filled pages unless critical to showcase your experience.

If your second page is very short (e.g., one or two lines)

Rework your resume to fit a single page. A short second page can seem incomplete or poorly formatted.

Advantages of a one-page resume

Although it’s not required to use a one-page resume, there are some clear benefits to doing so.

• Clarity and conciseness. Placing your key information on a single page means it’s likely to be read and understood quickly.
• Focused information. Trying to fit your background onto one page can be tricky, but it forces you to include only the most important and impactful details.
• Design appeal. With a one-page resume, it can be easier to use a more impactful design and layout.
• Easy to manage. One-page resumes can be easier to update (you only need to focus on the one page) and, if anyone prints it out, there’s no chance of additional pages getting lost in the shuffle.
• Great for less extensive experience. A one-page resume showcases your experience front and center, even if you don’t have a robust professional history.
• Avoid ATS hassles. Some applicant tracking systems have difficulty accurately parsing documents, so the shorter yours is, the less annoyance you’ll face.

Disadvantages of one-page resumes

One-page resumes aren’t the perfect solution to every job hunt. Along with the benefits, there are some clear disadvantages to be aware of as well. 

• Less room. Keeping everything within one page can be difficult, especially when you want to use a crisp layout with a regular-sized font and ample balance between text and white space.
• Difficult for senior professionals. The more experience you have, the harder it will be to fit onto one page. While you still want to be concise and avoid irrelevant information, if you're an experienced professional, one page probably isn’t enough.
• Risk of appearing less experienced. Using a single-page resume can make some hiring managers assume you lack experience; their thought is that if you had more experience, you'd use more pages. While this is not an accurate assumption, it’s one to be aware of.
• Hard to add additional sections. If you want to showcase additional information—like awards, patents, certifications, or volunteer work—a one-page resume may not afford you enough room.
• Challenging to tailor. It’s a best practice to tailor your resume to each unique role, but when you try to fit everything onto one page, there’s less information to tailor. Plus, if you want to add extra information to appeal to a certain role, you may not have the space.

How to fit your resume on one page?

If you’ve determined that the advantages of a one-page resume outweigh the cons, what’s the best way to fit everything onto a single page? 

• Make use of columns or templates. You can maximize space by using a resume template that divides information into columns, allowing you to provide enough information without taking up two or more pages. There are plenty of options to choose from at resume.io.

• Use concise language. Keep your wording as concise as possible. Don’t waste space on pronouns like “I” or “my” and use bullet points instead of writing full sentences. To make your resume as impactful as possible, use results-based bullet points. These go beyond just stating your daily responsibilities and instead showcase your specific achievements.
• Try a different font—or font size. Some fonts appear larger than others, so find one that looks professional and easy to read while taking up less space on the page.
You can also play around with the size of the font you use, but be reasonable. Don’t go smaller than size 10 or you risk the document being difficult to read.

• Alter the margins. Using smaller margins can help you fit more information onto the page by reducing the amount of whitespace on the sides, top, and bottom of your resume. Remember not to go too far outside the norm, though, or your format could be compromised (especially if you plan to print your resume).
• Slash extraneous information. While it’s always important to put your best foot forward, you probably don’t need to include everything you’ve ever accomplished on your resume. Part of tailoring your resume is knowing what you should add, but also what you should remove.

What not to include in a one-page resume

Crafting the most compelling one-page resume requires going beyond adding the right info: what you don’t include can be just as important. 

There are plenty of things that don’t belong on a resume at all, whether one page or two, such as:

• Personal details. Don’t include your street address. It’s outdated and can be unsafe, personal information like your birth date or social security number, or family details like whether you're married or have children.
• A photo. At least in most professions in the US, it’s not customary to include a photo or headshot on a resume.
• References. There’s no need to list your references—or to write “References available upon request”—on your resume. Every employer knows that if they want references, they can request them from you; it’s a given.
• Salary information. Avoid listing your pay history. There’s no benefit and it can make negotiating difficult later.
• Graphics. While light design elements can be appealing, especially in creative fields, including large graphics or images takes up space and can be distracting.

Aside from these general resume no-gos, there are a few things you should avoid specifically when fitting your resume onto a single page:

• Old or less relevant experience. While it’s never helpful to include completely irrelevant work history, sometimes you can get away with sharing slightly older experiences or positions that are a little less related to the new role. Writing a one-page resume is not one of those times.
• Extensive education information. List your education, but you can forego additional details if you’re more than a few years out of school. The same goes for certifications—include only the most relevant.
• Too much information. One page necessitates only including the most relevant, concise details you can.
• Long lists of skills. List the most relevant skills for the role and leave off anything else; try to list 10 or fewer to save space.

Tips for writing a one-page resume

It may feel daunting to write a one-page resume, but we’ve got plenty of tips and tricks to help you out. 

First, find a strong layout that will help you maximize space and professionally convey your experience. Remember that you can decrease your margins and font size to fit more text, but don’t overdo it. 

Include only the pertinent sections: header, summary, experience, education, and skills. You can avoid a resume objective, personal information, hobbies, and other irrelevant details. 

When writing your bullet points, make them concise while still reflecting your capabilities. The best way to do this is by using quantifiable metrics to show your specific achievements. That shows your skills in action and gives you a lot more credibility. There’s no need to include every single duty you were assigned. 

If you’re using a reverse chronological format, the bulk of your resume should be your experience. Keep the other sections, like education and skills, fairly short and only convey the most imperative details. 

Remember to tailor your resume to each job you apply to, ensuring every resume you send has the most relevant information to show your fit. Keep in mind, too, that a one-page resume is about quality, not quantity, so there may be some details you must leave off. 

Best layout for a one-page resume

There isn’t a single layout that’s best for a one-page resume, but one with columns often works better for a single page than for two pages. And, of course, a layout with columns can help you fit more information onto your one-page resume. 

Beyond that, there are plenty of layouts that can work whether you’re looking for something simple, modern, professional, or creative. Make sure whatever resume layout you choose is easy to read, not too cluttered or distracting, and presents you professionally.