2 page resume or 1 page resume?
A question that bothers many professionals.
This article will make it all crystal clear for you!
Do you know how many words a resume has on average? A recent study of 133,000 resumes shows that it is around 500 words! That comes to roughly 1-page long resume.
A 1-page resume is generally considered a wise decision. In fact, a simple google search will show you hundreds of templates and formats specifically created for a 1 pager resume.
Especially if you are a fresher or entry-level professional, you will hear career coaches advising you to stick to a 1 pager!
How many pages should your resume have?
This is an ongoing debate. While we know that the average resume tends to have around 500 words, many resumes tend to have significantly more words, without losing their efficiency!
Let us look at some exciting findings of a 2018 study on resumes
- If you are a fresher or entry-level job opportunity, a 2-page resume has 40% more chances of getting preferred by the recruiters
- If you are mid-level position, a 2-page resume scores 160% higher chances of getting preferred
- And for the managerial job opportunities, your chances go up by 200% if you have a 2 page resume!
Clearly, there must be reasons why contrary to popular advice, 2-page resumes are scoring high when it comes to getting shortlisted for a job opening!
NOTE: It is important to note however that, especially for freshers, who are just out of college, a 1 page resume may be as good as a 2 page resume!
Read along to understand this better ….
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Why a 2 Page Resume increases your chances of getting shortlisted for a job by 130%
Time to dive into the details of the advantages of a 2-page resume over a 1-page resume. Read carefully …
1. Modern professionals do more and can show more
With the explosion of computers, the internet, and social media modern professionals get opportunities to do more and express more.
A software developer can be a YouTuber!
A marketing professional can be a LinkedIn influencer!
An artist or a sports professional may be an Instagram mini-celebrity!
A management professional may inspire thousands of professionals on Twitter!
You get the point!
In this modern connected world, there are so many ways to contribute! So many ways to showcase yourself!
Obviously, there is so much more that you can write in your resume!! This is why a 1-page resume may be insufficient for most modern professionals.
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2. Relevance becomes the differentiator
Each job opening in a respected company attracts 250 or more job applications!
Most of these resumes look more or less the same.
Most of the job applicants have more or less the same experience!
So, if do not have brilliant academic records or distinguished experience, how will you differentiate yourself?
This is when you have to focus on showcasing how you are more qualified for the job compared to others!
A 2 page resume gives you ample space to showcase your relevance to the job opportunity. You can get into more specifics. You can demonstrate your skills and strengths relevant to the job with powerful examples!
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3. More Space means More Opportunities to Express
Your resume is literally your first impression on the recruiters! You get less than 10 seconds to attract the interviewers’ attention.
This is why you need to decorate your resume with 5 key things
- Powerful Resume headlines – Fortunately we have a collection of 101 carefully crafted resume headlines for you
- Smartly Written “About Me” section at the start
- Clearly and Elegantly mentioned “Career Objectives” that show deep allignment with the job opportunity
- Carefully positioned and well-articulated Strengths as well as Achievements
- And finally an Impactful Resume Summary
Now think about a simple question – Will a 2 page resume help you more than a 1 page resume here?
Obviously, a 2 page resume gives you much more valuable space to express yourself and showcase your differentiation!
This is why, it has been found that recruiters spend more than 4 minutes on a 2 page resume compared to around 2 minutes they spend on a 1 pager!
The more time interviewers spend reading your resume, the higher chance you have to sell yourself well!
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So, will a 2 Page Resume always be a better choice for you?
By now, you must be crystal clear about the length of resume you should choose!
The verdict is in your face and backed by data!
Rather, in a study, it was found that out of 7500+ resumes selected, more than 5000 resumes had 2 or more pages!
BUT …
It will work only if …
- You have enough experience, skills, strengths, and achievements to showcase ..
- Your writing is concise and to the point
- You are using the key phrases or keywords related to the job opportunity you have applied for
- And if your resume conveys a coherent story
if you don’t have these things in your resume, it is better to first get them in place.
Especially if you are a fresher, it is better to start with an impactful 1-page resume, as you may still be building up your profile for the job market!
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Once you get an interview call, it is time to prepare smartly for the interviews! Dive into our “Fresher Interview Questions and Answers” section to learn a ton of tips and strategies!
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