If you've ever tried fitting 15+ years of experience into a one-page resume, you know it feels a bit like packing for a two-week European trip with just a carry-on. Something gets left behind, and it's often something important. Sure, the essentials make it in, but your favorite pair of shoes, backup charger, or that one nice blazer get left behind. And in resume terms, those are often your most meaningful achievements or career-defining moments.
When Resume Brevity Backfires
There’s nothing wrong with a short resume, unless it starts working against you. As Jan Tegze, a talent acquisition leader, posts on LinkedIn:
I read 1-page resumes. I read 5+ page resumes... It’s not about the number of pages. It’s about the impact. The story. The value.
A one-pager can be a punchy masterpiece or a forgettable outline. Meanwhile, a two-page resume gives your experience room to breathe and your story room to land. If done right, it won’t overwhelm, and it will win interviews.
When It Is Okay for a Resume to Be Two Pages
Let’s break down when a two-page resume works best, what belongs on the first page, what can go on the second, and how to make sure both pages count.
- When You Have 7-10+ Years of Experience
If you’ve been working for a decade, chances are you’ve built up a solid track record of achievements, promotions, and expanded responsibilities. Trying to reduce that to one page can lead to vague, generic summaries that undersell your accomplishments.
- When You’re Applying for Senior or Executive Roles
Executive resumes almost always run two, sometimes more, pages. Leadership roles require a demonstration of strategy, impact, and people management. That takes space. A senior-level two page resume often includes:
- Multiple leadership positions
- High-level strategy contributions
- Cross-functional or global experience
- Board memberships or public speaking
- When You Work in a Specific Field
If you're in IT, engineering, healthcare, law, or other technical professions, you may need to include certifications, published work, patents, technical skills, or large-scale project summaries. A two-page format allows you to include this without sacrificing the clarity of your main career narrative. The same goes for federal resumes, academic CVs, and military-to-civilian resumes.
- When You're Using an ATS-Friendly Format
ATS don’t mind two-page resumes as long as the formatting is clean and the layout is simple. Overloading your one-pager with unreadable tiny fonts, non-existent margins, and dense paragraphs of text can (or should I say, will?) backfire both with ATS and, most likely, human reviewers. Appropriately used white space can do more for readability than cramming everything onto one page.
When You Should Stick to One Page
While a two-page resume has gained widespread acceptance, it’s not a universal default. There are still some cases where a one-pager wins. Read on!
- If You’re a Recent Graduate or Entry-Level Professional
If you’re early in your career (under five years of experience), a one-page resume is generally more appropriate. You likely don’t have enough relevant experience to justify a second page. Don't add fluff or pad your resume more than necessary just to hit two pages - this can hurt your credibility.
- If You’re Switching Careers and Need to Focus
Career changers should be concise. Companies and hiring managers want to quickly understand how your past experience translates to a new industry. A tightly focused single-page resume with a strong summary and relevant skills is more likely to capture attention, but it does require a lot of skill (should you consider a professional resume writer? Maybe).
What Should Be on the First Page
Think of the first page of your resume as your personal highlight reel. It should make a hiring manager say, “I want to read more.”
Here’s what typically belongs on page one.
1. Header and Contact Information
Your name, phone number, email, LinkedIn URL, and optionally a portfolio or personal website. Make it easy to find and scan. If you are applying in the US or Canada, skip the photo.
2. Professional Summary (or Executive Profile)
In 3–5 lines, summarize who you are, what you do, and what you bring to the table. Customize this for each job if possible.
Example:
Growth-focused digital marketing leader with 12+ years of experience building brand awareness and driving digital transformation across consumer goods and tech sectors. Led a global rebranding initiative that increased website traffic by 48% and boosted lead conversion rates by 27% within six months. Spearheaded a multi-channel campaign that generated $3.2M in new revenue.
3. Core Skills
A list of your most relevant technical skills, formatted in columns or bullet points. Tailor this to the job description.
4. Professional Experience (Most Recent)
List your current (or most recent) role first and move backward. Include:
- Job title
- Company name and location
- Dates of employment
- 3–6 bullet points of achievements (skip duties)
Focus on accomplishments and quantify where possible:
- Increased email open rates by 32% through segmentation and A/B testing
- Led 10-person team in launching three new product lines, generating $2M in revenue
Page one should ideally cover your current role and 1-2 previous positions, depending on your formatting and career progression.
What Goes on Page Two
Page two supplements page one; it’s where you can include additional details that add context and complete your career story.
1. Additional Work Experience
Continue your job history in reverse-chronological order. Older roles (especially those 10+ years back) can be shortened, grouped, or left out if they’re less relevant.
You can edit out:
- Early-career roles - just list title, company, and dates should be more than enough.
- Roles that are not directly related to your target job (say, your teaching gig if you are applying for an HR position)
2. Education
Include degrees, institutions, and graduation years (optional for older professionals). Add honors, scholarships, or thesis topics if relevant.
Example:
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
University of California, Berkeley – Haas School of Business | 2015
3. Certifications & Licenses
Especially important for IT, healthcare, and finance roles. Only include valid and relevant credentials.
4. Technical Skills or Tools
This can be a separate section or part of your skills block. ATS often scans for apps, platforms, and programming languages.
In some cases (especially if you are applying for technical roles where proficiency in these tools is essential to the job), they might be moved to the first page and listed next to your Core Skills section.
Example:
Salesforce | Tableau | Google Analytics | HTML/CSS | Python
5. Awards, Publications, Projects, or Volunteer Work
If they strengthen your candidacy, include them. Keep formatting consistent and concise.
Example:
Guest Speaker – “Data Storytelling for Business Impact” at UX Design Summit 2023
Volunteer Mentor, Women in STEM Initiative (2020–present)
Example of Two-Page Resume Layout
To give you a visual sense of how this structure plays out, here’s a two page resume example layout (text only):
___________________________
[Page 1]
Jane Doe
San Francisco, CA | jane.doe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/janedoe | 512-123-33-55
Professional Summary
HR Director with 15+ years of experience driving employee engagement, performance management, and leadership development. Implemented a company-wide engagement program that improved employee retention by 22% and reduced time-to-hire by 30% within the first year.
Core Competencies
Talent Acquisition | Employee Relations | DEI Initiatives | HRIS Systems | Organizational Development
Professional Experience
HR Director
TechNova Inc. | San Francisco, CA | 2018–Present
- Spearheaded a company-wide diversity initiative that improved minority leadership representation by 25%
- Led redesign of performance review process, resulting in 90% employee participation rate
- Implemented a new HRIS system that cut administrative time by 40%
HR Manager
CloudSync Inc. | San Jose, CA | 2014–2018
- Managed HR operations for a 300-employee SaaS company during a high-growth period
- Designed onboarding programs that reduced new hire turnover by 15%
[Page 2]
Professional Experience (Continued)
HR Generalist
Redwood Tech | Palo Alto, CA | 2010–2014
- Provided full-scope HR support to engineering and marketing teams
- Rolled out first formalized employee engagement survey with 82% participation
Education
MBA – Organizational Behavior
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business | 2010
BA – Psychology
UCLA | 2006
Certifications
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR)
SHRM-SCP (Society for Human Resource Management – Senior Certified Professional)
Technical Skills
Workday | BambooHR | Excel (Advanced) | Slack | Zoom
Volunteer Work
Board Member – HR Women of the Bay Area
Resume Coach – SF Reentry Program
Common Mistakes with Two-Page Resumes
Even if your resume deserves two pages, it can still go wrong. Here are a few things to avoid:
❌ Dense paragraphs instead of bullet points: Hiring managers skim. Use bullets with measurable outcomes instead of large chunks of text.
❌ Repeating information from page one: Page two should add value instead of rehashing what’s already been said. Avoid redundancy.
❌ Including irrelevant jobs or skills: Don’t list every job you’ve ever had unless it adds to your value proposition. A job from 2004 as a cashier may not matter if you’re now applying as a product manager.
❌ Failing to label the second page: Include your name and page number on both pages (in the header or footer) so they don’t get separated when printed or viewed in ATS or by AI.
What If I Have a Two-Page Resume But Need a One-Pager (or the Opposite)
So, you have a two-page resume that is clean, professional, and achievement-packed. But now your connection or recruiter is asking to “submit a one-page resume.” Or the reverse: your single page feels a bit too tight, and you’re wondering if it’s worth expanding to two.
Don’t panic, you don’t have to start from scratch! Instead, here is how to adapt your resume format based on the job, industry, or application platform. Shrinking or stretching your resume without compromising quality is not that complicated.
Shrinking a Two-Page Resume into One
This is all about prioritization and intelligent trimming. The goal is to keep only the most relevant, high-impact content that matches the job description.
1. Focus on the last 10 years: Hiring managers care most about your recent roles. Unless you’re applying for an academic, scientific, or federal job, you can:
- Remove or shorten jobs from 10+ years ago
- Drop early career roles or list title/company/dates only
2. Cut redundant bullet points: Scan your experience section. Do multiple jobs state that you “led meetings” or “collaborated with cross-functional teams”? Keep the strongest version and remove duplicates, and use shorter, punchier language.
Convert:
- Developed and implemented a cross-departmental project plan that resulted in a 25% efficiency increase.
Into:
- Led cross-team project; boosted efficiency by 25%.
3. Remove or replace filler buzzwords, such as “responsible for,” “worked on,” or “helped with.”
4. Remove optionals. If space is tight, consider cutting:
- Objectives (in most cases, they should be replaced with executive summaries)
- Volunteering (unless directly relevant or there to bridge career gaps)
- Soft skills like “team player” or “problem-solver” (these should be shown, not told)
- Hobbies or references (never or rarely required)
5. Adjust formatting (but don't sacrifice readability):
- 0.5-0.6" margins
- 10-11 pt font (never smaller)
- Condense line spacing to 1.0-1.15
- Use columns for skills or certifications
Expanding a One-Page Resume to Two
On the flip side, maybe your one-pager feels rushed or undersells your capabilities. If you have more value to share, a second page gives you room to breathe.
1. Expand on achievements using the CAR or STAR method: For each job, use the Challenge-Action-Result or Situation-Task-Action-Result model to build stronger bullet points.
Instead of:
- Managed a team of sales reps.
Write:
- Managed 8 sales reps across 3 regions; led team to exceed quarterly targets by 18% in 2024.
One great bullet point can often replace three vague ones and justify more space.
2. Include older jobs if they show career progression: Even if some roles are over a decade old, they can still show your growth if they’re relevant to the role you're applying for. Keep the descriptions brief, though.
3. Add relevant extras (*but only if they support your narrative). Some optional additions that make sense for page two:
- Volunteer work
- Speaking engagements
- Publications or media mentions
- Languages or global/international experience
4. Format for readability and make sure the second page has:
- Page numbers and your name in the footer/header
- Consistent layout similar to the first page
- Clear section breaks (don’t just continue text endlessly)
5. Finally, create multiple versions of your resume: Use a one-page resume for job fairs, internships, or roles that explicitly ask for it. Use your two-page resume for online applications, senior roles, or when space helps you show full impact. Keep both versions tailored and up-to-date.
Final Tips for Crafting a Strong Two-Page Resume
✅ Use clear section headers (Professional Experience, Education, Skills, etc.)
✅ Stick to reverse chronological order unless using a hybrid format
✅ Keep fonts between 10–12 pt and margins at least 0.5" to ensure readability
✅ Avoid graphics, charts, or tables unless you're sure it won’t be parsed by an ATS (for example, you are submitting it directly to a recruiter's email or via a networking connection)
✅ Edit ruthlessly: Just because you have two pages doesn’t mean you should fill them with fluff
✅ Tailor to the job posting. Okay, you do not have to tailor it to EVERY job, but make sure to edit at least 1-2 skills and bullet points to reflect the job post better. Definitely tailor for your dream roles or highly competitive positions.
Conclusion: Two Pages Done Right Is Better Than One Page Done Wrong
A two-page resume isn’t about length for the sake of length. When you add a second page, your goal should be giving your experience, skills, and achievements enough space to shine without overwhelming or boring the reader. If done right, a two-page resume can help you land interviews by painting a more complete, confident, and credible picture of who you are as a job candidate.
So yes, go ahead and use two pages, if you need them. Just make sure they both work just as hard as you do.