How Many Pages Should Your Resume Be – 2024 Guide

Finding a job in these modern times is much more difficult when compared to the past. There are so many companies out there in every single industry, you simply cannot decide on which one you should apply. But, even when you do apply, you suddenly realize that there is a lot of other competitive applications. So many people are trying to get the same job you are aiming for, it seemed like the chances of you achieving that are almost 0.

To make yourself stand out to the employers of the said company, you will need to do something about your resume to make it a lot more unique. But, nailing the right resume length, information and all the other segments is not easy. If you are in need of some help, I can tell you a couple of things about CVs and how many pages they should be. After reading this guide for 2024, I am sure that your chances of getting hired will be much better.

How long should it be?

The most common question people ask when submitting an application is, how many pages should my resume be? There is no right answer to this question because it depends on a lot of factors. Most experts would say that a one page CV is more than enough to show your skills to an employer is more than enough, but I think I disagree.

When trying to get hired, things are not so black-and-white. Sometimes, a company will require a lot of information about you and if you don’t provide them with said information, they will just ignore your application. Yes, it is true that most companies do prefer a one page long CV, but you should never follow this standard for every single application made.

To determine the length of the resume, you will need to do a bit of research on the company to find out what kind of information they require from their new employees or applicants. In theory, I think it is best that you have a couple of CVs in a different form. One will be just one page and another would be two or three.

One page

For those that want to play things safe, I would recommend writing a resume that is only one page long. You could make this your primary CV or it could be your Plan B, for just in case situations. In fact, I believe that almost everyone should have at least one of these types of CV ready. The reasoning behind this is because it has been the standard for 20, 30, or maybe even 40 years. I don’t know exactly why this was and is the standard for so long, but if it works, then why not have one?

Of course, just because it is one page, does not mean that you should aim to share as little information about yourself as possible. On this single piece of paper, you will need to explain every single strength and weakness about yourself and all of the skills you have acquired throughout your life. You also need to add a bit of personal information and history.

Sometimes fitting everything about yourself in just one piece of paper seems kind of impossible which is why I would recommend looking up a resume template. These templates can be found in one online and most of the time they are fee just like the ones you can find at Ladders. Just download the file and input everything that is required and you’re done.

Two page

Assuming that you want to make your CV a bit more detailed then you will need a bit more than just one page, right? Well, do not worry because a lot of companies won’t mind if your resume is made out of one, two, or three pages. As long as you keep the information about yourself concise, they will probably list it through its entirety.

However, when we are talking about a resume that is two A4 pieces of paper long that does not mean that you will need to cram as much information inside of it as possible. You will need to carefully organize every single section inside of your CV. For example, the first half of the first piece of paper should list all of your personal information. The next have should be about your strengths and weaknesses and the next page should be all about your skills.

And of course, for those that have trouble creating such a CV, I would just recommend downloading any of the thousand free templates that you can find online. You can also edit that template to make it more unique and in your style.

Three or more pages

Creating a CV with three or more pages is getting a bit on the border of risky. You are now nearing the territory where employers will consider whether they should even look at your portfolio. Because they do not want to waste time reading through an entire book just to find out about your experience and skills.

But, if you do have a lot of experience, let’s say 15, 20, or more years then maybe you really do need such a long resume for your application. Just make sure that the information that you input is direct and concise as possible. You do not want the person handling resumes to lose interest in just a couple of seconds after reading yours. It is vital that you make it detailed, but simple at the same time. It needs to be as unique as possible and it needs to have its own style. Something that will make it more remarkable than every other contender.

Like I already said, there is no clear answer to this question. It heavily depends on the company you want to join and your previous experience and the skills you have learned throughout your life. However, with this guide, I believe that you will be able to make the right decision and create the perfect resume.