How many pages should my résumé be?

Ask Deb
Written By Debra Wheatman

Dear Deb,

How many pages should my résumé be?  I am a data processor for an insurance company with 18 years of experience.   My current résumé is two pages.  Is that OK?

Thanks,

Cliff K.

Dear Cliff,

The length will vary for each candidate.  A résumé should be as long as it takes to share the candidate’s top accomplishments, education, awards, and most recent 10 to 15 years of work history.  If your history is 18 years and there is not a good cut-off point between jobs, it would be fine to show 18 years of experience.  For most candidates, you should be able to share the pertinent information in two pages. Candidates who have longer résumés tend to have lists of publications, patents, or other key information that expands a résumé beyond two pages.

Thanks for writing,

Deb

If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website. 

Debra Wheatman
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