Can I Have a Two-Page Resume or Not?

Updated June 17, 20222.1k

In the right situation a two-page resume could be just what you need to impress a hiring manager and land the job. Here’s when a two-page resume is appropriate.

Two-page Resume

If you are starting a new job search, you may be wondering how long a resume should be. Well, for most job seekers the ideal resume is one page in length. This is enough space to include the most important information while being short enough to remain easy to scan. There are some cases where it may be appropriate to have a slightly longer resume. For highly experienced job seekers with a long career, a two-page resume could be the perfect way to stand out from the crowd of applicants. Here’s what you need to know about a two-page resume and when it is appropriate.

What is a Two-page Resume?

A two-page resume is exactly what it sounds like. A professional resume that spans two pages rather than a single page. This layout is undoubtedly less common than the one-page layout, but it is not unheard of. The reason that a two-page resume is uncommon is that hiring managers have a short amount of time to assess a resume. According to Forbes, a hiring manager will look at most resumes for 60 seconds before deciding whether they will take an application further. This means that even resumes that rank well in applicant tracking systems (ATS) are not guaranteed to land an interview. Because of this, a two-page resume can be risky. If your first page doesn’t make a recruiter believe that a second page will be valuable in that 60-second window, they may simply discard your application.

When is It Right To Use a Two-page Resume?

There are times when adding a second page to your resume can be highly beneficial. Here are some cases when adding a second resume page would be appropriate:

A job posting asks for more than 10 years of experience.
The job description is high-level or very specialist.
A job seeker has a large number of relevant achievements, awards and professional certifications.
The job seeker works freelance and has to list a large number of individual projects to meet the work experience requirements of a job.

The type of job application that will require a second page is one that requires a very long work history section or a robust set of professional certifications and qualifications. Some very senior or complex roles in law, medicine or academia may even allow for three-page resumes, but this is rare. Examples of the kind of jobs that will commonly require a second page in a resume (or even a full curriculum vitae) include:

CEO
CFO
University professor/researcher
Medical consultant
Senior aerospace engineer

When is a Single-page Resume Best?

Most job seekers will not require a two-page resume and some should actively avoid them. For example, if you are a recent graduate of college or high school and you are seeking entry-level work, a two-page resume could harm your job search. Unless you have a huge amount of relevant work experience, you should limit your resume to one page to ensure readability. Here are the main situations in which a single-page resume is best:

A job seeker has less than 10 years of professional history to add to their work experience section.
The role in question is entry-level or below middle management level.
To facilitate a career change; a one-page resume will allow job seekers to drop a lot of non-relevant information
When a single-page resume is specifically requested by the job posting

Whether you’re adhering to a single page or your two-page resume for the first time, the ResumeNerd resume builder offers a range of free templates and can make the process easier.

FAQ: Two-page Resume

Should I include a header on the second page?

No matter which multiple-page resume format you choose, you should not repeat your header on both pages of a two-page resume. This unique section should be at the top of the first page of your resume only and include your full name, phone number, email address and other relevant contact information. You can also include links to your professional job networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Are there good two-page resume examples available?

There are two-page resume examples online that you can consider for inspiration, but it is unlikely that you will find specialized two-page resume templates. This is not a problem, however, as you can use a one-page resume template and simply add a second page.

What information should be on the first page of a two-page resume?

Even if you have enough professional experience to warrant using a two-page resume, recruiters will still only scan it before deciding whether to read your application in full. This means that your resume's first page should contain all of the most important information. Your contact information, key qualifications and skills in the form of a resume summary should be at the top of the first page to draw attention.

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About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.