Are you a new graduate?
No?
Then don’t even consider it.
Even a new graduate could make use of a second page and it could give them a significant edge over their competitors using a sub-par one pager if used effectively.
“But..but..but..I did a course and the person said only ever use one page.”
Yes, I’m sorry you had to hear that. It’s terrible advice.
I’ve noticed a correlation between people in professions unconnected to real world recruiting or resume consulting and a propensity for recommending the use of one-page resumes. It’s interesting.
“But..but…but..the person who said that was a graphic designer”
Exactly.
“But..but..but..another person who said that had 3 months of experience as a recruiter”.
Yep, 3 months as a recruiter doesn’t make you a resume expert. 3 months anywhere doesn’t make you an expert on anything. In fact, you’ve barely moved out of the probationary period.
Why are these people promoting this ridiculous idea of once-size-fits-all one-page resumes?
It’s almost like, I don’t know, they’re all hawking the same resume templates that, er, don’t look good if it rolls to a second page. No, that can’t be it! Surely not.
Advising someone to limit their ability to pitch for a job that could transform their lives by artificially restricting their content to 1 page just because the resume template design they’re selling can only accommodate one page of content would be unconscionable. That can’t be it.
I mean, maybe it’s just a co-incidence.
LOL.
Well, it would be funny if it weren’t so serious.
Your resume should be as long as it needs to be to tell your story.
Now, that doesn’t mean more than 4 pages, but it almost certainly means more than 1.
Quite simply, I don’t think you can adequately sell yourself into a role with a 1-page resume.
I doubt there would be enough content on that piece of paper to give the hiring team the detail they need to make an informed choice on your candidacy.
In addition, how do you think a one-page resume would fare in an Applicant Tracking System where the systems scans the document looking for all the keyword matches to their job description. A one-page resume will most likely not have enough content to score maximum points in that situation when compared to a similarly qualified individual using a standard two-page document.
Only in the rarest of circumstances would I suggest a one-page resume for someone and that would be based on their individual circumstances, needs, and the best strategy to help them achieve their objective.
Recommending a one-page document for use by everyone is, in my opinion, obscene, and as one-size-fits-all advice I consider it would be more detrimental to the chances of many people in securing a job, than otherwise.
Over the course of my two decades in the careers sector, I’ve recruited for top companies across Europe and North America. As an executive recruiter and recruitment consultant I partnered with talented people across countless industries to help get them in front of decision makers.
As a resume writing consultant and interview coach, I’ve worked with the 1% in helping secure them interviews with their target companies and helping them navigate the interview.
The people I have consulted with have worked at the executive level at the White House, NSA, CIA, Fortune 500, in addition to high-ranking military personnel, trail-blazing entrepreneurs, a Member of the British Empire, and an integral member of the innermost circle of multiple Canadian Prime Ministers.
If you’re looking for someone to walk you through each part of the process from beginning to end through a series of videos lectures, workbooks, and tip sheets, then you should check out my in-depth online course “Resumes for the 99%”.