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Are single-page resumes a thing of the past? We hire frequently, and it is the exception, not the rule, when a resume is a single-page. Even resumes for new recruits in entry-level roles often spill off the edge of a page, but resumes from professional roles are worse. I suspect some amount of the discrepancy is a lack of discipline in writing, and some is due to electronic submission tools and attempts to game applicant tracking systems.
As someone who has managed to squeeze my career onto a single page, it makes me wonder if my resume is at a disadvantage. Thoughts?
Still Good Advice
I see the same thing, and most resumes stink. Still.
I get excited when I see a well-written 1 page resume. Even a 2 pager is indicative of better than average writing skills.
Unscientificially, I estimate that the average engineering resume I get is 3 pages long (and that's after I told HR to never send me a resume over 8 pages). They include nonsense and repeat themselves . They use a full line for the bullet "performed calculations" or "specified widgets" and repeat the same darn thing on each job... or even each project within a job. It is a waste of their time and mine and suggests that, if hired, they would fill my inbox with more sloppy writing.
One caveat though on the hiring side is that my company's talent software strips formatting and tries to render resumes as plain text by default. So even a well-constructed 1 page resume may turn into 1.5 pages. I've learned how to dig deeper to find the as-submitted resume.
Keep to a single page of great content to stand out!