Stop treating your resume like a life story.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your resume should be one page, two pages, or five, the answer is simple.
But first, let’s clear one thing up: a resume is not the same as a CV.
A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a detailed academic record used mostly in universities, research, and certain professions like medicine. It lists your education, publications, and credentials in full.
A resume, on the other hand, is a marketing pitch. Its job is to sell your professional value and convince recruiters or hiring managers to invite you for an interview.
Your resume is not a memoir or a biography. It’s not supposed to tell your entire story. It’s supposed to make people want to hear it.
The Two-Page Rule
Every expert resume writer knows the universal truth: two pages is ideal.
It gives enough space to showcase your achievements without boring the reader.
Anything longer loses attention. Anything shorter risks underselling you.
Focus on the last 10–15 years of experience. That’s what matters most to employers. If you worked before that, add a line at the end of your work section:
- Previous employments include [function] roles in [industry] across [regions].
- Example: Previous employments include management and commercial roles in the pharma industry across Asia and Europe.
The ATS Factor
Many resumes never reach human eyes because of ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems).
The most frequently cited statistic is that 98 or more of Fortune 500 companies use an ATS. The Fortune 500 is an annual list published by Fortune magazine that ranks the 500 largest companies in the United States.
ATS systems are applications or software that use automated filters to scan resumes for keywords and formatting issues before passing them to a recruiter.
There are hundreds of ATS systems, and some are weak or outdated.
To stay safe, write for the weakest system. Avoid:
- Headers or footers
- Text boxes
- Icons
- Graphs or images
These confuse the ATS and can hide your content. Stick to plain text in Word (.docx) format. Never use Excel or PowerPoint.
Formatting That Works
- Company name and country: Aptos 14, bold.
- Company description (one line, just below company name): Aptos 10, not bold.
- Your title: Aptos 12, bold
- Employment period: Aptos 10, not bold, right after your title.
Under Work Experience, use a total of between 15–20 bullet points of measurable achievements.
Forget copy-pasting job descriptions. Everyone knows what a Sales Manager or HR Manager does; don’t waste time telling us.
Show what you achieved, like revenues grown, teams built, and efficiencies improved. Use numbers and timeframes to prove your impact.
Structure That Sells
Start your resume with an About or Career Summary; four short paragraphs, two to three lines each. This gives recruiters a fast overview of who you are, what you’ve done, and what you bring.
Phrases such as “responsible for” or “duties included” are old-fashioned and add unnecessary length to your resume.
- Use direct, high-impact verbs to start each bullet instead. Words like led, developed, boosted, or optimized show action and results right away.
Please remove unrelated hobbies, old volunteer roles, expired certifications, and high school details. They don’t add value and only take up space that should highlight your recent, relevant experience.
End with Education on page two, unless you’re a fresh graduate. In that case, education comes first, followed by internships or training roles.
Finally, name your Word file like this: firstname_lastname_resume@gmail.com
A clean, structured, and two-page resume shows professionalism and makes both humans and machines like you.
Bottom line: Keep it short, focused, and formatted for the weakest system.
Recruiters don’t reward effort; we reward clarity.
Question: Are you ready to get our call?
