3 key takeaways
- Why you should consider a one-page resume
- One page resume examples and templates (and why they're effective)
- How to use the Teal AI Resume Builder to format a one-page resume template quickly and easily
One page resumes—they might sound too good (or too short) to be true.
But knowing how to showcase the incredible things you’ve done and all that you’re capable of in one concise, impactful document could be the key to grabbing attention and standing out from the competition.
Should a resume be one page?
Should a resume be one page? That depends. One-page resume templates aren't always the best option for every candidate or every role. But there are specific scenarios where they're particularly beneficial. If you find yourself in any of the following situations, a one-page resume format might be ideal.
- For recent high school or college graduates or professionals with limited work experience
- For anyone in the first 1-5 years of their career
- In fields that value brevity
- In industries that prioritize concise communication (like communication or public relations)
Why consider a one page resume?
In today's job market, the one-page resume has become increasingly popular. And just as the sun set on the VHS resumes of the 1980s, gone are the days of listing every job and responsibility and exhaustively detailing all of your skills.
The market is saturated with so many job seekers. This means hiring managers and recruiters are inundated with countless applications, and often don't have the time to review lengthy documents. A concise and well-structured one-page resume allows recruiters and hiring managers to quickly assess your qualifications and how they align with the job.
Does a resume have to be one page?
Much like any "general recommendation," the one-page resume guideline isn't always applicable.
Having a one page resume is a general recommendation, however there are several circumstances where keeping your resume to one page isn’t the best option. When determining the appropriate length of your resume, the most important thing to focus on is making sure your resume is relevant to the job you are applying for.
Every job seeker has different skill sets, professional experience, and expertise. Where one candidate might exclusively have academic projects to showcase, another might have 20+ years of straightforward work experience in the same career with progressing responsibilities.
So while a single-page resume might be a great option for some, there are particular situations and circumstances where your experience can impact how long your resume should be.
A multi-page resume might be more appropriate if you:
- Have a career in academia, scientific research, or government
- Have more than 15 years of experience
- Are an executive leader
- Are a C-suite level applicant
One page resume format
Learning how to format a one page resume often comes down to the information and experience you choose to include.
What to include in a one page resume
When creating a one-page resume, it's crucial to include the following sections:
- Contact Information: Your name, city, phone number, email address, LinkedIn URL, and portfolio link (if applicable)
- Professional Summary: A concise introduction highlighting your key qualifications and one or two notable bullets that showcase impact.
- Work Experience: Showcase your relevant work experience in reverse chronological order, emphasizing bullets listed as bullet points that align with your desired role.
- Education: Mention your educational background, including degrees, certifications, (and any notable academic bullets if you're a recent graduate).
- Skills: Highlight your core skills and competencies directly relevant to the job you're applying for. Consider tailoring this section to match the keywords mentioned in the job posting.
Pro Tip: Teal's Job Application Tracker pulls keywords and other important language from the job description to help you tailor your resume for every role.
How to format a single page resume
So, keeping those necessary sections in mind and with limited space, how can you make the most of a one page resume format?
- Use concise language: Be clear and succinct in your descriptions, avoiding unnecessary details or excessive wordiness.
- Prioritize relevant information: Focus on the most recent and relevant experiences, skills, and bullets that align with the job you're applying for.
- Choose a clean and readable font: Opt for a professional and legible font style, keeping the font size between 10 and 12 points.
- Utilize bullet points: Use bullet points to highlight key points and bullets, making your resume easier to scan and read quickly.
- Reduce margins and spacing: Adjust the margins to save space without making your resume appear cluttered. Do your best to keep your resume margins between 0.5" - 1."
The formatting tool within the Teal AI Resume Builder can help you quickly and easily optimize your resume's physical structure by customizing elements like font, margins, template style, and more in one location with a single click.
How to make a resume one page
A resume is your personal marketing tool. So how can you market yourself effectively on a one-page resume without losing value?
Be selective with content
Carefully review your background, skills, and accomplishments, and choose the most relevant experiences for the job you're applying to.
Your content should be tailored to the job description—only addressing what the hiring manager or recruiter is looking for. Even if it feels hard, eliminate irrelevant or outdated information to create space for more essential details.
Focus on achievement-based bullets
Instead of listing all your responsibilities, emphasize your resume accomplishments and quantifiable results. Highlight valuable information like specific bullets demonstrating your skills and impact in previous roles.
For example, you don't need to list that you managed social media accounts and created content. Instead, using a bullet like "Increased social media engagement by 50% within three months through the implementation of targeted content strategies, resulting in a significant boost in brand visibility and customer interaction." highlights the responsibility while drawing attention to your impact.
Prioritize the most relevant information
Place the most relevant information towards the top of your resume. Your strongest qualifications (those with the most impact) should be easily accessible.
It's also important to prioritize details within each section. For example, in the "Work Experience" section, only focus on accomplishments, projects, and responsibilities that demonstrate the skills and experiences most relevant to the job you're applying for. Or, if you find yourself short on space in the "Education" section, focus on your highest level of education.
Should a resume be one or two pages?
The decision between a single-page resume template or a two-page resume depends on your unique career journey, industry, the role you are applying for, and your overall professional goals.
A one-page resume can be valuable if you have limited work experience or are in the first 10-15 years of your career. It allows you to concisely highlight your relevant skills, education, internships, and notable achievements.
On the other hand, professionals with several years of experience, mid-level or senior-level positions, or those in fields that require extensive documentation of bullets may benefit from a two-page resume to detail their work history, leadership roles, specialized skills, and other relevant accomplishments.
So what are the pros and cons of each format?
One-page resume pros:
- Concise and focused
- Quick and easy to read
- Ideal for those early in their career
One-page resume cons:
- Limited space
- May lack comprehensive detail
Two-page resume pros:
- Comprehensive representation
- Suitable for experienced professionals
- Flexibility in presentation
Two-page resume cons:
- Risk of excessive detail
- Time-consuming review
- Printing, formatting, and resume template constraints
Ultimately? The best resume format is the one that aligns with your career journey, industry, the role you’re applying for, and overall professional goals.
One page resume examples
Need inspiration on what a good one page resume looks like? Here's our top 3 examples using Teal's one page resume templates to help you get started!
Why it works: Olivia's one-page resume is the perfect balance of white space and detail. It effectively represents their qualifications by showcasing relevant experience and achievements using three concise bullet points or less for each role. Olivia's resume also highlights measurable bullets while demonstrating a track record of delivering successful projects and collaborating with cross-functional teams.
See more one-page resumes in these front-end developer resume examples.
Why it works: Even in a senior-level role, Megan's resume showcases measurable impact and impressive qualifications in one page. And while their education may be robust, to save extra space, Megan focuses on the highest level of education they received by showcasing an MBA rather than any prior education.
For more customer-success manager one-page resumes, explore these customer success manager resume samples.
Why it works: As an entry-level candidate, Ted has chosen to showcase multiple academic design projects and the impact of those projects. Rather than taking up valuable space listing part-time jobs or career objectives, Ted makes the most of their resume real estate by only listing bullets relevant to a role as a junior graphic designer.
Explore more one-page graphic design resumes in these graphic designer resume examples.
One page resume templates
Here's an example of a one page resume template using Teal's AI Resume Builder template library. With over 100+ templates to choose from, the Resume Builder makes it easy to customize the formatting, structure and design of your one page resume.
How Teal’s AI Resume Builder can help you create a one page resume
The Teal AI Resume Builder is an all-in-one tool for creating a concise one-page resume that looks professional and emphasizes your value and impact.
With the Resume Builder, you can construct an exhaustive career history, then pick and choose the information you want to include for any role you're applying to based on relevancy.
Teal also gives you four options for resume templates—allowing you to change the layout of your resume quickly. But no matter how often you change your resume template or export your document as a pdf, the information itself won't shift or change as it often does with something like Google Docs resume templates.
Formatting is one of the most critical ways to save space on a one-page resume. The Resume Builder offers multiple ways to change your:
- Font
- Accent color
- Margins
- Location
- Date alignment
- Date format
- Work experience groupings
- Work experience date range
Each of these settings can be adjusted with a clickable drop-down menu—giving you complete control over your resume layout.
Write a one page resume today with Teal
A one-page resume can showcase your skills in a concise and impactful way if done correctly. And while a single-page format might not be for everyone, it can be particularly effective during the first 10-15 years of your career.
Using a one-page resume template, like those in the Teal AI Resume Builder, will help you optimize your resume in a clean, professional, and organized way—leaving you with more time to focus on the important details like tailoring your content, skills, and qualifications to align with the role you're applying for.
Ready to get started?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to have a one page resume?
Yes! Just remember to prioritize your relevant and recent work experience. Be sure to include positions that align with the job you're applying for and highlight accomplishments and responsibilities that demonstrate your skills and qualifications.
Is a two page resume ever okay?
Absolutely! Just focus on refining and condensing your content. Remove any irrelevant or outdated details and prioritize the most impactful and relevant information. Utilize concise language, bullet points, and strategic formatting to make the most of the available space.
How far back should a resume go?
A well-crafted one-page resume should effectively showcase your qualifications and achievements to make a strong impression on hiring managers. It's about presenting the most relevant and impactful information rather than the length of the document. Focus on at least the last ten years of your experience, but be mindful that you should include positions that are relevant to the job you're applying for, so if that ends up being fifteen years of your experience, that's okay, too. The key is relevance.
