Can a resume be two pages? Or should you always make it shorter? The best answer: if your relevant and eye-popping achievements can’t fit on one page, write a 2-page resume.
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Engaging graphic designer with 8+ years of experience. Seeking to delight clients at Maximum Woolf. At Argy Bargy, led production in design firm with annual revenue of $2M per year. Slashed production costs 18% in 6 months with strong Agile and Scrum skills. Raised client transactions 20% and client satisfaction 25% through improved communication.
Experience
Senior Graphic Designer
Argy Bargy Inc.
2013–Present
Led daily production in design firm with $2M+ per year in revenue. In charge of team of 7 designers. Managed team goals and metrics.
Used Scrum and Agile skills to cut production costs 18% in 6 months.
Completed over 1,000 graphic design projects.
Onboarded and trained 15 new hires, focusing on Photoshop, Illustrator, print, layout, typography, and logo design.
Communicated with clients to gather requirements and make edits. Presided over 25% increase in client satisfaction.
Raised client transactions by 20%.
Instrumental in design of a site that won a 2015 Shopify Design Award.
Graphic Designer
Kibula Graphics
2011–2013
Handled design in small but busy design firm.
Led team in project that increased client satisfaction by 17%.
Created 10+ web page layouts per week.
Called by CEO, "The most valuable employee we've ever had."
Education
BA Graphic Design, Oklahoma State University
2005–2009
Awarded Eustis Fellowship for graphic design study.
1st Prize — IIDA Student Design Competition.
Portfolio
www.ConnorFranz.com
Clients
Airbnb
Dropbox
Sonos
Rogue Ales
Red Cross
Subway
Ralph Lauren
Nike
CrossFit
Hard Skills: Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, print, web, mobile, layout, typography
Soft Skills: creativity, leadership, communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving
A two page resume is OK if you can't cut it shorter without hurting the message. Professionals with lots of experience in technical professions often need a two page resume.
But not always. Write a 2-page resume if:
You’ve had the same job title for 7+ years or
You’ve got so many blistering achievements they won’t fit one page and
All your great achievements match the job you want.
You are going to use it to apply for grad school, scholarships, or positions in acadamia (although technically you'd use a CV not a resume).
Based on an analysis of over 500,000 resumes created in our builder, we found out that*:
- 24.03% of resumes created in our builder are over 700 words long, and 22.9% of resumes have 101-300 words. - Median creation time for a resume on ResumeLab is just 21.3 minutes. - Our users create 2.4 documents on average. - Our most popular resume templates are Cascade, Primo, and Cubic. * The data comes from the last 12 months (August 2023-August 2024).
Expert Hint: Can you guarantee that anywhere they look, you’ll blow their minds? Then write a two-page resume.
Here’s how to write a 2-page resume that works:
1. Choose Your Two-Page Resume Format
A 2-page resume is different from a 1-page resume. Use these tips for the right resume format:
2-Page Resume Format
Start with reverse-chronological resume formatting.
Expert Hint: Save your resume in the PDF format. PDFs stay legible no matter what device they’re viewed on. Bonus: ATS hiring software can parse them. But not all resumes are ats friendly: check out our list of ATS-friendly resume templates that are guaranteed to make it past the bots.
2. Write a Two-Page Resume Summary
Will the hiring team read your two-page resume? Many don’t. So give them a reason, with an attention-grabbing career summary.
Include:
An adjective (engaging, talented)
Your job title (graphic designer, engineer)
Years of experience (8+, 10+)
Who & how you’ll help (delight clients at Maximum Woolf)
Best 1–2 achievements (slashed production costs 18%...)
These 2-page resume examples show how:
Two-Page Resume Examples—Summary
The first of those two-page resume examples says who you are and how you’ll help. The second is hot air.
Expert Hint: Write your 2-page resume summary after you’ve written the rest. It’s easier to write a summary when the rest is finished.
3. Tailor Your Two Page Resume Job Description and Skills Section
Anyone can write a 2-page resume. But why should employers read it? The answer: Because everything in it matters to them.
The job ad wants these skills: (1) leadership (2) Agile (3) training (4) communication.
2-Page Resume Examples—Experience
The second of those 2-page resume examples lists the “training” keyword. But it lacks details. The first says “15 new hires” and shows specific subjects.
Expert Hint: A 2-page resume needs hard skills and soft skills. Soft skills work for any job. The right technical skills are different for each job opening.
4. Turn Boring Education to a Reason to Hire You
Where does the education section go in a 2-page resume? After work experience.
But if you want them to remember you add additional achievements. These 2-page resume examples show how:
Two-Page Resume Example—Education
Achievements make that 2-page resume sample stand out.
Expert Hint: Are you writing an academic resume? You can write a two-page resume for academic purposes if you’ve got two pages of relevant projects.
The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.
Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.
5. Add “Other” Sections to Your Two-Page Resume
Your resume is 1.4 pages. That’s not good. A 2-page resume should be more than 1.5 pages. If not, add more text or cut it to one page. But consider this:
Adding “other” sections to a two-page resume can get you interviewed. You can add sections for:
The first of those 2-page resume examples drops jaws at every bullet.
Expert Hint: Learn how to write a cover letter to send along with your two page resume. Use it to show your passion for the job. The hiring team will read your resume with extra interest.
Shorten Flabby Two-Page Resumes
Too long? Always shorten an overstuffed 2-page resume. Cut out:
Repetitive accomplishments
Items that don’t match the job
Things this employer doesn’t care about
Weak achievements that just take up space
Here’s how to cut a two-page resume to make it stronger:
Let’s say the job ad wants leadership, training, and communication.
2-Page Resume Examples—Cutting
Experience
Senior Graphic Designer
Argy Bargy Inc.
2013–Present
Led team of 7 designers in design firm with $2M+ per year in revenue. Managed team goals and metrics.
Used Scrum and Agile skills to cut production costs 18% in 6 months.
Completed over 1,000 graphic design projects for clients.
Onboarded and trained 15 new hires, focusing on Photoshop and Illustrator, print, layout, typography, and logo design.
Communicated with clients to gather requirements and make edits. Presided over a period of 25% increase in client satisfaction.
Raised client transactions by 20%.
Instrumental in design of site that won a 2015 Shopify Design Award.
Cutting “extras” makes the important parts of your resume stand out.
Expert Hint: Not sure whether to cut your two page resume down to size? Look at each bullet as if it’s the only one. Will it wow this employer? If not, lose it.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Expert Hint: Not all Free Resume Builders are ATS friendly. To make sure your creative resume reaches a human reader, send it directly to the recruiter's inbox.
Key Points
For a 2-page resume worth reading:
Use the 2-page resume template up top. It wastes no space on filler.
Write a two-page resumeif you’ve got too many mind-blowing achievements to fit a single page.
Put your contact info on both pages. That way they’ll know it’s you, even if the staple fails.
Include a cover letter with your two-page resume. Nearly half of all employers insist on them.
Got questions on how to write a great 2-page resume? Only worked for three years, but still think you need a two-page resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
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At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.
Having published over 200 career-advice articles, Tom Gerencer is a career expert who covers the whole array of job-seeking topics for people at all career stages, from interns to C-suite members. His insights, commentary, and articles reach over a million readers every month. With inside knowledge of key industry players and in-depth research, Tom helps job seekers with advice across all professions and career stages.