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Resume Length Checker

How long should your resume be? Enter pages, words, years of experience, and role type for an honest verdict.

There's no single right answer to 'how long should a resume be' — the right length depends on years of experience and the kind of role (industry, academic, federal). This tool gives you a verdict in seconds based on those inputs and on widely-cited recruiter norms.

Role type
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How it works

A few steps, no signup

  1. Step 1

    Enter your current resume's page count

  2. Step 2

    Enter the word count (use your editor's stats)

  3. Step 3

    Enter your years of experience and pick role type

When to use

The right moment

  • Trimming from 2 pages to 1 (or earning the second page)
  • Changing from an academic CV to an industry resume
  • Applying to federal or government roles where length norms differ

Examples

What you'll get

Industry, mid-career

Input: 1 page, 450 words, 5 years industry

Output: Verdict: length is right for your level.

Industry, long-career, over-long

Input: 3 pages, 1,500 words, 15 years industry

Output: Verdict: too long — cut the oldest roles or compress bullets to 1-2 pages.

What this tool isn't

Honest limitations

  • These are widely-cited defaults, not employer-specific guarantees. If a job posting asks for a specific length, follow it.
  • Word count is a proxy for density. A wordy resume can still be readable if the bullets are tight; a short resume can still be cluttered.

FAQ

Common questions

Should my resume be one page?

If you have less than 10 years of relevant experience, yes — one page is the strong default for industry roles. With 10+ years a clean second page is acceptable.

How is academic CV length different?

Academic CVs typically run 2-4+ pages and include publications, talks, teaching, and grants. Don't apply industry length norms to an academic CV.

What about federal resumes?

Federal resumes are intentionally longer (3-5 pages) and include detail like grade level, supervisor names, and hours. USAJobs has its own format guidance.

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