Working hard to attain your short-term goals is one thing; ensuring that all of your accomplishments fit on a single page of your resume is another.
Yes, you want to accomplish many things before finally appearing for an interview but first, to ensure getting your first job, you have to manage to put all the accomplishments into a single page.
One of the many reasons professionals prefer a one-page resume is that it allows them to quickly look at your work experience and qualifications without having to scroll through pages.
It would help if you mentioned only the important and the best achievements on your resume to seek their attention. You may skip the irrelevant ones to incorporate details relevant to the job profile you have applied to.
Who All Needs To Have Resumes Fit On One Page?
Anyone starting in their career should try to fit their resume on one page as it allows the reader to quickly gain all the necessary information about their academic qualifications. It completely depends on the candidate’s experience in their respective fields.
More experienced candidates can extend their resumes up to two pages. However, they must not add anything irrelevant as a one-page resume looks more professional, and your qualifications are easier to spot in such resumes. Provided you have mentioned all the relevant ones.
Bonus Read: Things You Need To Do In Your First Week At A New Job
How to Make Resume Fit on One Page?
There are probably many achievements you would want to showcase on your resume, starting from short-term courses to certifications. However, if you want to fit your entire resume on one page, you need to take care of certain things that will save you some space to ensure that the relevant information gets the attention of your interviewer.
1. Template
Ensure that the template you use has enough columns and space to allow you to utilize it to your advantage. Go for a template divided into sections dedicated to different types of information.
Such templates often use different fonts and styles that can highlight the important details, and at the same time, leave some space for the less essential or obvious details like personal information.
The layout can make a huge difference to your resume by compartmentalizing the relevant information on either side of the page. You can also add a picture and change the size according to your preference. Similarly, changing the columns’ order can prioritize the information’s relevancy.
2. Margins
Margins are used in any document to provide a structure, and in general, some resumes use 1 inch of margin. However, this is entirely baseless, as using such margins will automatically decrease the space that can be used to fill the information.
You can decrease the margins, as getting off it altogether won’t serve any purpose. A resume without some margin could appear untidy and unprofessional.
3. Font Size
As mentioned earlier, font size can make a lot of difference in preserving some space on your resume without making it look congested. Either you can use a medium-sized font for the entire resume, or you could use a mix and match.
For a mix and match situation, you can increase the font size for the headlines or titles, and for the details, you can keep it to a smaller size. This will allow you to get the reader’s attention on the titles they are looking for.
Similarly, you can use smaller fonts for personal details as people are not looking for personal details when analyzing the applicant’s candidature. You can use some extra leftover space below your picture by providing your personal details.
Also, you don’t want to go overboard with your details, so limit the necessary information to name, location, and contact details. No need to add a complete address or use different lines to give contact details. Keep it crisp and clear.
On selection, you will be required to provide them with documentation that has your personal information, like an identity card.
4. Use Bullet Points
Using bullet points means that you do not have to write complete sentences. Therefore, you can easily avoid writing long and descriptive sentences. Honestly, no one even has the time to go through such long narrations.
Your resume should be about basic achievements. During your interview, you will be asked to provide more details or showcase what you learned through those certifications or training.
The idea is to possess the various skills mentioned in your resume and showcase these skills during your interview, rather than filling up pages after pages of your resume to describe what you have done so far.
5. Avoid Adjectives
You need to be direct and mention details straight to the point. Do not beat around the bush trying hard to make yourself appear as the best candidate for the job.
You need to put information that is self-explanatory, not self-praising. To decide whether you are fit for the position or not is their call. You cannot make your resume shout out loud to them, making it look like you are asking for the job too hard.
There is nothing wrong with desperately needing a job, but if you are sincere enough and possess the required qualifications needed to get the role, you can easily catch the eye of the interviewer anyway. In addition, you will not have to use unnecessary adjectives to describe your own caliber.
Also, never over-promise or add details that you will not be able to produce the documents of. Sooner or later, you could be answerable for each detail that you have mentioned on your resume. Lying on the resume will not take one too far.
6. Acronyms all The Way
Your resume needs to be precise and clear, so it is recommended to use short and crisp bullet points. It would be best if you also kept in mind that your resume should be grammatically correct as there is no scope for such errors on a resume. Finally, you need to show that you have put in enough effort to create your resume, including several revisions.
While revising your resume, you can get some of your peers and friends to look at the document because, at times, they can point out things that you could have missed while preparing your resume.
On revision, you must watch out for words that can be easily changed into recognizable acronyms. For example, you can use “P&L” instead of profit and loss and “R&D” for research and development. This will save you a lot of space, and you will not have to skip the relevant information from your resume.
7. List and Rate
You can use different keywords related to your job profile and mention these on one side of the resume. Now you can use the star feature to rate your expertise level in the mentioned skill. You can use this to describe your language and technical skill proficiencies.
It can provide enough information to the interviewer without taking up too much space. This will allow you to measure your proficiency in a particular skill on a scale. No one knows about your understanding of these skills better than you do; you get to show them your judgment of your skills.
10 Effective Ways to Fit Resume on One Page
- Use a layout that allows maximum space depending upon the content you wish to add to your resume.
- This will also allow you to get creative on your resume by playing with different columns.
- Keep the margins minimal and start creating your resume accordingly.
- Adjust the font size according to the remaining space and content. You can use different fonts to highlight the information.
- Using bullet points can help you use a single line to provide multiple information.
- Bullet points don’t require writing full sentences but always remember to adhere to the grammatically correct language.
- Don’t get repetitive or add an unnecessary adjective to your resume. Be clear and precise.
- Use as many acronyms as possible to save space.
- Use the latest graphic features to save some space without compromising on the content.
- Divide the content into different headlines, which will help you avoid repetition.
Summary
A resume is the first impression of you your interviewer. You don’t want it to appear cluttered and messy. Keep it as organized as possible and limit the usage of unnecessary information. Start by focusing on the right layout for your resume, rest, and everything will fall into place.
Your resume should have all the relevant information you require to share with your interviewer. With the right usage of font size and bullet points, you can cover all the information within one page without using a second page in your resume.
