Count only experience relevant to the roles you are targeting.
Each job you would list on a resume counts as one role.
Now make every word count
ShouldApply scores your resume against the exact job description and shows you what to cut or add.
No. One page is correct for candidates with under 5–6 years of experience. For 10+ years, two pages is standard. Forcing a genuinely rich career history onto one page by shrinking margins and font sizes is worse than going to two pages with proper white space.
The research on this is consistent: hiring managers spend an average of 6–7 seconds on an initial resume scan. Length matters less than density. A two-page resume that front-loads impact in clear bullets outperforms a cramped one-page resume every time.
A CV (curriculum vitae) is used in academic, research, medical, and some international hiring contexts. Unlike a resume, a CV has no length limit and includes a full publication list, teaching experience, grants, and conference presentations. If you are applying to a role outside these fields, use a resume.
Early career (0–3 years): 3–4 bullets per role. Mid-career (3–8 years): 4–5 bullets. Senior (8+ years): 5–6 bullets for recent roles, 2–3 for older roles. Each bullet should start with a strong action verb and include a quantifiable result wherever possible.
Cut in this order: (1) objective statement — replace with a 2-sentence summary, (2) references available upon request — everyone knows this, (3) jobs older than 15 years unless they are directly relevant, (4) generic skills like Microsoft Office, (5) high school education if you have a degree.