Modern Resume Templates for 2025
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When to Use a Two-Page Resume
If you’ve ever asked, “Is it okay to have a two-page resume?”—the short answer is yes. In fact, for many professionals, one page just isn’t enough to capture their skills, achievements, and experience in a way that does them justice.
Two pages allow you to provide more information and can give employers context that helps define your best traits without cluttering your resume or committing key points.
That said, not every job seeker needs a second page. Most hiring managers look at so many resumes that they do not have the time to deal with an overwhelming amount of irrelevant details. The key is to use the extra page only if it adds real value.
A two-page resume is a great choice if you:
- Have 10 or more years of experience in your field
- Are applying for mid-level or senior roles that require depth
- Work in a technical, academic, or project-based profession
- Are a career changer with relevant skills across different industries
- Need to include certifications, licenses, publications, or projects
- Have held multiple roles within one company and want to show growth
- Want to include a brief resume summary and a skills section without sacrificing work history
In these cases a well-structured two-page resume can give hiring managers a clearer picture of your qualifications, especially if they demonstrate what makes you the best candidate for the job. However, that said, it’s better to keep everything as concise as possible.
Stick to a one page resume if you:
- Are just entering the workforce or have less than 5–7 years of experience
- Have limited relevant experience for the role
- Are applying to internships, entry-level positions, or industries that value brevity (like startups)
- Can clearly communicate your qualifications in one concise page
Pro Tip: If you’re stuck between one and two pages, aim for clarity over compression. It’s better to use two pages well than to overcrowd one page with small fonts or dense text. Just make sure all the information you include is relevant.
Cons of a Two-Page Resume
Risk of including unnecessary details: If your resume isn’t tightly edited, the second page can end up filled with dated or irrelevant information.
More time consuming for reader: Some hiring managers will only have enough time to quickly scan your resume. If the second page lacks impact, they may not read it.
Harder to keep visually balanced: A two-page resume requires clean formatting and logical breaks. If the second page is inconsistent with the first, it can have a negative effect on the reader.
Pros of a Two-Page Resume
More space for experience and achievements: You can go into detail about key roles, projects, and results—without cramming everything into a single page.
Better fit for experienced professionals: If you’ve had a long or varied career, a second page lets you showcase your progression and specialization, especially if you are applying to senior-level positions.
More room for ATS keywords: Extra space allows you to naturally include relevant keywords, which can make your resume friendly for applicant tracking systems (ATS).
Easier to other relevant qualifications: You don’t have to sacrifice supporting sections like certifications, volunteer work, or professional development that provide additional relevant information.
What To Include in a Two-Page Resume
A two-page resume gives you more room—but every inch still counts. The goal isn’t to list everything you’ve ever done—it’s to highlight the experience, skills, and accomplishments that clearly communicate what makes you the best fit for the position.
Therefore, you need to use your second page strategically. It’s not a dumping ground for filler content. Every section must support your overall goal, whether that be with an extensive list of quantifiable achievements from a previous job or an extra section devoted to personal projects that add credibility to your skills.
An effective two page resume typically includes:
1. Header and contact information
Include your full name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile or portfolio link at the top of the first page. For the second page, you only need to provide your name and the option to include a page number.
Pro Tip: Make sure that the format is consistent between headers. Not only does this keep your resume looking professional, but it also solidifies your personal brand.
2. Resume profile (Summary or objective)
The resume profile is a 2–4 sentence section at the top of your resume that quickly communicates who you are, what you bring to the table, and what kind of role you’re seeking. If you are planning on writing a two-page resume, then you definitely want to include this section to maximize the space you will be working with.
You can use either an summary or an objective to set the tone and focus the reader’s attention on your strengths. A resume summary provides a high-level overview of your top qualifications, while a resume objective affirms your goals.
3. Key skills
Show that you are a balanced professional by highlighting a mix of hard and soft skills tailored to the job posting. Don’t add skills for the sake of it. Make sure they can be validated by your work experience, especially for hard skills.
What you include depends on the job. For example, technical roles will want to include technical skills like job-related tools and processes. Meanwhile something like a leadership position should include skills like project management, budgeting, or cross-functional collaboration.
Pro Tip: Use keywords from the job description to help pass the ATS and stand out to employers, but don’t lie! Only include skills that you are confident about sharing.
4. Work experience
This is the core of your resume, especially since many hiring managers want to see how your experience proves you are able to do the job. List your previous positions in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent job.
Include job titles, companies, locations, and dates of employment. Then, under each role, use bullet points to describe your key contributions and accomplishments—not just your responsibilities. Use action words to stand out and provide quantifiable information that focuses on outcomes or how you added value as an employee.
If you’ve had a long career, you don’t need to list every job you’ve ever held. Focus on the past 10–15 years, or the experience most relevant to your target role.
5. Education
Most jobs have some level of education requirements which needs to be reflected on your resume. Provide your highest obtained degree or certification. Since you have an extra page to work with, you can add more education entries, but only if they are relevant.
Include the name and location of the school, along with the degree obtained. If you are in progress, you can also include the expected graduation date. A GPA can be provided if it is higher than a 3.5, but it is not usually necessary.
Additional information such as academic honors or projects can also be included if they help demonstrate your qualifications.
6. Certifications, awards, and licenses (Optional)
A two-page resume thrives when you include optional sections of relevant information, especially if you hold industry-specific certifications, professional licenses, or have received notable awards that show a recognition of professional development and excellence.
As always, these should only be included if they are related to the job you are applying for. If so, then you can go ahead and list them in a separate section to add credibility.
7. Projects, publications, or volunteering (Optional)
For roles in tech, academia, healthcare, or nonprofit work, projects and publications can strengthen your application by showing that you are invested in your field. Meanwhile, volunteering in something related to your job not only highlights your passion, but your desire to help others outside the workplace.
Helping Job Seekers Like You
FAQ
Updated: June 13, 2025
Yes, a two-page resume is completely acceptable in 2025—especially if you’re a mid-career or experienced professional. The one-page rule is often misunderstood as a strict standard, but it’s really more of a guideline for entry-level applicants.
If you have 10 or more years of experience, a technical background, or a career history that includes multiple relevant roles, using two pages can help you present a fuller picture of your qualifications. Just make sure that every section adds value and supports your candidacy.
Consider the following tips when formatting your two page resume:
- Consistent formatting: Use the same fonts, sizes, spacing, and heading styles on both pages.
- Name on second page: Add a small header with your name and page number at the top of the second page (e.g., “Jane Doe – Page 2”).
- Natural breaks: Don’t split a job entry or bullet list between pages; end Page 1 after a complete section.
- Readable margins and font sizes: Use 0.5″–1″ margins and keep fonts between 10–11 pt for easy reading.
- Clear, bold section headings: Make each section easy to find and scan quickly.
- Avoid complex formatting: Skip tables, text boxes, or unusual fonts that might confuse applicant tracking systems (ATS).
- Right file format: Use .docx or PDF unless the employer specifies otherwise.
- Review before submission: Preview on multiple devices or print to make sure both pages look clean and unified.
Not at all—as long as it’s done right. A “bad” two-page resume is one that wastes space with irrelevant, outdated, or repetitive content. A strong two-page resume, on the other hand, uses the extra space to highlight achievements, results, and skills that are directly relevant to the job.
Realize how a one-page resume that leaves out important details is just as problematic as a bloated two-page resume. Focus on clarity, relevance, and impact—and let those priorities dictate the length.
Yes. A two-page resume can be very effective for career changers, especially when you need space to demonstrate how your past experience aligns with your new target role.
You can use the second page to highlight transferable skills, relevant projects, certifications, continuing education, or freelance and volunteer work that support your new direction. The key is to be strategic: don’t just list all your past jobs. Instead, emphasize the aspects of your background that make you a strong candidate in this new field.
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