How Long Should a Resumé Be? (2026)

Short answer: In Canada, a resumé should be one or two pages. Two pages is normal once you have a few years of experience. Keep it to one page if you're a student, a new grad or early in your career. Three pages is too long for almost every job outside academia. Job Bank's advice is simply: limit your resumé to two pages.

Can a resumé be 2 pages?

Yes. In Canada, two pages is completely normal. Job Bank, the Government of Canada’s job site, says to “limit your resume to two pages” (Job Bank). Alberta’s alis career site says a good resumé “is direct, clear, and 1 to 2 pages long” (alis).

So two pages isn’t a problem. Two pages of filler is.

When one page is better

Aim for one page if:

You’re a high school or college student
You’re a new grad, or have less than about three years of work experience
You’re applying for a part-time, retail or entry-level job
You’re changing careers and most of your history doesn’t relate to the new field

For students, the US Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop says to limit your resumé to one page (CareerOneStop). A tight one-pager that matches the job beats a stretched two-pager every time.

When two pages is the right call

Two pages makes sense when you have:

Several years of relevant experience
More than two or three jobs that relate to the role
Certifications, licences or technical skills the employer will want to see
Projects or results that show you can do the job

If you’re on a second page, make sure the most important things are on page one. Job Bank says an employer “takes an average of 30 seconds to skim a resume.” Many readers won’t get past the first page in that time.

Can a resumé be 3 pages?

For most jobs, no. If your resumé runs to three pages, it usually has too much detail on old jobs. Job Bank says jobs “that are more than 15 years old should either be cut out or minimized.”

The main exception is a CV for academic, research or medical roles, which can be much longer. See resumé vs CV for the difference.

Can a resumé be double sided?

If you’re printing it, yes. Two pages printed front and back on one sheet is fine. Put your name and page number on page two, in case the pages get separated. Most applications are online now, though, so the page count matters more than the paper.

How to cut a resumé down to size

Cut jobs older than about 15 years, or list them in one line each with no bullets.
Keep three to five bullets for recent jobs, and one or two for older ones.
Remove duties anyone could guess from your job title. Show results instead. Our bullet points guide shows how.
Drop “References available upon request” and any personal details like age or marital status.
Merge short sections. Certifications and languages can often go in one “Skills and certifications” section.
Check your margins and font, but don’t shrink the text to fit. A cramped page is harder to read in 30 seconds.

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-29.

Job Bank (Government of Canada). How to write a good resume. https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/resources/write-good-resume
Government of Alberta, alis. Resumé checklists. https://alis.alberta.ca/look-for-work/resumes-and-references/resume-checklists/
CareerOneStop GetMyFuture (US Department of Labor). Resumes. https://www.careeronestop.org/GetMyFuture/Employment/resumes.aspx