Google HR Boss Says This Is The Ideal Length For A Resume

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Your resume length should depend on your level of experience.

"Keep it under one page!" "No, include every detail!"

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You've probably heard conflicting advice when it comes to how long your résumé should be.

So which is it?

Laszlo Bock, senior VP at Google, has a simple rule for deciding how long your résumé should be: one page for every ten years of work experience.

Though it might seem difficult to downsize and fit everything into a few pages, keeping it concise will pay off. "A crisp, focused résumé demonstrates an ability to synthesize, prioritize, and convey the most important information about you," Bock explains.

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The main - and arguably only - purpose of a résumé is to land you an interview, and weighing it down with additional pages of extraneous information won't help your case. Instead, use your résumé as a tool to grab the hiring manager's attention and get your foot in the door, Bock advises. "Once you're in the room, the résumé doesn't matter much," he says.

Experts from online job site TheLadders agree. Once you've become a mid-level professional, it's impossible to squeeze everything onto one page, but still important to keep it concise. Here's an example of an ideal résumé for a mid-level employee:

bi_graphics_goodresume_midlevel_revised (1)

Skye Gould/Business Insider


Entry-level job seekers, especially those straight out of college, should keep their résumés confined to one page, however. Here's an example of an excellent one:

Perfect Resume For A Recent College Graduate Graphic

Skye Gould/Business Insider


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