One Page Resume Templates

What is a one-page resume template?

The one-page resume template has a layout designed to present the most relevant information about the applicant. It contains summarized text that is easy to read and scan.

This type of resume is born out of understanding the two key principles of application processing. The first one is that the most important information is expected to be in the first one-third of the document. The second principle is that the HR officer only has a few seconds to decide if your resume goes in the bin or not.

A well-prepared single-page resume demonstrates that you are a very organized person who knows how to prioritize and who values the time of the recruiter. It also demonstrates that vanity is not one of your disadvantages.

When to use a one-page resume template?

• Personality: If you are a well-organized individual who can prioritize what is important and what is not, then the 1-page resume format is for you. To use this format, you need to understand what the employer is looking for. You also need to have well-organized thoughts because if they invite you for an interview there will be a lot of clarifying questions.
• The professional field: A one-page resume is accepted in all professional fields. Still, you might find it a bit hard to use a one-page resume template if you are in a creative field. If your dream job is in a more conservative or traditional field, the one-page resume template is a format that will be well received.
• Company: The one-page resume is universal and any company’s recruiters would appreciate it highly. In bigger companies such as Apple, Microsoft, or Tesla there is an influx of applicants and the HR officers need to sort through tons of resumes. In this case, the one-page resume can give you an advantage in demonstrating your skills in a condensed form.
• Background and education: Anyone with any education and background could benefit from a one-page resume template. The only exception is when for some reason you have a higher educational level such as Ph.D. and you need to list out your Bachelor's and Masters's degrees as well. This usually happens if you pursue an academic career. You might also need to list all your degrees and even high school degrees if they are relevant. Otherwise, you only need to list your most recent degree.
• Position: The single-page resume template is suitable for any position. It is very important to use this template if you are a candidate for an entry position with less experience. Often, for such jobs, there are more candidates. This means that a lot of resumes need to pass through the recruiter’s desk. Your chance is better if you avoid fluff. If you have more experience, and you are a candidate for a senior position, you might consider making your resume two pages or more.

Tips for building the best one-page resume template

Design

Using infographics, icons, and bullet points on one-page resumes can help present information compactly. Still, you need to have a rather minimalist approach to make sure the document is easy to read.

Narrower space between sections and reduced resume margins are tricks that will allow you to fit more content on one page. Nevertheless, keep enough white space so that the document looks organized.

With a one-page resume, the best background is white. If you have two columns, infographics, icons, bullet points, and a lot of information presented in a smaller font do not add more complexity.

Font

We recommend minimalist and compact fonts such as Oswald, Bitter, and Volkhov. With these fonts, you will be able to fit more information on a single page.

Colors

With one-page resumes, you need to adopt a minimalist approach regarding colors. You can use one color to highlight your sections’ headings. Use the same color for your bullet points and icons. If you have infographics such as pie charts they will add a few more colors, but this is acceptable.

Layout

According to statistics, your resume will be processed by a recruiter in 6–10 seconds. Then he or she will decide if the resume lands in the bin or not. This is why the layout is as important as the information itself.

The layout needs to present as much information as possible on the first one-third of the page. The challenge is that the information also has to be easy to read and understand.

This is why The Header is very important. This is the place for your contact details such as name, phone, and email. You may also add your city and state. Do not add an exact address such as street, floor, and apartment number. This information is not relevant. With a one-page resume, you can also decide not to include your picture, but you can add a link to LinkedIn for more information. The recruiter will be able to see your picture there if he or she decides.

The header is also the place where you can add your headline. Be short. Think of something catchy that will represent you, just with one phrase.

Next comes the Summary section. In 2–3 sentences you must highlight your greatest achievements, skills, education, and work experience. This is the place where you need to shine and basically demonstrate to the recruiters why hiring you would be a good idea.

The Job (Work) Experience section is placed under the Summary section, aligned left. Use bullet points and list out your positions in reverse chronological order. If the position is irrelevant at the moment, do not go into details. If the position is relevant to your current application, you can explain using 1–2 sentences what your duties were. Try to use action verbs and be short.

Next comes the Education section. It is also left-aligned. With a one-page resume, you do not have a lot of space, so you must only list your most recent degree. Of course, if your previous degrees are relevant or required, you will also need to include them.

A two-column format will allow you to utilize the available space on the page more effectively. In case you decide to choose it, you can position your Achievements and Skills sections aligned right just opposite the Job Experience and the Education Sections. This is very important because the information in both sections is presented only by keywords or phrases. It needs to be supported with more details in the Job Experience and Education sections.

With a one-page resume, the space for Additional sections is limited. In case it is relevant, you can also add Languages, Hobbies, Projects, or Interests sections. If you have to decide what to include and what not, make sure you leave sections that would help you make an impression as a suitable job candidate.

Number of pages

One-page resumes are much more appreciated by HR officers for practical reasons. However, as per industry standards, you can feel free to add another page for every ten years of job experience you have

One-page resume template pros and cons