What the study actually tested
Researchers created one-page and two-page versions of resumes for four fictitious, highly qualified graduating accounting students. They mailed mixed sets to 570 personnel recruiters at major accounting firms and asked respondents to rank the candidates as if they were hiring for entry-level roles.1
The two-page versions ranked more favorably. That contradicts the claim that a second page is automatically harmful. It does not establish that two pages are better in every market, so use it to reject a rigid one-page rule, not to replace it with a rigid two-page one.1
What it does not settle
- The study covered entry-level accounting candidates, not every role or career stage.
- Recruiters ranked supplied resumes. The study did not measure real callbacks, interviews, or hires.
- The study was published in 2001, 25 years ago, when the firms were still the “Big Six” and before today's digital application workflow.
- Packets went to 570 recruiters. We could read only the abstract, which doesn't say how many replied; the full paper is paywalled.
A better editing rule
Our take: use the shortest version that preserves the evidence a reviewer needs. Put the experience and results most relevant to the role on page one: in the strongest eye-tracking study, recruiters who spent longer on Experience were more likely to move a resume forward. Use page two for additional work only when it adds useful scope, depth, or context.
Every line should pass a simpler test: "Does this help a reviewer understand my fit for this role?" A line earns its space when it says what changed, how you measured it, and what you did to get there, not when it fills the page.
Make the important details easy to find
If page two repeats earlier points, combine them. If an older role does not help explain your qualifications for this job, shorten it, but keep its dates: listing the years spent in each job raised callbacks in the largest test of gap fixes. Check that your recent responsibilities and strongest results remain easy to find.