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Many employers expect a one-page resume, or two pages at most. Reactive Resume tells you as soon as your content runs past the pages you planned, and can tighten the design for you until it fits. This guide covers the automatic fit and the changes you can make by hand.

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Know when content runs over

Your layout has a set number of pages (one, unless you add more; see Arranging the layout). When the content needs more than that, three things show it:
  • A warning above the first page says how far it runs over, for example “Runs onto page 2 by about 6 lines”, next to a Fit to one page button.
  • A dashed amber line with the page number marks where each extra page begins.
  • The zoom bar at the bottom of the page shows the total number of pages.
Above the first page, the label Page 1 next to an amber warning reading Runs onto page 4 by about 35 lines and a button labelled Fit to 3 pages

The warning above the first page, with its Fit button

The bottom of page 3 and the top of an extra page 4, separated by a dashed amber line labelled Page 4, with the Projects section at the top of page 4

An extra page is marked with a dashed amber line

The zoom bar with a minus button, a Fit button, a plus button and the text 4 pages

The zoom bar at the bottom of the page shows the page count

The Fit button in the zoom bar (it shows a percentage after you zoom in or out) only zooms the page to fit your screen. It doesn’t change your resume.

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Fit it automatically

Select Fit to one page in the warning (it reads Fit to 2 pages, Fit to 3 pages and so on when your layout has more pages). Reactive Resume tightens the design one step at a time and checks the result after each step:
  1. Density: Roomy, then Normal, then Compact.
  2. Margins: Wide, then Normal, then Narrow.
  3. Text size: half a point smaller each time, never below 9 pt.
If your density or margins are exact values from Advanced rather than one of the presets, Fit goes straight to Compact or Narrow for that step. It stops as soon as everything fits and tells you what it changed, for example “Fits on one page: Compact, narrow margins, 10 pt”. Select Undo in that message, or press ⌘ Z (Ctrl Z on Windows and Linux), to reverse the whole fit in one step. If the content still doesn’t fit at 9 pt, the message says so (“Still 2 pages at 9 pt. Hide a section or shorten entries.”). At that point, trim the content itself.

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Tighten the design yourself

You can make the same changes by hand in Design, and go further in Advanced: See Customizing typography and Choosing paper size, margins and language for details.

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Trim or rearrange the content

Design changes only go so far. A resume that fits because its content is focused reads better than one squeezed into small type.
  • Shorten entries. Cut filler words, keep measurable results, and aim for three to five bullet points per job.
  • Hide what doesn’t help. Hide older or less relevant entries and sections from the page without deleting them; see Editing entries and Managing sections.
  • Put short sections in columns. Skills, languages and interests take less height in two or three columns; see Arranging the layout.
  • Plan a second page. If two pages are acceptable, add a page and move less important sections onto it, so page one holds your strongest material. The warning then counts two planned pages.
If your resume will only be read on screen, the Free-form paper format makes each page as tall as its content, so nothing ever runs over. See Choosing paper size, margins and language.