Resume Word Counter — Is Your Resume the Right Length?

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Paste your resume — get words, characters, reading time and an honest verdict on length.

Paste your resume text

How to use this tool

1. Paste your entire resume text (copy from Word/Google Docs/PDF).
2. Check the verdict — with word count, character count, bullet count and recruiter reading time.
3. Edit in your editor and re-paste until it lands in the green zone.

Example

A mid-career resume at 480 words with 24 bullets reads in under 3 minutes — RIGHT SIZE. The same career at 1,400 words reads as 'TOO LONG': recruiters average 6–8 seconds on the first skim, and length buries the achievements.

The formula

one page ≈ 400–500 words · two pages ≈ 800–900 words · recruiter skim ≈ 6–8 seconds

What the result means

Length is a signal before anyone reads a word: under 250 suggests thin content, 400–650 signals a tight one-to-two pages, past 900 signals a resume that hasn't been edited. The bullet count matters too — if almost every line is a bullet, the resume is a list of duties; the strongest resumes mix a few narrative lines with achievement bullets.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a resume be?

One page for students and under ~5 years' experience; two pages for established careers. The word bands in this tool map to those page counts.

Does word count include my name and contact block?

Yes — paste everything, since the paste is what becomes the document. It's a few dozen words; not worth subtracting.

Is 1,000 words ever right?

For academic CVs and some senior/executive roles, long documents are normal. For industry applications, 1,000 words usually means unedited.

Is my resume uploaded?

No — the count happens in your browser; your resume text never leaves this page.

More tools from Career Station

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• Career Station — the island where this tool lives.
• The Main Island — drive the boat, explore the whole world.
• The 90s Kids Island — where most of us started.

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