Miles Jamison 
- OPM issued a notice limiting federal resumes to two pages
- Lauren Rainford said the change could attract more private-sector candidates to public service
- The MarCom Group CEO said the shorter format could speed up how recruiters evaluate applicants
The Office of Personnel Management has limited federal resumes to two pages, a change that MarCom Group CEO Lauren Rainford said could make federal jobs more accessible to private-sector professionals, career changers and entry-level applicants.
In a post published Thursday in the Washington Business Journal, Rainford said the previous federal resume format could discourage candidates from pursuing public-sector positions because of the length and level of detail required.
OPM’s hiring changes align with topics at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 FedCiv Summit on Oct. 29, where senior government leaders and industry executives will discuss federal civilian workforce priorities, AI adoption and procurement. Register today to hear how agencies are translating those priorities into action.
Who Could Benefit From Shorter Federal Resumes?
Rainford said the new format could make federal applications more familiar to private-sector professionals who are accustomed to concise, results-focused resumes. She added that the change could also let entry-level candidates and career changers highlight transferable skills and other qualifications without competing against the lengthy work histories often found in federal resumes.
According to Rainford, the previous format created an additional hurdle for qualified candidates interested in public service but had limited time to navigate the application process.
How Could the Change Affect Federal Hiring?
The two-page limit could also affect how recruiters and hiring managers evaluate applicants. Rainford said federal hiring personnel previously spent time helping candidates navigate the resume process and offering guidance on presenting their qualifications.
A shorter resume could allow hiring officials to review applicant qualifications more quickly, Rainford said. She connected faster reviews with shorter hiring timelines and fewer periods in which mission-critical positions remain unfilled.
Rainford also characterized the OPM change as part of a broader shift toward a more streamlined federal hiring process. She said the revised format could help federal agencies align their recruitment practices with expectations among today’s workforce.
The two-page resume requirement coincides with other OPM actions aimed at speeding up federal hiring. The agency finalized a rule replacing the “rule of three” with a “rule of many,” allowing agencies to certify a broader pool of highly qualified candidates through skills-based assessments rather than the earlier category rating system. OPM has also issued guidance encouraging agencies to expand artificial intelligence use in hiring, citing the Merit Hiring Plan’s goal of reducing average time-to-hire to 80 days.
