Are multiple page resumes ok?

Yes, it’s appropriate for an experienced professional to extend to more than one page. The old adage was that unless you were the President of the United States, you ought to keep it to one page. While old rules have loosened up, in resume writing, as in life, there’s something to be said for a clear, concise presentation. 

If you’ve been working for more than five years or held multiple positions with multiple employers, it probably makes sense to extend it. However, many people simply don’t read. That’s something I learned all too well from my advertising and marketing days. People are busy! The average person, much like the average hiring manager, doesn’t have time to read through the minutiae. Chances are if someone is hiring for a particular position that you qualify for, they have a general idea of the responsibilities you carried out under previous positions. You probably don’t need to tell a Director of HR everything you did as a generalist. Yes, in broad strokes – how many employees, size of the company, number of locations, exceptional circumstances, etc. But mostly – you need to show what made you great!

Keeping yourself focused to accomplishments, and quantifiable ones at that will increase the chances that someone takes a deeper dive and eventually picks up the phone to find out more.

If your resume must be 1+ pages, create an accomplishment section on page 1. This will keep your achievements, even older ones in if they’re appropriate, front and center. I’m in favor of 2 pages total no matter who you are, but if you have the experience and think you’re senior level position requires three pages, use your judgement and be sure to be clear, concise, and quantified in positioning yourself.