There is much controversy about the one- versus two-page résumé. I recommend a common-sense approach. What will it take to differentiate yourself and demonstrate to your audience how you have brought real-world value to the companies you have represented? If you can do it in one page, that’s great. If you need two pages to present relevant experience and accomplishments effectively, don’t be intimidated by those who insist that every résumé must fit on a single page. The real issue is not arbitrary page count, but whether the content is relevant, compelling, and easy to read.

As I tell my clients, “old legends never die.” The one-page résumé rule is one of them. But the function of a résumé has changed substantially over the years. Once viewed primarily as a brief employment summary, today it serves as both a professional marketing document and an important screening tool, often reviewed electronically before it ever reaches a human decision-maker. Its purpose is not to satisfy an arbitrary page-count rule, but to give the reader enough relevant information to recognize your value and want to know more. So don’t worry. If it takes two pages, an intelligent audience won’t disregard your résumé because of its length! Poor presentation, a lack of accomplishment-focused or relevant content, or a failure to demonstrate the value you can bring to their company are the real deal-breakers!

I often joke with my clients about our college days, when we were all terrorized by the strictest academic thesis-writing requirements. We were sure there was a room on campus in which a person with a bean-counter mentality did nothing but measure margins and paper weight to determine the quality of our work. The corporate market is an entirely different playing field. On that field, margins and paper weight are not the deciding factors. What matters to our market is who we are, what talents we offer, and how we can contribute to their purpose. So keep your eye on the ball. Remember: when we are marketing ourselves, we are on a different playing field with its own unique set of rules!