You may have heard that a resume should be no longer than 1 page in length, but in today's competitive environment this advice is not always valid.

In fact, 2-page resumes are currently more common, and readily acceptable, particularly when potential employers are dealing with qualified (i.e. experienced) candidates.

The reason for this shift is that people change jobs more often now than they did years ago. This is due to a variety of reasons including technological advances (easier access to positions in a global market), greater opportunity for advancement, corporate downsizing, mergers, decrease in company loyalty, etc.

During the 60's, 70's, and even the 80's, workers may have stayed with one or two companies for their entire career. But the 90's and the new millennium brought greater challenges and more competition. It's no longer enough to show you have the necessary skills. Employers want to see how you've applied these skills and they want to know the benefits of your efforts (your achievements).

It's still important to keep your presentation concise, so don't think that the elimination of the 1-page "rule" gives you free reign to write your career autobiography. You should design your document to make a powerful presentation while recognizing the value of your readers' time (and attention span.) Any pages in excess of 2 may not be read (so let's hope they don't contain anything important).

Take as many pages as you need to concisely, honestly and accurately present your qualifications for the specific position being targeted, and then read through your document again and remove anything that doesn't directly relate to the job.