A resume should be only one, or at the most, two pages.
While it is true that you have only a few seconds to capture a reader’s attention and it is also true that with each additional page you reduce your chances of your resume being read thoroughly, for most executives it is unrealistic and nearly impossible to compress many years of experience into one or two pages. When attempted, important achievements are left out to make room for a full chronology of the career history and education. What is left is a boring listing of companies, positions, and dates that are guaranteed to turn off the reader and land your resume in the circular file.
A better strategy is to write your resume with exactly as much detail and description as is needed to persuasively convince the reader that you are the ideal candidate to solve his or her problems – to compel the reader to pick up the phone and call you for an interview. While this is sometimes a difficult balance to strike, you should review and edit your resume with a very discriminating eye toward reducing unnecessary wordiness. Every word in your resume should have a purpose. Use succinct, dynamic, action-oriented language to convey your ability to add value to the reader’s company and you will capture and hold attention through three or even more pages.
