Dear Sam: I am a vice president-level leader with an impressive background spanning 25+ years with 5 organizations. In addition, I am involved in multiple boards, possess a master’s degree, am heavily involved in the community, and am active on a speaking circuit. I worked with a professional to develop my resume, which I thought presented my background very effectively, but it spans three pages. When circulating my resume within my internal organization to solicit opinions from my peers, many said my resume should only be two pages long. How do I prioritize and identify want to cut from my resume when I feel it is important to present? – Stephan

Dear Stephan: I am so pleased you mentioned the idea of soliciting opinions because, unfortunately, opinions are exactly what you received. It is natural to seek others’ approval of your resume, but your peers are inaccurate in telling you it should only be two pages. The norm for executive-level leaders with the depth and breadth of your career is three pages. Typically once you are at a director level, you can start to warrant an extended presentation. Of course, if you didn’t have all of the additional thought leadership engagements, your resume could perhaps be two pages.

You are correct in that all of the information in your resume is very important to differentiate your candidacy. I would stand firm with your 3-page presentation and know that it is a best practice in the personal branding field at your level.

Samantha Nolan is an Advanced Personal Branding Strategist and Career Expert, founder and CEO of Nolan Branding. Do you have a resume, career, or job search question for Dear Sam? Reach Samantha at [email protected]. For information on Nolan Branding’s services, visit www.nolanbranding.com or call 888-9-MY-BRAND or 614-570-3442.