Some people believe that it’s a big mistake for their résumé to be longer than one page. They’ve probably received advice at some point in their career that their résumé will be placed straight in the trash if it runs to two or more pages. However, that’s simply not true. While most applicants should limit their résumé to one page there are some cases where two or more pages are not only acceptable but expected.

New college graduates and those with less than 10 years experience should always stick to a one-page résumé. With limited work experience, exceeding a page in an attempt to look more accomplished is a mistake that will be detected and reflects poorly during the interview process. Applicants should always use the entire page, placing the most relevant and recent accomplishments at the top.

Applicants with more than 10 years experience or more than 3 employers may require a second page, but should only include one if the experiences detailed are relevant to the position to which they are applying. At this level, an applicant’s résumé should detail advancement throughout their career, ideally showing increasing scope of responsibilities and achievements.

As the rank of the position rises, so do the expectations of a résumé’s breadth and detail. Senior-level management and executives may require more than 2 pages in order to demonstrate long term accomplishments. Additionally, at this level, it is expected that detailed experiences, past duties and even overall vision will be offered in the résumé. In these cases, a shorter résumé can actually work against the applicant, making the potential employer wonder if the experience is extensive enough for such a high level position.

Those seeking employment in the academic or scientific fields will likely be required to provide a curricula vita or CV and is not limited by the one page rule and should include details of publications, presentations, licenses, teaching and research experience.

While you shouldn’t omit important information in order to squeeze onto one page, the second page should cover at least half of the page. Otherwise, you should try to shorten the résumé and bring it down to one page.

When following these guidelines, additional pages on a résumé can provide added relevant material to the employer, allowing you to market yourself better and create an advantage over your competition.