How Long Should My CV Be?

How long should my CV be?

While the content of your CV is what really matters to hiring managers, the layout, format, design and length will also be important factors. Even if you have all the right experience, a badly formatted CV can distract from all that experience.

It also shows a lack of care and no attention to detail when it comes to how you choose to present your CV to a potential employer. Specifically, a CV that is the wrong length shows that a candidate doesn’t know how to present the right information or condense their experience into relevant information. Remember your CV is the first demonstration of your communication skills and your CV length is one of the first things hiring managers will notice.

How long should your CV be?

In general, your CV should be no more than two pages and this is what most hiring managers will come to expect. If you’re very early on in your career, it may only be one page. However, don’t feel the need to flesh this out just to stretch it to two pages. Your CV should only contain relevant information, experience and skills. Hiring managers can spot waffle a mile away, so don’t add it in.

For incredibly senior roles, it could be understandable for your CV to go onto three pages, but you should scrutinise every element of it and make sure what you’re including is absolutely imperative. Trying to cut down your CV is a good exercise in self-editing and will help you discern what information is truly valuable when space is tight.

It’s also good practice to have a one-page version of your CV, even if you don’t intend to use it all the time. Some employers might look for a strict one-page CV and having both versions will give you a better eye for the details that really matter. In general, the bulk of your content should be about the last two jobs or the last five years’ experience. Don’t waste valuable space talking about the day-to-day tasks you had for part-time job you had 10 years ago.

Even if very old jobs have skills you believe to be relevant, ask yourself if you have proven those skills again in more recent jobs? Showcase these instead of the older jobs.

The important question to keep asking yourself is: what’s the least number of pages it will take you match your experience with the skills needed for the role? Read over your CV and make sure every sentence is working towards the goal of getting that job.

Looking for more advice? Here’s everything you need to know about your CV. Ready to find your dream job? Simply register your CV with us and/or create job alerts tailored to your specific career preferences. Sit back, and let us do the hard work on your behalf.

Written with contributions from the RECRUITERS team

Laptop photo by Lauren Mancke on Unsplash