How long should your CV be; one page, two pages, three pages, or more?
Typically, your CV should be no longer than two pages. Although this might be challenging, it’s essential to condense all relevant information for the role you’re applying for within this limit. Remember, the main goal of your CV is to secure an interview.
In some fields, such as academia, healthcare, and senior roles, it’s not unusual for a CV to extend into multiple pages. These longer CVs often include an Executive Summary on the first page, providing a high-level overview of the candidate’s qualifications. This summary helps the reader, whether it’s a hiring organization or an agency, quickly assess the candidate’s suitability and decide whether to delve deeper into the document. But generally, your CV shouldn’t be longer than two pages.
Here’s how you can fit all your relevant information into your CV:
Study the Job Description
Ask yourselves these questions:
- What parts of the job description are relevant to you?
- Do you have relevant experience?
- Do you have relevant qualifications?
- Do you have relevant training courses completed?
- Do you have any specific skills/talent that the hiring organisation require?
Use these CV headings
After detailing your personal details under the CV heading, use the following CV section headings:
Profile
Tailor this section against the contents and main criteria of the job description.
Career summary
Tailor this section against the contents and main criteria of the job description.
Career history
- Tailor this section against the contents and main criteria of the job description
- Start with the most recent role moving down to the first most relevant role that you worked in
- What have you done/are currently doing that the role needs experience in?
Employment history
Detail here employments that you may have worked in that are not relevant to the role that you are applying for.
Education
Detail all your education starting with the most recent down to secondary school education.
CPD
- What courses have you completed or intend to complete that would impress the hiring organisation?
- List them down in order of most recent with month and year included
Interests
- It is good that people see the ‘holistic’ you i.e., what you are into outside of your working day i.e., interests, voluntary work, charity work, hobbies.
- Do not include high-danger, extreme sports where injury or accident are high possibilities.
- Sharp-eyed ‘Person CV Screeners’ would see this and may have concerns i.e., they hire you, train you and then you call in with an, “I’m not able to go to work today!
So how long should your CV be? A two-page CV for most jobs is possible and needs to include enough information to land that interview, where you can expand upon the information on your CV.