What We Say
Getting you CV length right is sometimes the difference between having your CV read first, thirty-seventh, or not at all!
CV Length
Talking about first impressions – one of the main influencers on first impressions is CV length.
Generally speaking, the longer your CV, the less enticing it is to read, and on the other side of
the coin, the shorter your CV, the more enticing it is to read.
Indeed, many long CVs are actually a deterrent to read, and it is no real surprise that when
employers choose which CVs to read first, many plump for one page CVs before three-page
CVs.
Effectively, CV length is a big and immediate message to employers on how enticing your CV will
be to read (or otherwise), and it does play a significant part in first impressions.
Not every short CV is enticing to read (for example some have poor formats or are too cluttered),
however, pretty much every long CV is a deterrent to read, by sheer dint of size alone – and that’s
even before you throw other elements into the equation such as legibility factors etc.
If you currently have a long CV then just don’t expect it to be first in the queue of those read by
employers, and especially when lined up against shorter, neater counterparts.
Is length important?
Most definitely!
Notably, employers are busy people and not every CV gets read. Length not only can but often does, influence the employer’s decision to read it (or not). If your CV is so long that employers don’t want to read it then needless to say it is hardly going to be successful in the job market.
CV length – the long and short of it
CV length is certainly far more important than most people realise,
Some people are under the impression that every part of the CV has equal value. However, this just isn’t the case in reality. The truth is that some elements of CVs are more important than others, and have higher values and more weighting than other constituent parts. Right near the top of the list is CV length, and for the reasons listed above.
The best CV length
Arguably the best CV length is one page. And nothing stands out like a one-page CV. However, it can’t be just any old one page CV. For example, some peoples’ one page CVs are just too basic, whereas some people overcomplicate their one-page CV and resort to counterproductive tactics such as using minuscule fonts in order to refine their CV down to this optimum length. If you do want a one-page CV, then you need to make sure that it is well written, and is written without resorting to things such as shorthand or ridiculous sized fonts, because if you do this it is counter-productive and will backfire.
Of course, selling yourself in fewer words is far easier said than done, but it’s not impossible if you have writing talent, method and first class English writing skills. One of the reasons why clients come to us from all around the world is because we have an international reputation for our ability to refine long CVs down in length. We don’t always refine them down to one page, this really depends on the client’s circumstances and preferences, but in the vast majority of cases we refine CVs down to the recommended to page maximum.
Notably, when we do refine CVs down to one page, we don’t just do it any old how. On the contrary, our one-page CVs tend to say more in one page than the client’s original CV did in two or three pages. It’s just that the way we write, we tend to say more, but in fewer words, and in a more considered and targeted manner working with sales and marketing principles in mind.