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Creating a CV can quickly become a frustrating task, especially if you are an individual with extensive experience or with little to no experience.
Those with extensive experience often find organising information produces pages upon pages of content, while those with little experience can have difficulty filling one page.
The question that naturally arises is: how many pages should a CV be in order to present a professional presence?
As a general rule, you should focus on maintaining a CV of 2 pages.
This length presents your experience and key assets to the potential employer without boring them with needless, repetitive, or redundant material.
It is reported that recruiters spend on average 5-7 seconds looking at a CV so first impressions really do matter!
Of course, the exception to this general guideline would be for individuals with extensive and relevant career experience as well as senior level individuals.
In such cases you would want to expand in more detail on your capabilities to successfully fulfil the position offered.
A misconception when writing a CV is that the longer the CV, the more weight a potential client will give it.
This is not necessarily true; an employer is more interested in whether you possess the specific skills to perform the duties of the job to corporate standards.
For example: a CV for a senior position in the medical profession would not necessarily need experience as a shop assistant to be shown.
If other experience which is more relevant to the position you’re applying for can be presented, you’re encouraged to use your limited space to talk about this instead.
Conversely, an entry level individual often doesn’t have the experience to fill multiple pages with relative content.
The challenge which arises here is how to present enough information to persuade a potential employer that you are competent enough for the role.
Often an entry level individual will present lower level jobs to “fluff” the CV. For example: they may show how he or she has worked in various retail positions on their CV.
Where this is fine in establishing a consistent work history, it has little merit when applying for a position in a completely different field.
Entry level candidates should focus more on their education and skill sets to show how they will be able to do the role.
Experience shows that you have the ability to perform the job you’re applying for.
However, filling the page with various experiences should be done with care - for example, pay attention to when you gained the experience.
Similarly, consider whether jobs and experiences with little or no direct connection to the potential job need to be included.
As a general rule, experiences aged more than 10 years which do not hold critical merit or establish a constant work history should be omitted as you’re presenting your experience as it relates to the present day.
Focus on presenting recent, relevant experience to an employer that ensures your skillset is remembered and showcases your abilities to fulfil the role.
When sectioning off your CV a good practice is to follow the rule of three.
The question ‘How many pages should a CV be’ is one which job hunters always ask when composing a CV.
Overall, you want to ensure that you do not present a CV which is too short- CVs under a page in length need to be highlighted so that they span a minimum of 2 pages.
Conversely, extensive CVs which span more than 4 pages should be reduced greatly so they’re not overbearing or cluttered.
Offering various CV writing packages based on your current career level, Purple CV can ensure your CV is the ideal length.
We do this by ensuring that the desired skill set matches your experience, that your education and certifications are brought to the forefront, and that you are presented as someone who will benefit the employer’s interests.
Check out our CV Writing Service page or Contact Us today.