How Many Pages Should a CV Be? Guide + Tips

When you're looking for a job, your CV is a key tool to help you stand out amongst other candidates. It often creates a potential employer's first impression of you and your skills in a quick, easy-to-read format. Many employers use the document to select candidates they want to interview, so you want a CV that catches their attention and highlights what you do best. 

How long should your CV be? Typically, your CV should be no more than two pages long. But some can be three pages or more for candidates with extensive experience. Read on to discover the best CV sizes for different types of job and internship applicants, including key tips for keeping your CV a manageable size.

CV length: How many pages you really need 

The length of your CV will depend on your work experience and the industry in which you work. To figure out the best approach for you, review the list below of CV lengths for some common scenarios. 

One-page CV 

One page CVs are reserved for those with little experience, such as students, and recent graduates who are just starting out in their career and applying for an entry level position. 

Two-page CVs

Two pages is the standard length for a CV in the UK. According to a survey by Reed, 91 per cent of recruiters said the perfect CV length is two pages [1]. A two-page CV allows enough space for a professional to detail relevant experience, education, and achievements. A busy recruiter doesn’t have time to read hundreds of CVs, so be concise and include all the relevant information.

Hiring managers use screening software to scroll through your CV digitally rather than thumbing through stacks of paper and two-page CVs give you enough space to also include keywords.

Three-page (or more) CVs

You should almost never submit a three-page resume unless you meet a specific set of criteria or the industry in which you work specifically asks for CVs of this length. 

Typically, CVs that are three pages or longer are reserved for academics who include long lists of citations for published work. Mid-to-late stage professionals with 15+ years of experience who are applying to senior-level positions may also find that a three-page CV is required to adequately highlight their work experience and accomplishments. 

Still not sure? Here’s a  good rule of thumb:

You won't find a one-size-fits-all CV length. While some might find that they can fit all their professional experience into the standard two pages, others might find that they only have enough experience to write a page.

CV length tips

You may find it difficult to keep your CV short without compromising prior work experience. Use these tips to edit, refine, and focus your CV so it can have as much impact as possible. 

1. Use bullet points. 

One of the key places that CVs can bloat is in the work experience section. Here, you should use bullet points for each work experience item. This way, you’ll keep your CV focused only on the experiences that matter to the job you are applying for, in a way that is easy to follow, without reams of text.

Once you have reduced your text with bullet points, you may find that you have too many bullet points under each job title. Consider consolidating some of them. This is a particularly effective strategy when the bullet points overlap with one another.

To do this, read through your CV and look for related bullet points that are currently separated. Then, combine them together. 

For example:

2. Focus on achievements rather than duties.

Another good way to cut down on the size of the work experience section of your CV is to emphasise your concrete achievements rather than simply listing every duty you performed in a previous position. In addition to cutting out unnecessary descriptions of potentially irrelevant tasks, this technique also allows you to highlight the impact that you had at your previous place of employment. 

To do this, read through your CV and identify the duties listed without describing a greater outcome. While it may be obvious to you what the purpose of a task was, it likely won’t be to a busy hiring manager who is simply scanning your CV. Be as explicit and concrete as possible with your achievements.   

The example below illustrates this principle in action:

The first example is much longer and less impactful than the second one because it hides the applicant’s actions and achievements in excessive text. While the “Before” example would be suitable for a cover letter, the “After” example is better suited for a CV, which is more likely to be scanned than read by a hiring manager.

3. Use active language (and be concise).

You want your resume to be a focused representation of what you have accomplished and what you can bring to your next place of employment. As a result, use active, action-oriented language that succinctly describes what you did and accomplished rather than spelling out full sentences that make scanning difficult. 

To make your writing more action-oriented and concise, take out any unnecessary words that take attention away from the actions you performed and the outcomes you achieved. For instance, consider the two examples below: 

4. Only include relevant experience.

When applying to certain jobs, you will likely find that not all of your experience is equally relevant to the position. Consider excluding work that doesn’t seem particularly relevant to the job you are applying for.  

For example, if you are applying for a senior-level position at a company, then you can safely leave out the part-time work you did while studying in university. Similarly, if you are a career switcher, then you might leave out some of the work that you have done previously that doesn’t relate to your new position. 

That said, you might consider keeping the work if taking it out will create significant gaps in your employment history that might make employers believe you were out of work for a long time. Use your own discretion when following this tip but it is wise to always tailor your CV to whatever job to which you are applying, making sure that you only include the most relevant work experience. 

5. Include keywords. 

Today, many employers filter and rank CVs using applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan them for relevant keywords. Typically, these systems use the job description to identify relevant keywords and search resumes to rank them according to keyword matches.

As a result, you should tailor your CV to mirror the language used in the job description whenever you have experience or skills that match it. That said, don’t lie on your CV about work experience you don’t have or stuff your CV with too many unnecessary keywords. Some systems might discard resumes that do so. 

Some of the best places to include keywords or key phrases on your job application are in your cover letter and in the summary, skills, and work experience sections of your CV. 

Optimise your job search 

Submitting a polished CV is the first step to starting your new career. Choosing the optimal length for this document helps capture the attention of potential employers while conveying your qualifications effectively. 

As you prepare for your next job search, you might consider taking a flexible online course on Coursera on how to write a resume. In just five hours, you will craft an essential cornerstone of the modern-day job or internship search through a project-oriented course that leaves you with an eye-catching CV that lets your professional strengths shine.