What is the correct length of my CV? Is your CV too short or too long? There are repercussions for your CV being either. So how long is a job winning CV? There are various theories about the appropriate length of a CV. In today’s extremely competitive job market a CV that is either too long or too short runs the risk of being instantly discarded by potential employers. This brutal method of short-listing means it makes sense to ensure your CV is just the right length, to give yourself the best possible chance of success.
Best practice guidelines suggest that an entry level CV, i.e. that of a graduate or school leaver with no previous significant employment history, should cover 2 A4 pages at max. However, a CV for someone with considerably more experience should cover more pages. CVs should always be typed, for clarity and neatness and you should use font size 12. If it is necessary to use a smaller font size to fit all of your required information in, then you should certainly not go any smaller than font size 11.
The difficulty with the CV length guidelines is that some people find it hard to fill this many pages and some people have the opposite problem and are unable to limit their CV to the desired length. The key to combating both of these problems is to ensure that you are including the right information. Any detail in your CV should be relevant, significant and concisely written so that you are highlighting your key skills without distracting the reader with lots of unnecessary padding or fonts.
A winning CV must follow some specific guidelines. Here below, we share a few guidelines you should follow for a good CV:
1. Your personal contact details, ensuring that they are accurate and up to date
2. An introductory paragraph highlighting your key skills and abilities. These skills should be supported with evidenced examples and then reiterated throughout your CV
3. Your educational history, including qualifications received and places of study
4. Any professional memberships including date of entry
5. Your employment history listing your responsibilities and your achievements within each role. It is essential to note here that only the last 10 years of employment are expected to appear within your CV. Anything of particular significance that happened prior to the last ten years should be incorporated within your introductory paragraph.
6. A line for the references
Just think about this simple guideline, do you think it will be more than 3 pages? There are a few relevant things you will add but all that depends on you and your professional experience and at what stage of your career you are. A CV by an applicant applying for a job as a Vice Chancellor, a Chief Justice or PS can be even 42 pages as witnessed recently.
The length of your CV really depends on a few factors but all you need to think of is at what stage of your career you are.
In developing your CV think about the HR who is going to look through it. Practice prudence.
All the best HCC
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