Monday 13 June 2011

What is the perfect length for your CV?


We have seen CVs over 30 pages long (true!) with photocopies of all their certificates on top of that.  This is not an autobiography you’re writing.  It’s a curriculum vitae.  It’s a lot shorter! (via)


People often feel that a one-page CV is worth less than a two-pager but this is definitely not true.  It is much better to have a good, strong one-page CV than a two-page one that is padded out with unnecessary information.  You should always be aiming to exclude irrelevant information which may detract from other more important points.
Often a CV which has been spread out over two pages can, with a little careful tweaking, be made to fit onto one page – and this tends to have greater impact.  It is of course important not to force a CV unnecessarily onto one page when two pages would be better but a 1½ page CV tends to look incomplete and weak.
Regardless of the length, do make sure that all your most important information is conveyed on the first page or, for a one-page CV, in the top half of the page – because too many recruiters simply won’t bother to look any further. 
What if your finished CV is more than two pages long?
There’s only one answer to this question – unless you are a ‘special case’ you need to keep working on your CV until you’ve reduced it to the standard two pages.
Take a long, hard look at your CV and consider:
  • Removing some of the less important points you’ve made
  • Finding ways to communicate the same points more concisely
  • Ruthlessly eliminating all unnecessary words and phrases
  • Axing non-essential sections, for example your Objective
  • Placing your Interests & Activities under Other Details
  • Changing the design and page layout to create more space
  • Editing, rewriting, polishing and perfecting until it fits!
Contact Muovo for free review of your CV

Send in a copy of your CV to [email protected] with the subject header: CV REVIEW and one of our recruitment consultants will assess it and email you with their suggestions as to how it could be improved to ensure it is viewed more positively by a prospective employer.
 
 

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