How long should a CV be, really
The one page rule is advice for graduates that escaped into the wild.
One page is good advice for someone with two years of experience and bad advice for someone with fifteen. The rule survives because it is easy to remember.
What length is actually for
Length is not a virtue or a vice. The question is whether every line earns its place. A three page CV where page three is a list of every training course you have attended is too long. A three page CV where page three is four substantial roles is fine.
A workable guide
- Under five years: one page, occasionally two.
- Five to fifteen years: two pages.
- Over fifteen years, or an academic or contracting history: two to three, with older roles compressed to a line each.
Compress the old, expand the recent
Recruiters read the last two roles carefully and skim the rest. Give your current and previous role four or five bullets each. Give anything more than ten years old a single line with the title, employer and dates.
What to cut first
In order: hobbies, references available on request, a photograph if you are applying outside the markets that expect one, beginner certificates in things your CV already demonstrates, and anything from before your career took its current shape.
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