How Long Should Your CV Really Be in 2025?

A common question pops up time and again: how long should a CV be? It’s asked during almost every webinar we run and frequently comes up with our clients.

Recently, someone shared that a recruiter told them their six-page CV was far too long and needed cutting down to just two pages. This sparked two very fair questions:

1. Should you reduce your CV and risk leaving out key achievements?

2. Does a potential employer not want to know what you’re capable of?

The frustration is understandable. After all, if you’ve done a lot, learnt a lot, and achieved a lot, why should you be penalised for it? Why should an arbitrary two-page limit matter more than showing what you can deliver?

Why Does Length Matter Anyway?

My instinct is always to challenge the obsession with CV length. Do we decide whether to read a book purely based on how many pages it has? Do we judge someone’s abilities by how many slides they use in a presentation? Probably not.

That said, I do agree with the recruiter on one point: six pages is too much. But why insist on two? Who set that rule? Where’s the evidence behind it?

The idea that all CVs should be two pages long seems especially questionable when we’re talking about experienced professionals like IT contractors or senior managers. For someone just starting out in their career, a two-page CV might well be enough. But for someone with years of projects, contracts, and achievements under their belt, it’s unrealistic.

What Do Recruiters Actually Think?

A few years ago, a red-top newspaper ran a survey asking this exact question. They asked thousands of job seekers and hundreds of recruiters whether a CV should be two pages long. Interestingly, 83% of job seekers said yes, but only 26% of recruiters agreed. That leaves a majority – 74% – of recruiters who do not believe a CV must be two pages.

So, if a recruiter is telling you two pages is the only acceptable length, they are in the minority. The general consensus is that three pages is perfectly reasonable for most experienced professionals. And in certain cases, such as highly experienced contractors with many relevant projects, even four pages can be acceptable (though three is usually the safer bet, especially in today’s world of short attention spans).

Making the Most of Page One

The most important rule is that page one needs to do the heavy lifting. It should feature a strong personal profile that clearly explains your value proposition – why you’re right for the job – supported by evidence and key achievements. If you capture the hiring manager’s attention on page one, the following pages become less critical.

Think about it. If a hiring manager reads the first page, sees you’re highly relevant, likes how you’ve positioned yourself, and is impressed by the evidence you provide, they’re not going to throw your CV away just because it runs onto a third page.

Final Thoughts

In summary, six pages definitely falls into War & Peace territory, while two pages is often too restrictive for senior or experienced professionals. The sweet spot for most people is three pages – after all, as the old saying goes, three is the magic number.

So, focus on creating a compelling first page, back it up with well-organised detail across the following pages, and stop worrying too much about rigid page limits. A great CV is about showcasing your value, not about fitting into an arbitrary word count.