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One Page CV vs Two Pages: What Recruiters Actually Want

The rule

**Under 5 years of experience: one page.** Recruiters spend an average of 7 seconds on an initial CV scan. A second page for a junior candidate signals that you have not prioritised.

**5-15 years of experience: one or two pages.** If your second page is full of relevant experience, keep it. If it is half-empty, cut it.

**15+ years of experience: two pages maximum.** Even with 20 years of experience, two pages is the limit. Summarise early roles in one line each.

What to cut to get to one page

  • Remove jobs older than 10 years (unless directly relevant)
  • Cut bullet points from old roles to one or two lines
  • Remove "References available on request" — it is assumed
  • Remove an objective statement or personal profile if it is generic
  • Reduce margins slightly (no smaller than 0.5 inches)

    • When to break the rule

    Academic CVs (curriculum vitae in the traditional sense) are longer by convention. Medical, legal and research CVs often run to 3-4 pages. These are exceptions — in most industries, shorter is better.