One of the most common questions people ask when creating a CV is, “How long should a CV be?”
There is no single page limit that applies to every job seeker. The ideal CV length depends on your experience, career stage, qualifications and the position you are applying for.
A school leaver may only need one page, while an experienced professional may need two or more pages to properly explain their career history.
The goal should not be to make your CV as long as possible. Instead, your CV should contain enough relevant information to show an employer your skills, qualifications and experience without unnecessary details.
How Long Should a CV Be?
For many job seekers, a one- to two-page CV is a practical length.
However, this is a guideline rather than a strict rule.
Your CV could be:
- One page if you are a school leaver or have limited experience.
- One to two pages if you are a student, graduate or early-career professional.
- Two pages or more if you have several years of relevant experience.
- Longer than two pages in certain specialised or senior careers where additional information is genuinely relevant.
The important thing is that every section of your CV adds value.
Is a One-Page CV Better?
A one-page CV can work very well when you have limited experience.
For example, a school leaver applying for a first job might include:
- Contact details
- Professional profile
- Education
- Skills
- School achievements
- Volunteer experience
- Certifications
- References, if required
There is no reason to add several pages simply to make a CV appear more professional.
If you can communicate your relevant background clearly on one page, that can be enough.
When Should You Use a Two-Page CV?
A two-page CV may be appropriate when you have enough relevant experience to justify the additional space.
For example, an experienced professional might need to include:
- Professional profile
- Key skills
- Several previous positions
- Major responsibilities
- Career achievements
- Qualifications
- Certifications
- Professional training
- Relevant projects
Trying to squeeze ten or fifteen years of relevant experience onto one page could make the CV difficult to read.
A second page can give you enough room to present important information properly.
Can a CV Be Longer Than Two Pages?
Yes.
There is no universal rule that says a CV can never exceed two pages.
A longer CV may be appropriate when the person’s career history genuinely requires additional space.
This can apply to:
- Senior professionals
- Managers
- Executives
- Researchers
- Academics
- Highly specialised professionals
- People with extensive relevant project experience
However, a longer CV should not contain unnecessary information simply because there is no strict page limit.
How Long Should a CV Be for a School Leaver?
A school leaver will usually have less professional experience, so a one-page CV may be enough.
You could include:
Personal Details
- Name
- Phone number
- Professional email address
- Location
Profile
A short introduction explaining your career interests.
Education
Your National Senior Certificate and relevant subjects.
Skills
For example:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Computer literacy
- Time management
- Problem-solving
Experience
Include volunteering, school projects, part-time work or other relevant activities if you have them.
Achievements
Include relevant academic, leadership, sporting or extracurricular achievements.
For more guidance, see our article on how to write a CV with no work experience.
How Long Should a Graduate CV Be?
A graduate CV can often fit comfortably into one or two pages.
A graduate may have more information to include than a school leaver, such as:
- Degree
- Relevant modules
- Academic projects
- Internships
- Work experience
- Skills
- Certifications
- Volunteering
- University activities
Focus on information that supports the position you are applying for.
For example, a graduate applying for an IT position should give more attention to technical projects, programming skills and relevant experience than unrelated university activities.
How Long Should an Experienced Professional’s CV Be?
Experienced professionals may need two or more pages, depending on their career history.
If you have worked in several relevant positions, it may be impossible to describe your career properly in one page.
However, older or less relevant experience can often be shortened.
For example:
IT Support Technician
ABC Technologies
2024 – Present
- Provided first-line technical support.
- Troubleshot hardware and software problems.
- Supported users with Microsoft 365.
- Logged and followed up on technical incidents.
More recent and relevant positions can receive more detail.
Older positions can be summarised where appropriate.
Does CV Length Matter to Employers?
CV length matters less than the quality and relevance of the information.
A short CV that does not contain enough information can be just as problematic as a long CV filled with unnecessary details.
Your CV should make it easy for an employer to understand:
- Who you are
- What you can do
- What you have studied
- Where you have worked
- What skills you have
- Why your background is relevant to the position
How to Make Your CV Shorter
If your CV is too long, you do not necessarily need to remove important experience.
Start by removing information that does not add value.
Remove irrelevant work experience
If an old job has no connection to the position you are applying for, consider shortening it or leaving it out.
Remove repetitive responsibilities
You do not need to say the same thing under multiple jobs.
For example, if several positions involved customer service, you can avoid repeating identical descriptions.
Shorten your profile
Your professional profile should be concise.
A few sentences can be enough.
Remove unnecessary personal information
You generally do not need to include information such as:
- ID number
- Marital status
- Number of children
- Personal hobbies unrelated to the job
- Excessive personal details
Reduce long paragraphs
Use bullet points instead.
Remove outdated information
Older qualifications and experience may not need extensive descriptions.
Remove unnecessary references
If references are not requested, you can leave them off your CV and provide them later if required.
How to Make a One-Page CV
If you are trying to create a one-page CV, focus on the information that matters most.
A simple structure could be:
Name and Contact Details
Professional Profile
Key Skills
Work Experience
Education and Qualifications
Certifications
You do not need to include every detail about your career.
Prioritise information that is relevant to the position.
Should You Make the Font Smaller to Fit Your CV?
It is better not to make your text extremely small simply to force your CV onto one page.
Your CV should remain comfortable to read.
Instead of shrinking the font, try:
- Removing unnecessary information
- Shortening long sentences
- Reducing repetitive content
- Improving spacing
- Using concise bullet points
- Removing irrelevant experience
Readability should be more important than reaching an arbitrary page count.
Should You Use Smaller Margins?
You can adjust margins slightly when designing your CV, but avoid making the page feel overcrowded.
A CV with extremely narrow margins and tightly packed text can be harder to read.
A clean layout with reasonable spacing can make your CV look more professional.
Don’t Add Information Just to Make Your CV Longer
A common mistake is believing that a longer CV automatically looks more impressive.
It does not.
For example, adding:
- Unnecessary hobbies
- Every school subject
- Every short course
- Every responsibility from every job
- Long personal statements
- Repeated skills
can make your CV harder to read.
The purpose of a CV is to present relevant information clearly, not to reach a specific number of pages.
Don’t Remove Important Information Just to Make Your CV One Page
The opposite mistake is also common.
If you have ten years of relevant experience, removing important achievements just to create a one-page CV may make your application weaker.
If the information is relevant and useful, give it enough space.
A well-organised two-page CV can be better than an overcrowded one-page CV.
How to Prioritise Information on Your CV
When deciding what to keep, ask yourself:
“Does this information help demonstrate that I am suitable for this position?”
If the answer is yes, keep it.
If the answer is no, consider removing it or shortening it.
For example, if you are applying for an IT support position, information about:
- Technical support
- Networking
- Microsoft 365
- Troubleshooting
- Customer service
- IT qualifications
is likely to be more relevant than unrelated hobbies.
Should Every Job Have the Same Amount of Detail?
No.
Your most recent and relevant jobs can have more detail.
Older positions can be shorter.
For example:
Recent Position
IT Support Technician
ABC Technologies
2024 – Present
- Provided first-line technical support to employees.
- Troubleshot hardware and software issues.
- Managed support requests and followed up on incidents.
- Assisted users with Microsoft 365 applications.
- Supported basic network troubleshooting.
Older Position
Sales Assistant
XYZ Retail
2021 – 2023
- Assisted customers with product enquiries.
- Processed sales and supported daily store operations.
This creates a clear career history without giving equal space to every position.
What About a CV for Internships?
For internships, your CV may be shorter because you may have limited professional experience.
You can focus on:
- Education
- Relevant subjects
- Projects
- Skills
- Volunteer experience
- Certifications
- Part-time work
- Extracurricular activities
A one- or two-page CV can be appropriate depending on your background.
What About a CV for Learnerships?
A learnership applicant may also have limited work experience.
Focus on:
- Education
- Relevant skills
- Certifications
- Computer literacy
- Volunteer work
- Part-time experience
- Projects
- Achievements
You do not need to create several pages if you do not have enough relevant information.
What About a CV for Apprenticeships?
For an apprenticeship, highlight qualifications, practical experience and technical abilities that relate to the trade.
For example:
- Technical subjects
- Practical projects
- Workshop experience
- Safety training
- Relevant certificates
- Part-time work
- Technical skills
Keep the CV focused on the apprenticeship opportunity.
How Long Should a CV Be for Government Jobs?
The appropriate length depends on the position and the information requested in the specific application.
Some government vacancies may request specific information or application documents, so always follow the instructions in the vacancy advertisement.
Do not remove important information simply because you are trying to keep your CV to one page.
How Long Should a CV Be in South Africa?
There is no single South African rule that requires every CV to have a particular number of pages.
The appropriate length depends on your career stage, experience and the position.
A school leaver may have a one-p
