By: Mohsin Bukhari

A survey done by American employers revealed that 35% of recruiters preferred a CV consisting of one page and around 19% favored a two page CV while remaining argued that length of a CV totally depends on experience and position of incumbent. There are no specific rules for a new graduate’s CV, but in general, it should not exceed two pages of A4 size paper.  CVs in UK tend to be longer than in US and two pages CV still dominates for new graduates.  Today, employers are receiving a large number of CVs against each position and they do not have much time to read lengthy documents, one page CV is trending as being the best option for employers to scan the document in minimum time.

It‘s advantageous if you can sum up your career easily on one page especially when you are developing speculative application and want to place yourself across quickly. It’s a busy world! Who has time to flip through pages? But that does not mean that you should skip or leave out important things about your skills, qualification or experience, or get your CV congested to limit it to one page.

Length of CV varies from industry to industry.  In sectors like management consultancy, investment banking and top law firms, it is preferred to have single page, highly objective and highly focused CV.  The reason is that all such sectors are very competitive in terms of getting employment and the selectors have to go through a number of CVs to select; therefore they prefer to have shorter CVs.

As a job seeker, one should always remember that CV is not “a one-size-fits-all-document”. Employers use CV as a screening device, you must develop and maintain interest throughout your CV and that is what we call a Guerrilla CV. Guerrilla CV is riveting, attention-grabbing and eye-catching. Ashraf Chaudhry enlists must-have features of a CV in his book The Craft of Selling “YOURSELF”:

1. It is distinctive and customized
2. It looks like a strategic proposal not like “yesterday’s news”
3. It helps you stand out of similarly qualified candidates
4. It has an invincible, well-crafted value proposition
5. It is purely focused on employer’s need
6. It justifies why you are a clear and logical choice

Does your CV have these features? Does it meet your employers’ need? Does it need customization? Our team of experienced professional writers will craft your Guerrilla CV, so you can stand out of similarly qualified candidates! Send your current CV at [email protected] for free technical evaluation!

For career counselling/coaching appointment Whatsapp/call at +92 302 8356228

Mohsin Bukhari is a committed, determined and level headed marketing champ who has spent a decade in the field of marketing and brand management.  His philosophy of branding yourself is “being yourself”. His natural flair for writing and personal branding motivated him to achieve big at Ashraf Chaudhry Associates as an experienced Content Writer.

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The 5 Reasons Why You Need a Guerrilla CV