October 27, 2020, by Leah Sharpe

How to Write a One-Page CV

By Alex Owusu, Employability Officer

Writing a one-page CV isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially if you’ve got a lot of content to fit in, but it can be a worthwhile endeavour. Knowing that recruiters are busy people means having a CV that is tailored, concise and easy to read are vastly important. Showing that you’ve met those points on one side of A4 can help to demonstrate those aspects to recruiters.

Here are some points to consider that can help.

Do I need a profile?

If you have written a profile that duplicates points you make in the body of the CV or doesn’t provide the recruiter with something relevant and evidence based about how you fit the role, it may be better to leave it out.

Is all the experience I have included relevant?

Any CV regardless of length needs to be tailored for the role you’re applying for. When specifying your key achievements whether in education, through work experience or other interests, you need to ensure it demonstrates the skills and competencies that the role requires. Keeping this in mind can help you avoid producing an overly long CV.

Is my CV formatted effectively?

The layout of your CV and how you have formatted it can help or hinder you. Take a look at this example to see how you might effectively utilise space on the page. Equally, don’t try to fit as much as you can in by reducing the font size or expanding the margins too much, as this will affect its clarity and presentation.

What would a recruiter think?

Looking at your CV from the perspective of a recruiter can be beneficial when looking at where you may need to cut down. Knowing a recruiter may have hundreds of CVs to skim through can force you to focus on each point of your CV. This way it clearly tells a recruiter why you would be a great person for that particular job.

Points to note:

1. A one-page CV might work well for some students and sectors but not others, so don’t feel that it’s something you must have. Talk to one of our team if it would work for you.

2. Having a one-page CV can be a handy tool, especially as recruiters are busy people, but remember that the content will be recruiters’ main focus when deciding whether you might be right for the job.

Explore our online resources on starting, writing, and formatting your CV. When you’ve drafted your CV book an appointment on MyCareer to have it reviewed by a member of our team.

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