The Two-Page CV Myth

The Two-Page CV Myth

Very often a client will tell me that they are struggling to fit their experience into the two-page CV (or resume) required for ATS submission. This is a myth! I have long been involved in recruitment and there has never been any page limit for an ATS I have used. However, I did some research in case this was something new. And no, it isn’t. You do not need to limit your CV to two pages for the sake of an ATS.

However, it might be different for the human who has to read your CV. More on that later.

What is an ATS?

Applicant Tracking Systems are not new. What they do is extract the data from your CV. This is then put into fields such as qualifications, location, etc., which can be filtered. They may give a candidate a score based on how many of the criteria they meet.

My process when short-listing candidates is to filter the data in the ATS and pull a long list based on the criteria I consider to be the most important. I then download their CVs and shortlist from these.

If an application system does not allow you to upload your CV, and you are applying for a relatively senior position, I would avoid that organization. When given that option, you must upload a CV. A CV gives you the opportunity to present yourself as you want to be seen and this is important for you, as the candidate, and for the person who is comparing applicants.

Key point 1: Always submit a CV if you can

An Optimal CV

Your CV needs to be optimal both for the ATS and the human who will read it.

What matters when you are submitting a CV to an ATS is that it contains the data that the ATS is looking for and that it can be extracted.

Most important is to use the language used in the job application. This will contain the key words that the ATS is programmed to search for. I also advise looking at the website of the organization and copy the kind of language used there too.

Key point 2: Use the terms and language that they use

Equally important is to keep the CV simple. Tables, boxes and columns can be problematic for an ATS. So keep your CV format simple and linear.

Key point 3: Keep it simple and linear

CV length becomes important when it gets to the human reader. In academia, CVs are expected to be long as candidates need to list all their publications and so on. However, a one or two-pager is the norm for entry level positions. If you are mid-career or applying for senior positions, three pages are completely acceptable.

Key point 4:

entry level - one page

mid level - one to two pages

senior level - two to three pages

However, remember that the person reading the CVs has limited time. Information that is important for the position should be prioritized early in the document. Make it as easy to read as possible. Clear headings and simple, readable fonts. It will probably be read by a specialist in your field, so make sure that you know what they expect to see.

Key point 5: Readability

Last point: use ChatGPT wisely! Do not ask it to write your CV. It will give you a beautiful CV that is so perfect that it is clearly written by AI and does not represent who you are.

Use it for feedback. Ask it if you have included all the necessary information and key words.

But your CV is very personal and the recruiter wants to know who you are, not how good ChatGPT is at writing a CV.

Good Luck!