How Long Should Your CV Be in 2024 for Creative Professionals?

As a creative professional, you know your portfolio is king. It’s where your talent truly shines, showcasing your design flair, writing style, or artistic vision. But what about your CV? Does it still matter, and crucially, how long should it be in 2024, especially when your amazing portfolio is just a click away?

It’s a common question we hear at ThePerfectCV. You’ve poured hours into curating your best work, so does a lengthy CV even get read? Let’s break down the ideal CV length for creatives and how to make it work with your portfolio.

The Portfolio vs. CV Balancing Act

Think of it this way:

Your Portfolio: Shows what you can do (your stunning visuals, compelling copy, finished projects).
Your CV: Explains how you did it, where you did it, and the impact it had (your process, skills, experience, achievements, and context).

Recruiters and hiring managers need both. They’ll likely glance at your CV first to see if your experience and skills align with the role before diving into your portfolio. Your CV provides the essential context and professional background that your portfolio alone might not convey.

So, How Long Should Your Creative CV Be?

For most creative professionals in 2024, the sweet spot is still one page.

Why? Recruiters are busy. They need to quickly assess your suitability. A concise, impactful one-page CV respects their time and highlights your most relevant qualifications immediately.

When Might Two Pages Be Acceptable?

Extensive, Highly Relevant Experience: If you have 10+ years of directly relevant experience with significant achievements in multiple roles that all pertain to the job you’re applying for.
Complex Projects Needing Context: Sometimes, briefly explaining the scope or impact of major projects featured in your portfolio requires a bit more space.
Academic or Research-Focused Creative Roles: These often require more detailed listings of publications, exhibitions, or grants.

The Golden Rule: Regardless of length, every single word on your CV must earn its place. Is it relevant to the job you want? Does it add value? If not, cut it. Your portfolio is there for the deep dive; your CV is the compelling trailer.

What to Prioritize on Your One-Page Creative CV

To keep it concise yet powerful, focus on these key sections:

Contact Information & Portfolio Link: Make your name, phone, email, and (most importantly) a clickable link to your online portfolio prominent and easy to find.
Professional Summary/Objective: A brief (2-3 sentence) introduction tailored to the specific role, highlighting your key skills, years of experience, and career goals. Think of it as your elevator pitch.
Skills: A curated list of your most relevant technical skills (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, HTML/CSS, specific writing styles) and soft skills (e.g., collaboration, project management, client communication). Use keywords from the job description!
Professional Experience: This is crucial. Instead of just listing duties, focus on achievements and provide context for your portfolio pieces. Use bullet points starting with strong action verbs.
- Example: “Led the redesign of the company website (see portfolio link), resulting in a 20% increase in user engagement.”
Education & Relevant Training: Include degrees, certifications, or relevant workshops.

Making Your CV Concise & Impactful

Action Verbs: Start bullet points with words like ‘Designed’, ‘Developed’, ‘Managed’, ‘Created’, ‘Wrote’, ‘Directed’, ‘Collaborated’.
Quantify: Use numbers to show impact whenever possible (e.g., ‘Increased social media following by 30%’, ‘Managed budgets up to £10k’).
Tailor Ruthlessly: Adapt your CV for every application. Emphasize the skills and experiences most relevant to that specific job description.
Clean Design: Use a professional, easy-to-read CV template. Avoid overly elaborate designs that distract from the content – let your portfolio showcase your design skills. (ThePerfectCV offers clean, modern templates perfect for this!).
Proofread: Typos or grammatical errors can undermine your professionalism. Read it forwards, backwards, and ask a friend to check it.

Your CV: The Perfect Intro to Your Portfolio

Think of your CV as the concise, professional introduction that entices recruiters to explore the main event – your portfolio. For most creatives in 2024, a powerful one-page CV is the ideal length. Focus on relevance, impact, and providing context for your brilliant work.

Ready to craft that perfect one-pager? Try building your CV with ThePerfectCV today and explore templates designed to make your skills and experience shine!