How Long Should a Senior-Level CV Be in 2024?

So, you’ve climbed the career ladder, gathered over a decade of valuable experience, led teams, managed significant projects, and achieved impressive results. Fantastic! But now you’re updating your CV, and a nagging question pops up: how long should it actually be?

You’ve probably heard the old ‘one-page rule’, but does that still apply when you have so much relevant experience to showcase? For senior-level professionals like you in 2024, the answer is usually no. Let’s break down the guidelines.

Ditching the One-Page Myth for Senior Roles

While a one-page CV is often perfect for graduates or those early in their careers, it becomes incredibly restrictive once you have 10+ years of experience. Trying to cram a decade or more of significant achievements, leadership roles, and strategic contributions onto a single page often means sacrificing crucial details that demonstrate your value.

Recruiters and hiring managers looking for senior talent expect more detail. They need to see the scope of your responsibilities, the impact of your actions, and a clear progression in your career.

The Sweet Spot: Two Pages (Usually)

For most senior-level professionals in 2024, a two-page CV is the standard and often the ideal length.

This provides enough space to:

• Detail your most relevant senior roles: Focus on the last 10-15 years in more detail.
• Showcase key achievements: Use bullet points, quantify results, and highlight leadership successes.
• Include a powerful professional summary: Briefly outline your expertise, key skills, and career goals at the top.
• List essential skills and qualifications: Include technical skills, certifications, and relevant education.

Think of the second page not as filler, but as essential space to prove your suitability for high-level positions.

When Can a Senior CV Stretch to Three Pages?

While two pages is the norm, there are situations where a three-page CV might be acceptable, particularly for:

• Executive-level roles (C-suite): Where a long history of strategic leadership and major accomplishments needs documentation.
• Highly technical or academic fields: Such as senior scientists, researchers, or professors with extensive publications, patents, or research projects.
• Contractors or consultants: With numerous significant projects across various clients.
• Specific industry norms: Some sectors might be more accepting of longer CVs.

The Golden Rule: Every piece of information must add significant value and be relevant to the roles you’re targeting. If you’re considering three pages, critically evaluate if everything on that third page is essential to demonstrating your qualifications for the specific job.

Tips for Keeping Your Senior CV Concise (Even if it’s 2 Pages)

• Focus on Relevance: Tailor your CV for each application. Remove or minimize experience that isn’t relevant to the target role.
• Prioritize Recent Experience: Provide more detail for roles held in the last 10-15 years. Summarize earlier, less relevant experience briefly.
• Quantify Achievements: Use numbers, percentages, and data to demonstrate impact (e.g., “Increased market share by 15%,” “Managed a budget of £5M,” “Led a team of 25”).
• Use Bullet Points: Make achievements easy to scan.
• Cut the Fluff: Avoid jargon, clichés, and generic statements.
• Strategic Formatting: Use clear headings, consistent formatting, and adequate white space. A well-structured template, like those available on ThePerfectCV, can make even a two-page CV feel clean and easy to read.
• Consider an Executive Summary: A brief paragraph at the top can provide a high-level overview, allowing you to be more selective in the detailed sections.

The Bottom Line

For senior professionals with 10+ years of experience in 2024, don’t feel constrained by the outdated one-page rule. Aim for a powerful, achievement-focused two-page CV. Only extend to three pages if your extensive, highly relevant experience truly warrants it and adds significant value for the specific roles you seek.

The key is quality, relevance, and impact, not just page count. Focus on presenting your impressive career history in a clear, compelling, and easy-to-digest format.

Ready to craft that impactful senior CV? Explore our professionally designed templates at ThePerfectCV to give your experience the presentation it deserves.