One page or two page cv?!

Been given mixed messages from various people about how long employers want your cv to be in terms of summer internships...

Loads of my friends have said that for banking they only want a 1 page cv, but does this still apply if you're going for an internship in human resources at a bank?

Cheers :smile:

Reply 1

PrincePauper

11

Original post by abcaxel

Been given mixed messages from various people about how long employers want your cv to be in terms of summer internships...

Loads of my friends have said that for banking they only want a 1 page cv, but does this still apply if you're going for an internship in human resources at a bank?

Cheers :smile:

I swear there was a 6 page thread on this issue a couple of months ago. search it on here, you should find it easily.
The only bank that specifically requests a one page cv is barclays. Rest couldn't care less

Reply 2

linney

13

We were always told one page. It looks sleeker and more professional.

Reply 3

hippieglitter

19

I don't know about banks specifically but i know people in business who wouldn't even bother to read a cv if it was more than a page long, page and a half tops. I knew someone whose cv was six pages long and when I spoke to dad he laughed out loud and said if he was given a six page cv it would go straight in the bin. If the person who gets cvs has a lot they will find any reason they can to get rid of a few. My bf's uncle own a business and gets hundreds of cvs so he has rules, some are really crazy, he throws away any that are more than two pages, any that are not on bright white paper and any that are not in Ariel font, these three alone considerably reduce his work load.

(edited 11 years ago)

1 page

1 page and none of this paragraph personal summary crap.

Reply 6

Londonburger

11

It's not a strict rule to which HR people are attached.

I have a 2-page CV. It has been praised by some recruiters, in the format wise and the sell-point aspect (regardless of background).

I think it's ok as long as they won't feel your CV boring.

Reply 7

OMGWTFBBQ

17

Original post by PrincePauper

I swear there was a 6 page thread on this issue a couple of months ago. search it on here, you should find it easily.
The only bank that specifically requests a one page cv is barclays. Rest couldn't care less

Goldman, JP, MS and Citi all explicitly state it in their guidance.

One page CVs are the industry standard.

You'll not be considered with a 2pg CV given that it reflects a lack of research into such a key principle of banking recruitment.

Reply 8

OMGWTFBBQ

17

Original post by hippieglitter

I don't know about banks specifically but i know people in business who wouldn't even bother to read a cv if it was more than a page long, page and a half tops. I knew someone whose cv was six pages long and when I spoke to dad he laughed out loud and said if he was given a six page cv it would go straight in the bin. If the person who gets cvs has a lot they will find any reason they can to get rid of a few. My bf's uncle own a business and gets hundreds of cvs so he has rules, some are really crazy, he throws away any that are more than two pages, any that are not on bright white paper and any that are not in Ariel font, these three alone considerably reduce his work load.

Is that Ariel specifically, or does he accept the standard business fonts too (eg. Times New Roman, Verdana)

Do you know his reasoning?

Reply 9

hereitis

Employers have different preferences so there is no way to really recommend one or the other. Think of it this way: if someone was going to give you a handout, would you read it if it was more than one page?

Reply 10

Teenage Pirate

13

jesus not this again

1 page only for graduate jobs, especially in banking. NO MORE!

Reply 11

MinorityInterest

5

There's no good reason to have a 2-page CV applying for your first job in finance. If you can't fit it on one, you're not trying hard enough.

Reply 12

hippieglitter

19

Original post by OMGWTFBBQ

Is that Ariel specifically, or does he accept the standard business fonts too (eg. Times New Roman, Verdana)

Do you know his reasoning?

Ariel specifically, I don't know why, it's just a way of reducing the amount of cvs he has to read. I don't know about other places but at uni we always had to use ariel so using ariel for formal documents is pretty standard.

Reply 13

Greg.

14

Original post by hippieglitter

Ariel specifically, I don't know why, it's just a way of reducing the amount of cvs he has to read. I don't know about other places but at uni we always had to use ariel so using ariel for formal documents is pretty standard.

http://arialvsariel.com/

Reply 14

Baybars

5

Original post by abcaxel

Been given mixed messages from various people about how long employers want your cv to be in terms of summer internships...

Loads of my friends have said that for banking they only want a 1 page cv, but does this still apply if you're going for an internship in human resources at a bank?

Cheers :smile:

My University hold lectures on this every year - two pages not one.

Reply 15

Rjustice

5

Original post by abcaxel

Been given mixed messages from various people about how long employers want your cv to be in terms of summer internships...

Loads of my friends have said that for banking they only want a 1 page cv, but does this still apply if you're going for an internship in human resources at a bank?

Cheers :smile:

Employers never read the whole thing, they just have a quick look.

Reply 16

Politics Student

10

Original post by Baybars

My University hold lectures on this every year - two pages not one.

Advice I have always had is 1 page but both sides (printed double sided).

If a job I was applying for stated 1 page then I would hand in a double sided CV.