CV school leaver

I'm currently applying for apprentinceships and everywhere on like TikTok etc says I shouldn't have a CV that is longer than a page. However on word using size 11 I can't seem to fit it to smaller than 2 pages. I have personal profile, hobbies and interests, work experience, academic history and achievements (not in this order). Does it matter too much that my CV is 2 pages and if so what do I do?

I'm currently applying for apprentinceships and everywhere on like TikTok etc says I shouldn't have a CV that is longer than a page. However on word using size 11 I can't seem to fit it to smaller than 2 pages. I have personal profile, hobbies and interests, work experience, academic history and achievements (not in this order). Does it matter too much that my CV is 2 pages and if so what do I do?

It really depends. Ideally it should be one page. If you've got a buttload of qualifications and experience it can be two pages but that's not usually the case.

Most of the time when somebody says they can't fit their CV on one page it means their formatting isn't right and they go into too much detail that employers aren't interested in.

For example, I've seen people list all of their GCSEs as bullet points. That takes half a page already, but the employer couldn't care less that you did psychology at GCSE and got a B. If you just list it as "10 GCSEs at grades A*-C including English at A and Maths at B" that's sufficient. Of course, this is only an example.

Your personal statement also doesn't have to be half page long. Keep it short and sweet. Interests and hobbies can be listed on the same line rather than bullet pointed, e.g. "Hobbies: chess, 3D modelling, hiking" rather than:

"Hobbies:
-chess
-3D modelling
-hiking"

If you're already doing the above (including relevant information and not bullet pointing every single thing on your CV) then it might be your formatting. Maybe your margins are bigger than they're meant to be, maybe you're not using the right font, maybe your template is too fancy (employers don't like CVs with pictures, logos etc that look like you put them together in photoshop - keep it simple and relevant).

Additionally, you should tailor your CV to the position you're applying for so you don't have to include things that aren't relevant. E.g. let's say you're applying to a tech company. If you have 2 years of experience of working in tech company A, 3 years of experience at tech company B, and 2 years of experience working at Subway, you don't have to include the subway (unless you can make it relevant, e.g. it shows you're experienced in customer service etc.)

2 pages isn't a massive problem but it isn't ideal.

I really cannot imagine what is taking up 2 pages on your CV as a school leaver. Would you mind sharing your CV? I could show you mine if that would help.

The only other idea I have is what size paper format are you using? You should be using A4. Size 11 font is fine looking at your original post.

I'm currently applying for apprentinceships and everywhere on like TikTok etc says I shouldn't have a CV that is longer than a page. However on word using size 11 I can't seem to fit it to smaller than 2 pages. I have personal profile, hobbies and interests, work experience, academic history and achievements (not in this order). Does it matter too much that my CV is 2 pages and if so what do I do?

Yeah sure I can show my CV, although can we do it through email or something? I don't want it to go completely online