“Your CV has to fit in one page.”
“Your CV must never be longer than two pages.”
I hear these rules constantly—from people I coach, from friends, and sometimes as advice they’ve received from other coaches.
And honestly, they drive me a little insane.
In my 20+ years in HR in Pharma, I’ve never seen such black-and-white advice work. The truthful answer is: it depends.
🌱 For an intern or someone early in their career, one page is often more than enough.
🌱 For a mid-level professional, two pages often make sense, but I’ve also seen cases where three were necessary.
🌱 For a senior professional, three or more may be justified, depending on their background, the target role and whether publications or other relevant evidence need to be included.
🌱 In a career transition, your CV may need to work harder to explain your qualifications and motivation, which may also lead to a two- or three-page CV.
So, instead of asking “How long should my CV be?”, ask:
- 📌 Have I focused on the most relevant information to get me noticed for this role?
- 📌 Have I made that relevance already clear on page one?
☀️ That first page is precious real estate.☀️
Pharma recruiters have told me they estimate they spend around 10 seconds on an initial CV scan deciding whether to keep reading or move on to the next one.
In a 2018 eye-tracking study by StepStone Austria and MindTake, 33 HR professionals spent an average of 43 seconds screening a CV.
I’m not sure how far the Austrian study applies to today’s pharma market—regardless—both give you an idea of how little time you may have to catch someone’s attention.
Writing a CV is like writing a marketing headline: every word needs to earn its place.
Your first page should quickly answer:
🌱 What is my professional identity?
🌱 What expertise do I bring?
🌱 What outcomes have I delivered that are relevant to this role?
A three-page CV might use the first two pages for professional experience, with education, further training, languages, and other skills on page three.
If you’ve caught the reader’s attention and shown them relevant experience, they’ll have a reason to keep reading.
And if an MSc, PhD or PMP certification matters for the role, make it visible in the top third of your CV. There are many elegant ways to do so.
How to build that first page is for another post.
For now, before cutting useful evidence simply to meet a page limit—or sending a CV laundry list of everything you’ve done under the sun—ask:
📌 Does this information help the reader understand why I’m a good fit for this role?
📌 Does my first page make my relevance clear, giving the reader a reason to turn the page?
With love,
Dina 🫶🏽
P.S. Once a week I try to focus on helpful CV tips. Anything you’ve always been curious about? Let me know in the comments and I’ll try to cover them next.
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