Chapter 21 | Layout, Style, and Presentation

A strong CV can be weakened by poor presentation.

Your CV should feel:

• easy to navigate

• professional

• calm

• clear

• balanced

Aim for:

• clean headings

• consistent spacing

• readable font

• sensible margins

• clear section breaks

• enough white space

• tidy alignment

• consistent bullet style

Avoid:

• over-designed templates

• text boxes that make editing awkward

• graphics that distract

• tiny fonts

• dense walls of text

• excessive colour

• icons everywhere

• complicated tables that disrupt ATS readability

On length, there is no single magic rule, but the CV should be as long as it needs to be to make the case well.

For many professionals:

2 pages is common

3 pages can be acceptable for more senior or complex careers if the content justifies it The focus should be on relevance and quality, not arbitrary length alone.