References on a CV

[beanbag]

I'm working on my CV right now and I'm wondering if I can remove the references section?

At the moment it states, "Available on request", however I'm struggling to keep everything to two pages and thought I could simply remove it.

Any thoughts on this?

[Soovy]

beanbag said:

I'm working on my CV right now and I'm wondering if I can remove the references section?

At the moment it states, "Available on request", however I'm struggling to keep everything to two pages and thought I could simply remove it.

Any thoughts on this?

Wouldn't worry me.

"References on request" adds nothing. I know that if I ask for them you'll provide them.

[Road2Ruin]

beanbag said:

I'm working on my CV right now and I'm wondering if I can remove the references section?

At the moment it states, "Available on request", however I'm struggling to keep everything to two pages and thought I could simply remove it.

Any thoughts on this?

Yes, remove away. Any future employer would want to get a reference from your last employer first, whose details you would have provided earlier.

[bridgdav]

Surely.. A CV is the very first stage.. Gets you noticed, foot in the door, second read etc..

If they want your References, you'll be further down the line to the job, after Interview.

[beanbag]

Ta muchly. All done and removed.

I just wasn't sure.

[Landlord]

Don't keep in to two pages. If your experience/qualifications etc. justify it - go to three. Mine is in the order of 5 pages (with all that "interests and hobbies, references, driving license" tat on the last page) and I've yet to fail to get an interview from it. The key, however, is that the first page says everything - the rest is there should the employer wish to delve deeper.

Front page is;

Name and contact details
Short personal statement ("I'm awesome, me."
Summary of skills and length of experience
Work experience - one line per company (Name, From-To, Job Role).

That's it.

What size font are you using? What about line spacing?

[dibblecorse]

I work in house as a recruiter, delete it, as said before, of no value and if we are that interested we'll ask for them ..

[Road2Ruin]

Landlord said:

Don't keep in to two pages. If your experience/qualifications etc. justify it - go to three. Mine is in the order of 5 pages (with all that "interests and hobbies, references, driving license" tat on the last page) and I've yet to fail to get an interview from it. The key, however, is that the first page says everything - the rest is there should the employer wish to delve deeper.

Front page is;

Name and contact details
Short personal statement ("I'm awesome, me."
Summary of skills and length of experience
Work experience - one line per company (Name, From-To, Job Role).

That's it.

What size font are you using? What about line spacing?

5 Pages!

[Landlord]

Road2Ruin said:

5 Pages!

Exactly! I've yet, however, to read a CV that's a real page-turner.

As I said;

I said:

The key, however, is that the first page says everything

[beanbag]

Landlord said:

Don't keep in to two pages. If your experience/qualifications etc. justify it - go to three. Mine is in the order of 5 pages (with all that "interests and hobbies, references, driving license" tat on the last page) and I've yet to fail to get an interview from it. The key, however, is that the first page says everything - the rest is there should the employer wish to delve deeper.

Front page is;

Name and contact details
Short personal statement ("I'm awesome, me."
Summary of skills and length of experience
Work experience - one line per company (Name, From-To, Job Role).

That's it.

What size font are you using? What about line spacing?

5 pages does seem excessively long. I guess it's all down to the industry but I've had many managers tell me if a CV doesn't print on less than 2 pages, it goes in the bin.

I also don't want the font and spacing to be too cramped allowing the person to read it easily.

Either way, without the references, it all fits together nicely.

[Landlord]

beanbag said:

5 pages does seem excessively long. I guess it's all down to the industry

True - I work in IT contracting. I've, therefore, worked at a lot of places and done a lot of different things. It'd be pointless in trying to get it any shorter.

[plg101]

5 is way too long. I recruit regularly and 5 pages get ignored; or rather, anything after the second page runs a risk of being ignored. CV is a sales pitch, if you haven't got them in the first minute, then it's redundant.

Generally 2 pages, sometime 3. In reality the first page is critical, second page is backup and extra info. If you have worked in a lot of places, then anything >3/4 years ago, covert it to bullet points. If the interviewer likes you on two pages and is sold, then they'll ask for more...

2/3 good pages would be my coaching.

[edc]

Put contact details in a header/footer. Don't just list summary of experience but list achievements/impact/results/outcomes. People don't want to re-read your job description but want to know what you can actually do and what you have done.

[Road2Ruin]

Landlord said:

beanbag said:

5 pages does seem excessively long. I guess it's all down to the industry

True - I work in IT contracting. I've, therefore, worked at a lot of places and done a lot of different things. It'd be pointless in trying to get it any shorter.

You should be making it relevant to the position you are applying for. Employers dont want to know about anything thats not relevant and that includes your cub scout merit badges or what you like to do in that weekend dressing up club.

[Stigmundfreud]

Landlord said:

beanbag said:

5 pages does seem excessively long. I guess it's all down to the industry

True - I work in IT contracting. I've, therefore, worked at a lot of places and done a lot of different things. It'd be pointless in trying to get it any shorter.

??? You just pick the jobs that closely match the current one you are applying for. 1 page = good, 2 pages = ok, any more = bin

[bridgdav]

I thought recruiters threw half of the CV's received in the bin - as not to employ unlucky people..?

[nownek]

The thing I've found when interviewing is that if there are a lot of applicants to get through the interviews are going to be almost back-to-back meaning that I, the interviewer, am going to be trying to do a final prep on your CV in less than 5 minutes.

If it's much more than 2 pages it's not going to get read, certainly not in any depth. Same goes for personal statements, they're only going to be remembered if they're stupid enough to be posted on an internet forum.... Don't assume that the person interviewing you was the one that sifted your CV.

[Neil_H]

I think 5 is too long, aim for under 3 pages, preferably less, and remove interests etc if there's no space. If you have lots of experience, reduce the older stuff to small summaries. No one will really care too much about what roles you did 5+ years ago.

Nothing wrong with removing references, when they want them they will ask.

Edited by Neil_H on Friday 21st November 14:58

[Fetchez la vache]

Any CV over 2 pages is a no-no in my books. A CV is a sales brochure. If You can't sell yourself to me in 2 pages I don't want you, simple as that.

[Landlord]

Stigmundfreud said:

Landlord said:

beanbag said:

5 pages does seem excessively long. I guess it's all down to the industry

True - I work in IT contracting. I've, therefore, worked at a lot of places and done a lot of different things. It'd be pointless in trying to get it any shorter.

??? You just pick the jobs that closely match the current one you are applying for. 1 page = good, 2 pages = ok, any more = bin

Just for everyone's benefit - I'll reiterate. I have a job, and have had jobs AND interviews on the back of a 5 page CV. So, whilst not approriate for run-of-the-mill jobs, they're not the contaminated piece of st it seems is being alluded to.

Now, I work in banking where people like to know a broad knowledge of products and areas as there is often a benefit in having someone with such a breadth of knowledge. It's VERY difficult to get this, plus the required technical knowledge in to 2 pages.

And to reiterate my reiteration, I cannot think of a time when I've not been offered an interview for a job my CV has been submitted for. I guess I'm just lucky that I've not been interviewed by David Brent type "bin half because you don't want to employ unlucky people" managers.

Now - if I were a desk-monkey doing "admin" type jobs then yep, 2 pages. No more. If I were a senior executive of a multi-national (aside from resenting my CV being asked for), I'd probably have to go over 2 pages. Horses for courses and all that.

And, finally, I didn't recommend a 5 page CV. I merely stated that you needn't stick religiously to 2 pages because that's the "norm" - especially if everything is summarised in the first page.

I guess, at heart, I'm just a rebel riding my luck with 3 extra pages of pure guff. fk the trees - write in 18-point-double-line-space and use a ream.