6 ways to save space when your CV is too long

You’ve filled in your application and you're keen to apply for the job. There’s just one problem – your CV is too long! You could change the text to a really small font and make the margins tiny, but that’s just going to look cramped and difficult to read. You need to get ruthless with your wording and formatting, so that you’re presenting a concise, easily readable and powerful document. But how?

1.  Remove unnecessary contact details

If your contact details are taking up more than one line, you’re wasting space on your CV. You don’t need your full address on your CV these days (and certainly not spread over several lines!) – just the town and first part of your postcode is enough. Similarly, ditch the landline number and just leave your mobile.

Contact details aren’t your main selling point, so they don’t need to take up prime CV real estate. Save this space for information that will convince a recruiter to take your application seriously!

2.  Use different formatting options

Microsoft Word has a wealth of formatting options that can save you space. For example, changing the font or the font size, adjusting the margins, or altering the space between lines can make all the difference. Just ensure that your CV format and design choices aren't negatively impacting the overall readability.

Using templates from Canva is a sure-fire way to make your CV too long, as they aren't particularly flexible. Try this free template from Word Dragon instead, where the length of each section can be adapted to your specific needs.

3.    Don’t go too far back in time

If you were working in the eighties (or even the nineties), there’s no need to include details from this time on your CV. The jobs are almost certainly not relevant to your next role and it leaves you open to age discrimination. Only the last 10-15 years need to be explained in detail. Too much detail on historic roles is a common problem when a CV is too long.

If you want to show your career progression, then job titles and employer names are all that’s required. It’s unlikely that any recruiter will be impressed by the entry-level work you were doing 40 years ago if you’re applying for a senior leadership position – especially if it’s not even in the same sector!

4.    Consider your hobbies carefully

Depending on what stage you’re at in your career, you really don’t need to dedicate much, if any, space to your hobbies and interests. If you do decide to include them, make sure they take up an appropriate proportion of your CV. For example, if you’re fresh out of college, they may take up a large amount of space, but if you’re at Board level you really don’t need to mention them at all.

5.    Remember less is more

There’s no obligation to include absolutely everything; it will just dilute the important details that you need the recruiter to focus on. Be selective about what you include and what you leave out. A clear, well-spaced and considered CV is more likely to make a positive first impression than a crammed document that requires the reader to wade through masses of irrelevant waffle.

Tailoring the CV to the role means that you can be ruthless about what you cut out, so that only the information that really sells you is left. Remember if your CV is too long, it's easier for the recruiter not to bother with it than to plough on through masses of irrelevant detail.

6.    Cut the personal stuff

Recruiters are busy people and they don’t want to spend hours poring over every CV. They just want to know, at a glance, whether you’re worth inviting to interview. Curriculum Vitae means “course of life”, but you shouldn’t take that literally. No-one wants to know your cats’ names, details of your messy divorce, why you quit your last job or why you relocated to the other side of the world. Just give them the information they need to make a quick decision. The rest can wait.

Ask a pro for help if your CV is too long

If you’re still struggling with the content on your CV – or if you have any other CV-related questions – please do get in touch! I offer CV services for every budget.

Updated 2026