How to Write a CV for Job in the UK: A Step by Step Guide (2026)

UK CV vs. US Resume: Understanding the Difference

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s clear up some confusion. If you’ve been researching online and seeing conflicting advice, it’s probably because you’ve been reading American content. UK CVs and US resumes are not the same thing.

The Key Distinctions

Aspect	UK CV	US Resume
Length	2 pages (sometimes 3 for senior roles)	Strictly 1 page
Name	Called a “CV” (Curriculum Vitae)	Called a “Resume”
Personal Details	Can include date of birth, nationality (optional)	Never include age or photo
References	“Available upon request” is standard	References not mentioned
Detail Level	More comprehensive and detailed	Very concise and punchy
Format	Reverse chronological is standard	Multiple formats common

The Essential UK CV Format

Let’s start with the basics that every UK CV should follow, regardless of your industry or experience level.

Technical Specifications

• Page size: A4 (not US Letter size)
• Length: 2 pages for most roles; up to 3 pages for senior positions or academia
• Font: Professional and readable (Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman)
• Font size: 10-12pt for body text; 14-16pt for your name
• Margins: 2-2.5cm all around
• Line spacing: 1.15 to 1.5 for readability
• File format: PDF (unless the job ad specifically requests Word)

Visual Structure

Your CV should have clear visual hierarchy. Think of it like a well-designed newspaper—headings stand out, information flows logically, and the reader’s eye knows where to go next.

Here’s what works:

• Bold section headings in ALL CAPS or title case
• Consistent formatting for dates, job titles, and locations
• White space between sections (don’t cram everything together)
• Bullet points for responsibilities and achievements
• A clean, uncluttered layout that’s easy to scan

Essential Sections Every UK CV Must Have

A UK CV follows a fairly standard structure. While there’s some flexibility in ordering (especially for your skills and education sections), these are the components every CV needs:

1. Contact Information (Header)

This goes at the very top and should include:

• Full name (larger font, bold)
• Phone number (UK format: 07XXX XXXXXX or +44 7XXX XXXXXX)
• Email address (professional—firstname.lastname@email.com)
• Location (City, County—no full street address needed)
• LinkedIn profile (optional but recommended)

What NOT to Include in Contact Info

Unlike some countries, UK CVs should NOT include:

• Your photograph (unless you’re applying to creative/media industries where it’s expected)
• Date of birth or age (illegal for employers to discriminate, so leave it off)
• Marital status or number of children
• National Insurance number
• Full home address (city and county is enough)

Writing a Compelling Personal Statement

Right after your contact details comes your personal statement—sometimes called a “professional profile” or “career summary.” This is your elevator pitch in written form.

What Is It?

A personal statement is a short paragraph (3-5 lines) that sits at the top of your CV and tells the recruiter:

• Who you are professionally
• What you’re looking for
• What you bring to the table

Think of it as the “preview” that convinces someone to read the rest of your CV.

The Formula That Works

Here’s a simple structure I recommend:

Sentence 1: Your current role/status and years of experience
Sentence 2: Your key skills and areas of expertise
Sentence 3: Your career goal and what you’re seeking

Common Personal Statement Mistakes

How to Present Your Work Experience

This is the meat of your CV—where you prove you can actually do what you say you can do. Most UK CVs list work experience in reverse chronological order (most recent job first).

Structure for Each Role

For every position you’ve held, include:

• Job title (bold or prominently displayed)
• Company name (and location if not obvious)
• Employment dates (Month Year – Month Year format)
• 3-6 bullet points describing key responsibilities and achievements

The Achievement Formula

Here’s a secret recruiters won’t tell you: they don’t care much about your day-to-day responsibilities. They care about what you achieved. That’s why the best CV bullet points follow this formula:

Let me show you the difference:

Power Verbs to Use

Start your bullet points with strong action verbs. Here are some that work well in UK CVs:

• For leadership roles: Led, Managed, Directed, Coordinated, Supervised, Mentored
• For achievement: Achieved, Exceeded, Delivered, Generated, Increased, Improved
• For creation: Developed, Designed, Created, Launched, Established, Implemented
• For analysis: Analysed, Evaluated, Assessed, Identified, Researched, Investigated

What About Gaps in Employment?

Life happens. You might have gaps in your CV for perfectly legitimate reasons—parental leave, illness, redundancy, travel, or study. Here’s how to handle them:

Education Section: What to Include

Where your education section goes depends on your career stage. If you’re a recent graduate or the role specifically requires certain qualifications, put education near the top (after your personal statement). If you’ve been working for several years, it goes towards the end.

What to Include

For each qualification, list:

• Qualification name (e.g., “BSc (Hons) Computer Science”)
• Grade or classification (e.g., “First Class”, “2:1”, “Merit”)
• Institution name
• Dates (year of completion is enough; no need for start dates)

GCSEs and Older Qualifications

Once you have A-Levels or a degree, you don’t need to list individual GCSE grades. A simple line is fine:

“10 GCSEs including English Language (A) and Mathematics (A)”

If you left school decades ago, you can skip GCSEs entirely and just focus on higher qualifications and professional certifications.

Skills Section: Make It Count

The skills section is where many CVs fall flat. “Microsoft Office,” “teamwork,” and “good communicator” appear on approximately 90% of CVs—which makes them meaningless.

Technical Skills vs. Soft Skills

Split your skills into categories to make them easy to scan:

Technical/Hard Skills: These are specific, measurable abilities you can prove. For example:

• Software proficiency: “Advanced Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Macros), Salesforce CRM, Adobe Creative Suite”
• Languages: “Fluent Spanish (written and spoken), Conversational French”
• Certifications: “Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Diploma, Google Analytics Qualified”

Soft Skills: These are harder to quantify but still valuable. The trick is to back them up with evidence in your work experience section. Examples:

• Leadership
• Project management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Problem-solving

Optional Sections Worth Adding

Once you’ve covered the essentials, you might have space for additional sections that strengthen your application:

Professional Memberships

If you’re a member of a professional body relevant to your field, include it:

• “Chartered Member, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)”
• “Associate Member, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)”

Volunteering and Community Work

Voluntary work demonstrates character and can fill employment gaps. It’s particularly valuable if:

• You’re early in your career and lack paid experience
• The voluntary work is relevant to the role you’re applying for
• It demonstrates leadership or specialist skills

Interests and Hobbies

This one’s debatable. Most senior recruiters will tell you to skip it, but if you’re including hobbies, make them interesting and relevant:

References

At the very bottom of your CV, simply write:

“References available upon request”

Don’t list your referees’ names and contact details on your CV itself. You’ll provide those when asked (usually after an interview).

How Long Should Your UK CV Be?

Let me settle this once and for all: two pages is the standard for UK CVs.

Here’s the breakdown:

• School leavers/students: 1 page is acceptable (you simply don’t have enough experience yet)
• Graduates and professionals with <10 years' experience: 2 pages
• Senior professionals: 2-3 pages (but only if genuinely necessary)
• Academic CVs: 3+ pages is normal (they have different conventions)

Making Your CV ATS-Friendly (Applicant Tracking Systems)

Here’s something most candidates don’t realise: your CV might never reach human eyes if it can’t get past the ATS.

What Is an ATS?

An Applicant Tracking System is software that screens CVs before a recruiter sees them. Large companies and recruitment agencies use ATS to manage high volumes of applications. The system scans your CV for keywords, experience, and qualifications that match the job description.

If your CV isn’t ATS-friendly, it gets filtered out automatically—no matter how qualified you are.

How to Beat the ATS

Want to test if your CV will pass ATS screening? Use our free ATS Resume Checker which analyses your CV against job descriptions and shows you exactly what recruiters’ software will see.

Common CV Mistakes That Cost You Interviews

I’ve reviewed thousands of CVs over the years, and certain mistakes appear again and again. Here are the ones that most frequently cost candidates interviews:

1. Spelling and Grammar Errors

This is the number one CV killer. Even one typo suggests carelessness—and if you can’t proofread your own CV, why would an employer trust you with their work?

2. Using an Unprofessional Email Address

We touched on this earlier, but it bears repeating: “sexybeast1995@hotmail.com” is not going to get you an interview at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

3. Lying or Exaggerating

Inflating your job title, claiming qualifications you don’t have, or adding skills you lack will eventually be found out. And when it is, you’ll be fired—or worse, face legal action.

There’s a difference between presenting yourself in the best light and outright lying. If you “assisted with” something, don’t claim you “led” it. If you’re “familiar with” software, don’t say you’re “proficient.”

4. Making It All About You

Your CV isn’t your autobiography—it’s a marketing document selling your ability to solve an employer’s problems. Every line should answer the implicit question: “What’s in it for us?”

5. Generic CVs

Sending the same CV to every job is lazy, and recruiters can tell. You should be tailoring your CV for each application—not rewriting it completely, but adjusting the personal statement, tweaking bullet points to emphasise relevant experience, and ensuring the keywords match the job description.

6. Weird Formatting Choices

I once received a CV written entirely in Comic Sans. In purple. With a clipart border of flowers.

Don’t do this.

Stick to professional formatting. If you want to add a touch of colour, a subtle accent (like a coloured line under your name) is fine. But your CV isn’t the place to showcase your artistic flair unless you’re applying for a design role—and even then, keep it tasteful.

Frequently Asked Questions