en-GB
Writing a CV for the UK
The UK CV is short, plain and factual. Recruiters expect two pages, reverse-chronological experience and no personal data beyond how to contact you. Anything decorative reads as inexperience.
The norms
- Length
- Two pages. One page is fine early career.
- Photo
- No. Photos invite discrimination claims and most agencies strip them.
- Personal details
- Name, email, phone, city. No date of birth, marital status or nationality.
- Dates
- Month and year, e.g. Mar 2023 — Present.
- Opening section
- A three-line personal statement, tailored per application.
- References
- Left off entirely. 'References available on request' wastes a line.
What gets CVs rejected
- Adding a photo or date of birth — both are unusual and can get the CV discarded by agencies.
- US spellings and 'résumé' as a heading. Use British spelling and call it a CV.
- Listing every job since school. Summarise anything older than 10—15 years in one line.
- Salary expectations on the CV. They belong in the conversation, not the document.
Template & type
Classic or Modern, 11pt, single accent colour.
Language: English
Finding the roles
- Agency recruiters dominate mid-level hiring — expect your CV to be forwarded, so keep it machine-readable.
- Right-to-work status matters post-Brexit; state it plainly in the cover letter if you already hold it.
- Public-sector roles use structured competency forms rather than CVs, so keep evidence-based examples ready.
Build a British CV in minutes
Import what you already have, pick the template that matches local norms, and export an ATS-ready PDF with the photo on or off.
Related guides
How to write a CV that actually gets interviews
A practical, no-fluff structure for a one or two page CV: what goes where, how to write bullet points that land, and the lines to cut.
How to beat the ATS without gaming it
What applicant tracking systems actually parse, why creative layouts get mangled, and a checklist that keeps your CV readable by software and humans.