UK CV format for 2026: a section-by-section guide and template

If you’re converting a US resume, our resume vs CV guide covers the cross-market differences. This page goes deeper on the UK version itself.

Your name as the heading (not “Curriculum Vitae”), then a single line with your town or city, mobile number, email address and LinkedIn URL. A full postal address isn’t necessary; the town tells the recruiter whether you can commute.

Leave out your photo, date of birth, age, marital status, gender and religion. Age, sex, race, religion, disability and other protected characteristics are covered by the Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk), and most UK recruiters would rather not receive information they can’t use. Your National Insurance number also doesn’t belong on a CV; it’s requested after an offer.

Three or four lines under your name that say who you are professionally, your strongest evidence and what you’re looking for. In the UK it’s called a profile or personal statement; in the US, a summary. Write it last, after the rest of the CV, and rewrite the first sentence for each application so it echoes the job title in the ad.

An illustrative example for a mid-level role:

“Operations manager with eight years in e-commerce fulfilment, most recently running a 40-person warehouse team in Leeds. Cut order-to-dispatch time by a third by redesigning pick routes and shift patterns. Looking for a multi-site operations role in retail or logistics.”

Avoid strings of adjectives (“hard-working, passionate team player”). If you can’t back a word with evidence in the next line, cut it. Our resume summary examples include twelve more by role.

Key skills is a short list, six to ten items, of the hard skills and tools that matter for the job: “Financial modelling”, “Xero”, “Stakeholder reporting”, not “Communication”. Use the ad’s own terms where they truthfully describe what you do. The resume keywords by role pages show which skills live postings for 30 roles mention most, for example accountant or operations manager.

Employment history is the core of the CV. List each job with title, employer, town and dates (month and year), most recent first. Under each, write three to six bullet points that start with a verb and describe results, not duties:

• Weak: “Responsible for managing the social media accounts.”
• Stronger: “Grew Instagram followers from 4,000 to 11,000 in a year by switching to weekly short-form video.” (Illustrative numbers; use your own.)

Give the most space to the last five to ten years. Older or less relevant roles can shrink to one line each, or to an “Earlier career” line with job titles only. Explain any long gaps in a line of their own (see how to explain an employment gap).

Experienced candidates put education after employment and keep it short: degree, classification, university and year. Graduates and school leavers put it first and can add A levels, relevant modules and a dissertation title. GCSEs are usually summarised in one line (“9 GCSEs including Maths and English”) and dropped once you have a degree and some experience.

Degree classifications (First, 2:1, 2:2) are widely used, so include yours if it’s a 2:1 or above. For an overseas degree, add a plain-English equivalent rather than a grading scale the reader won’t know: “Master’s degree in Economics (equivalent to a UK MSc)”. Professional qualifications (ACCA, CIPD, PRINCE2, CSCS cards) can sit here or in their own section if they are a requirement of the job.

A plain, single-column layout that applicant tracking systems read cleanly. Replace everything in square brackets; the contact details shown are placeholders.

FIRSTNAME SURNAME
Manchester · 07700 900123 · [email protected] · linkedin.com/in/yourname
Full right to work in the UK

PROFILE
[Job title] with [N] years' experience in [sector or speciality]. Known for
[one strength with evidence]. Looking for a [type of role] where I can [what
you want to do next].

KEY SKILLS
[Skill from the ad] · [Skill from the ad] · [Tool] · [Tool] · [Method]

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
[Job title], [Employer], [Town]                         [Mon YYYY] – Present
• [Achievement: verb + what you did + result, with a number if you have one]
• [Achievement]
• [Achievement]

[Job title], [Employer], [Town]                         [Mon YYYY] – [Mon YYYY]
• [Achievement]
• [Achievement]

EDUCATION
BSc (Hons) [Subject], 2:1, [University]                         [YYYY]
A levels: [Subject] (A), [Subject] (B), [Subject] (B)  [only if early career]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Languages: English (native), Spanish (professional working proficiency)
Certifications: [Name, year]
Full UK driving licence [only if the job needs it]

The National Careers Service’s guidance on CV sections follows the same broad structure (nationalcareers.service.gov.uk). Before sending, run the finished file through our ATS resume checklist to catch layout problems.

UK employers have to check that every new hire has the right to work in the UK before they start (GOV.UK: prove your right to work). Recruiters screening international applications often want to know your status early, so one line under your contact details saves a round of emails:

• “Full right to work in the UK” (British or Irish citizen, settled or pre-settled status, indefinite leave to remain);
• “Graduate visa, valid until [month year]”;
• “Will require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship”.

Be accurate. If you need sponsorship, the employer must hold a sponsor licence and the role must meet the Skilled Worker visa rules, including salary thresholds (GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa). Stating it honestly up front saves everyone time. You still don’t need to list nationality as a separate field.

• Photo, date of birth, marital status, dependants.
• Referees’ names and contact details. Don’t share someone else’s details on a document you send widely. A line saying “References available on request” is optional; many recruiters assume it, so drop it if you need the space.
• Current salary. Discuss pay when asked, not on the CV.
• Hobbies with no point. “Reading and socialising” adds nothing; captaining a sports club or running a community project might.
• Graphics, skill bars, tables and two-column layouts. They often parse badly in applicant tracking systems.
• Every job since school. Two pages is a limit, not a target, and relevance beats completeness.

1. Two pages or fewer, one font, single column, PDF.
2. UK spelling throughout (spell-check set to English UK).
3. Profile’s first line mentions the job title you’re applying for.
4. Key skills and bullets use the ad’s wording where it’s true for you.
5. Month and year for every role; gaps explained in a line.
6. Right-to-work line if you’re not a UK or Irish citizen.
7. No photo, date of birth or referees’ contact details.

Then test the CV against the specific job you’re applying for: the free CV score checker compares it with the ad and lists the keywords you’re missing.