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UK CV format: how to write a CV for UK employers

Last reviewed 2026-10-12

A UK CV is usually two pages of A4 in British English: contact details, a short personal profile, work experience newest first, education and skills. Leave off your photo, date of birth, marital status and nationality. Add a line on your right to work in the UK, and tailor the profile and the order of your achievements to each job.

What a UK CV looks like

  • Two pages of A4. One page is fine for graduates; three only for very senior or academic roles.
  • British spelling: organise, colour, programme.
  • Contact details: name, phone, email, town or city, and LinkedIn. No full postal address needed.
  • A personal profile of three to four lines saying who you are, what you offer and what role you want.
  • Work experience, newest first, with month and year and results-led bullet points.
  • Education, then skills, certifications and languages.

Leave these off

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination over age, race, religion, marriage, pregnancy and other characteristics, so UK employers prefer CVs that do not volunteer them. Many recruiters remove photos before shortlisting.

  • Photo
  • Date of birth or age
  • Marital status, children, religion
  • Nationality and passport numbers (state your right to work instead)
  • Salary history
  • Referee contact details (give them when asked)

Say whether you can work in the UK

If your work history is abroad, recruiters may assume you need sponsorship. Add one line near the top, such as "Right to work in the UK: Graduate visa until June 2028" or "Indefinite leave to remain". If you will need a Skilled Worker visa, look for employers on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors and answer the application question honestly.

Conversion checklist

  1. Pick one target role and keep the experience that supports it.
  2. Switch to A4 and British spelling.
  3. Replace any objective or personal details block with a short personal profile.
  4. Add one line of context for employers UK recruiters may not know: sector, size, what they do.
  5. Turn duties into results with numbers, converting money to pounds where it shows scale ("≈ £1.5M budget").
  6. Add the UK equivalent of your degree if you have a UK ENIC statement.
  7. Use plain headings and one column with no tables or text boxes, so applicant tracking systems read it correctly.
  8. Save as PDF unless the employer asks for Word.

Tailor it for every application

UK recruiters expect the profile and achievements to match the job description. tailr does this from any job link: paste the posting and it shows how well you fit, which requirements you are not yet covering, and rewrites your CV and cover letter for that role from your real experience.

Tailor your CV to every UK job in about a minute

See how well you fit each role, what you are missing, and get a resume and cover letter written for that posting.

Try tailr

Common questions

How long should a CV be in the UK?

Two pages of A4 for most people. Graduates can use one page; only senior and academic CVs go longer.

Should I put a photo on my CV in the UK?

No. UK employers avoid photos to reduce the risk of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, and many remove them before shortlisting.

Is a CV the same as a resume in the UK?

In the UK, "CV" is the normal word for the two-page document you send for most jobs. It is close to what Americans call a resume, though usually a little longer.

Should I say I need visa sponsorship on my CV?

No. State your current right to work if you have one; if you need sponsorship, answer the application question honestly and target licensed sponsors.

Sources

UK CV format: how to write a CV for UK employers | tailr