UK CV Format — How to Write a British CV
In the UK the document is called a CV, runs to two pages, carries no photo and no date of birth, and opens with a personal statement. This guide covers the British CV standard, what UK Applicant Tracking Systems parse, how to present Skilled Worker (formerly Tier 2) visa status, how a UK CV differs from a Europass CV, and role-specific guidance for software engineers, data analysts, finance, marketing, managers, graduates, international students and tech.
Get your resume writtenThe UK CV standard
In Britain the document is a CV, and "resume" is not used. The conventions differ from the US in ways that matter.
| Rule | UK standard |
|---|---|
| Name | CV (curriculum vitae) — for all roles, not just academic |
| Length | Two pages is the norm. One page reads as thin for experienced candidates |
| Photo | No. UK employers avoid photos for equality-law reasons |
| Personal details | No date of birth, marital status or nationality. Right to work may be stated |
| Opening | A personal statement — 3–4 lines on who you are and what you are targeting |
| Body | Achievements with evidence, reverse-chronological |
| Order | Personal statement → Experience → Education → Skills → Interests (optional) |
| Spelling | British English — "organised", "analysed", "programme". US spelling is noticed |
| References | "References available on request" is still acceptable in the UK, unlike the US |
ATS-compliant CV formatting for UK employers
UK employers commonly run Workday, Greenhouse, SmartRecruiters, iCIMS and Lever — the same parsing constraints as elsewhere.
- Single column, no text boxes, no tables for content
- Standard headings — "Work Experience", "Education", "Skills"
- DD/MM/YYYY or MM/YYYY dates, used consistently
- Text-based PDF or .docx, never an image
Skilled Worker (Tier 2) visa candidates
If you need sponsorship, be direct about it — ambiguity gets you filtered without a conversation.
- State your current right-to-work status plainly near your contact details, for example "Requires Skilled Worker sponsorship" or "Graduate Route visa valid until MM/YYYY"
- Target licensed sponsors — an employer must hold a sponsor licence to hire you, and applying to those who do not is wasted effort
- If you are on the Graduate Route, say so with the expiry, since it tells an employer they have time before sponsorship is needed
- Do not bury it, and do not omit it. Most major ATS platforms ask the sponsorship question directly, and an evasive answer costs you more than a clear one
UK CV vs Europass CV
A Europass CV is a standardised EU template. It is widely accepted across continental Europe and for EU institutional roles, but in the UK private sector it is unusual and often reads as foreign. Use a standard British CV for UK applications and reserve Europass for EU roles that specifically request it.
Role-specific guidance
Software engineer — Technical skills block near the top, then achievements with scale and impact. UK postings often name specific stacks; mirror their vocabulary.
Data analyst — Lead with SQL, Python/R and BI tooling (Power BI is disproportionately common in UK job specs). Frame outputs as decisions influenced, not dashboards built.
Finance — Professional qualifications matter and belong high: ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CFA — including part-qualified with stage. Name systems (SAP, Oracle, Xero).
Marketing — Channel results with numbers, plus the stack. UK specs frequently ask for specific platform experience — match it exactly.
Manager — Team size, budget owned, scope. British CVs favour evidence over assertion; "led a team of 12" beats "strong leader".
Graduate — Education first with degree classification (First, 2:1). Placements, society roles and projects framed as achievements. Two pages is fine.
International student — Personal statement should open with your target role, not your visa. State right-to-work status clearly, use British English throughout, and convert any overseas qualifications into their UK equivalent so a recruiter does not have to.
Tech (general) — Keep a clean Skills block, avoid rating bars and icons entirely — they carry no meaning to an ATS and are stripped or misread.
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Frequently asked questions
Two pages is the British norm, and it is genuinely different from the US one-page convention. A single-page CV can read as thin for anyone with a few years of experience, while three pages or more is only appropriate for academic and senior research roles. Graduates should still use two pages, filled with placements, projects, society roles and degree detail rather than padding.
No to both. UK employers avoid photos for equality-law reasons, and date of birth, marital status and nationality are all omitted for the same reason. Many UK recruiters will anonymise a CV before it reaches a hiring manager, so including these details creates work and can get your CV rejected outright. Right-to-work status is the exception and is fine to state.
State it plainly near your contact details — for example 'Requires Skilled Worker sponsorship' or 'Graduate Route visa valid until 09/2027'. Being direct works in your favour: most major ATS platforms ask the sponsorship question anyway, and an evasive or missing answer is filtered faster than an honest one. Target employers who hold a sponsor licence, since those who do not legally cannot hire you regardless of fit.
Generally no. Europass is a standardised EU template that is well understood across continental Europe and for EU institutional roles, but in the UK private sector it is unusual and can read as foreign or templated. Use a standard British CV — personal statement, reverse-chronological experience, British English — for UK applications, and reserve Europass for EU roles that specifically request that format.
British English, consistently. 'Organised' not 'organized', 'analysed' not 'analyzed', 'programme' not 'program' (except computer programs), 'CV' not 'resume'. UK recruiters notice American spelling immediately, and on an application from an international candidate it reinforces the impression that the CV was not written for this market.
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CV vs Resume — What's the Difference by Country
Whether you need a CV or a resume depends entirely on the country. In the US and Canada a resume is a concise one-to-two page industry document while a CV is a long academic one. In the UK and Ireland the everyday job-application document is called a CV. In Australia the two terms are used interchangeably. Across continental Europe conventions vary by country, and Europass is a separate standardised EU template. This guide explains the difference in each market and which document to send.
Last updated August 16, 2026