UK CV template
In the UK the document is called a CV, it is printed on A4, and employers expect a short personal profile at the top rather than a photo or a date of birth. This page opens a full example CV in Benchmark, the recommended template, set to A4 and British conventions. Replace the made-up details with your own, check the score, then download a PDF or an editable Word file. Ireland and New Zealand use much the same format.
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What a UK CV usually includes
- Name, phone, email, town and a LinkedIn link; no full address needed
- A personal profile of three or four lines aimed at the job
- Work history in reverse date order, with results rather than duties
- Education: your degree, then A levels or equivalent early in your career
- Skills, certificates and languages that the advert asks for
- British spelling throughout, such as organised and programme
- Two sides of A4 at most; one is fine early in a career
The example resume
Every person, employer and figure in it is made up. Press Open this example in the tool above, or pick it under New resume, then replace each detail with your own.
Jordan Ellis
Operations Analyst
[email protected] · +44 20 7946 0123 · Manchester, UK · linkedin.com/in/jordan-ellis-example
Summary
Operations analyst with nine years in retail logistics and warehousing. Builds the reports and small tools that help store and warehouse teams spot delays early, and turns untidy spreadsheets into one reliable weekly process. At ease with directors and the night shift.
Experience
Operations Analyst, Northfield Home Stores · Manchester · Mar 2022 – Present
- Rebuilt the weekly stock report in Power BI, cutting the work from two days to three hours
- Built a returns dashboard that 14 store managers use to find damaged stock within a day
- Led a delivery pilot across two regions that reduced late deliveries by 18% in six months
- Automated supplier fill-rate tracking in SQL, freeing six analyst hours every week
- Trained 20 store managers to read the availability reports and act on the gaps
Logistics Coordinator, Brightway Distribution · Leeds · Jun 2019 – Feb 2022
- Scheduled 40 to 60 outbound loads a day across three carriers and two cross-dock sites
- Built an Excel check for missing delivery notes that recovered £38,000 in disputed charges
- Cut failed first-time deliveries from 7% to 4% by moving route cut-offs an hour earlier
Warehouse Team Leader, Pennine Parcel Hub · Bradford · Aug 2017 – May 2019
- Led a night shift of 12 pickers handling up to 9,000 parcels before the morning trunk runs
- Raised pick accuracy from 97.1% to 99.3% with a simple scan-and-check routine at packing
Education
BSc Business Management, Irwell Valley University · Salford · 2014 – 2017
Skills
Tools: Excel, Power BI, SQL, SAP, Google Sheets, Power Query
Strengths: Process improvement, Supplier communication, Reporting, Forecasting
Certifications
Lean process improvement certificate, Manufacturing training council · 2021
Languages
English (Native) · Polish (Conversational)
What to leave off a UK CV
Leave out your photo, date of birth, age, marital status, nationality and religion unless a job genuinely requires one of them. The Equality Act 2010 protects characteristics such as age, race, religion and marriage, and most employers would rather not see information they must not use. A national insurance number, a signature and the line 'references available on request' are not needed either.
Right to work and references
Employers check that you have the right to work in the UK before you start, so you do not need to prove it on the CV. If the advert asks, or if you will need visa sponsorship, say so in one line near your contact details. References are normally collected after an offer, so use the space for another achievement instead.
One page or two?
Two sides of A4 is the usual limit, and recruiters rarely read further. A school leaver or graduate with one or two jobs can fit everything on one page, while someone with ten years of experience will usually need two. Fill the pages you use: the page check here measures how full the last page is and tells you when a few lines have spilled onto a second page.
A CV for your first job or a part-time job
With little work history, lead with a short profile, then skills, education and anything that shows you are reliable: a Saturday job, babysitting, volunteering, the Duke of Edinburgh Award or a school project. One page is enough. For a part-time job, say which days and hours you can work. The Campus template suits a first CV.
A graduate CV
Put your degree first, with the classification or expected grade and two or three modules or a dissertation that match the job. Then add placements, internships, part-time work and societies, each with a result. Move Education above Experience in the Layout tab, and keep to one or two sides of A4.
A CV for a career change
Open with a profile that names the job you want and the strengths you bring from your old one. Group your skills by theme, give each a result, and add any course you have taken for the new field. The career-change and skills-based templates are designed for this.
Writing for the US market? See the Harvard-style resume template
Questions
Is a CV the same as a resume?
In everyday UK use, yes: CV is simply the British word for the document you send with a job application. In the US and Canada a CV means a longer academic record, and the one- or two-page job document is called a resume.
Should I put a photo on my CV in the UK?
No, unless the job is in acting or modelling and the advert asks for one. UK employers generally prefer CVs without photos, partly to avoid any suggestion of unfair treatment, and a photo takes space that your experience could use.
How far back should my work history go?
Cover the last ten to fifteen years in detail. Older roles can sit under a short 'Earlier career' line with the employer and job title only, unless they are directly relevant to the job you want now.
Should I list GCSEs and A levels?
Early in your career, yes: give your A levels or equivalent and a summary of GCSEs, such as 'eight GCSEs including English and Maths'. Once you have a degree and some experience, the degree alone is usually enough unless the advert asks for grades.
What font should a CV be in?
A plain font that reads well on screen and on paper, such as Arial, Calibri or Georgia, at 10 to 12 points for the main text. Use one or two fonts at most. The Design tab has sans-serif and serif fonts, and every PDF keeps real text.
What skills should I put on a CV?
The skills the advert asks for that you can back up, such as software, languages or a licence, plus a few transferable ones like teamwork, each shown through a result. Paste the advert into Job match to see which of its terms your CV does not mention yet.
Do I need a cover letter with my CV?
Send one when the advert asks for it or when you apply by email. A cover letter explains in a few paragraphs why you want this job, while a personal statement on an application form answers its questions point by point. The cover letter generator drafts the letter from your CV.
Can someone write my CV for me?
Not yet. A personal CV writing service by a professional writer is coming soon; use the note on this page to hear when it opens. Until then, start from the example above and check it with the score.