UK CV format in 2026: length, sections and what to leave out

A UK CV and a US resume carry the same information in a different order, on different paper, with different assumptions about privacy. If you send a US resume to a British employer it will usually still be read — but it will read as slightly foreign, and in a competitive shortlist that is enough.

The physical facts

• A4 paper, not US Letter. A Letter-sized PDF printed on A4 loses the bottom margin.
• Two pages is normal and expected; one page is fine if your experience fits.
• Single column, plain headings, standard fonts at 10–12pt.
• No photo. UK employers removed photographs for equality-of-opportunity reasons.
• No date of birth, marital status, nationality or religion.

Section order

The British convention puts a short personal statement at the top, then experience, then education, then skills, with certifications and interests at the end. Unlike the US, education often sits below experience even for recent graduates, because UK recruiters read the statement first.

• Name and contact details — phone, email, city, LinkedIn if relevant.
• Personal statement — three or four lines, specific to the role.
• Key skills — a short list of the ones the advert asks for.
• Experience — reverse chronological, with outcomes.
• Education — qualifications with grades where they are strong.
• Certifications and professional memberships.
• Interests — one line, only if they are genuinely interesting or relevant.

The personal statement

This is the section UK readers pay most attention to and candidates most often waste. "Hard-working team player with excellent communication skills" says nothing and is on a third of the CVs submitted. Instead: what you do, at what level, in what context, and what you want next.

Product analyst, four years in UK retail banking, specialising in retention analytics. Built the cohort model behind a 12% reduction in churn. Looking for a senior analyst role in fintech.

Language and tone

• British spelling: organisation, prioritise, analyse, programme. Be consistent, including in job titles.
• "CV" in the UK, "resume" in the US. Do not mix them in the same application.
• Understatement travels better than superlatives: "led a team of six" beats "dynamic visionary leader".
• Drop the American habit of a one-line objective. The personal statement replaces it.

Education and grades

UK employers expect to see qualifications with grades when the grades help you. A 2:1 in a relevant subject is worth stating; an unclassified or unrelated qualification can be listed plainly. Include professional qualifications (ACCA, CIM, CIPD, PRINCE2) prominently — in some sectors they matter more than the degree.

References and right to work

"References available on request" is unnecessary — every employer knows this. Right-to-work status is asked for at application or offer stage; you do not need to volunteer visa details on the CV, and unless the advert requires it, leaving it off avoids an unnecessary filter. If a role is advertised with a sponsorship statement, read it carefully before applying.

The conversion checklist

If you are adapting a US resume to the UK: switch to A4, add a personal statement, allow the second page, remove the photo if any, switch all spelling to British, move education below experience, and delete the interests line if it is filler. The content can otherwise stay identical — the achievements do not change, only their packaging.