How to write a good CV for the UK job market.

Summary/Overview

If you’re looking for a new job in the UK, a good CV is a must. As an essential part of any job application, your Curriculum Vitae is a summary of your skills, education and experience – so it’s important to get it right.

It’s estimated that recruiters only spend around seven seconds looking at your CV. So, it’s key that you include all the necessary information and make your profile stand out from other applicants.

Want to know how to write a CV? Continue reading this helpful guide by Adobe Express to discover some top tips and tricks for writing a good CV.

What to write in a CV.

CV styles might change from industry to industry. Creative jobs might require a lighter, more engaging document. Legal or accounting firms might seek a more traditional approach. However, here are a few features that you’ll need for pretty much every job:

1. Name and contact details.

How else would the employer get in touch with you to invite you for an interview? Your name and contact details should be clearly stated at the start of your CV. This includes information like your phone number, email address and links to any work profiles on sites like LinkedIn.

2. Personal summary.

This personal summary is where you provide recruiters with a taste of your personality and what you bring to the table. Discuss who you are and what you have to offer here, outlining why you’re the right person for the job. You can also mention what you’re looking for in your next role.

3. Key skills.

It can be good to include a list of your key skills when you write your CV. You could display these as bullet points and go into further detail about why these would be useful in the job you’re applying for. Start with the most relevant first and work your way through.

4. Work history, experience and achievements.

In this section, you can outline your work history and experience. Start with your most recent role first, and include the name of your employer, your job title and the time you spent in that role. Feel free to also include any volunteering roles. You’ll then want to delve into some of your key responsibilities and achievements – especially those that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Applying for your first job? Learn more about what to include on a CV with no experience.

5. Education and qualifications.

Now it’s time to shout about your qualifications. When discussing your education and qualifications, aim to include the following:

• Title of qualification (e.g. GCSE, A-Level, Bachelors and Masters)
• Name of school, college or university
• Dates of attendance
• Your grade

6. Hobbies and interests.

This section is optional, but it can be a nice bit of extra information to give your potential employer a better idea of who you are. If space allows, mention a few lines about your hobbies and interests, this can be anything from music and dance to art and climbing. Some hobbies can even demonstrate more of your key skills and abilities. For example, someone who enjoys hiking can have great determination and planning skills.

7. References.

Lastly, it’s good to let your employer know that you can provide references if necessary when you write a CV. You can mention the names and contact details of your references here, or simply put “References available upon request”.

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Learn how to write a CV using our free examples.

What to leave out of a CV.

Now we’ve covered what to include in your CV, it’s time to discuss what you shouldn’t. After all, we don’t want you to miss out on a great opportunity by giving a potential employer the wrong impression.

Avoid this by leaving out the following:

• Unnecessary personal details like your date of birth, gender, marital status and religion.
• Negative and irrelevant job experiences. Always avoid speaking harshly about existing and previous employers as this can leave a bad taste in their mouths.
• Gaps in work history if possible. If you do have gaps, don’t worry, just have an honest explanation prepared.
• Photos of yourself, unless required. Some employers may not be able to accept CVs with photos on, due to their business policy.
• Salary information – this may lead to early rejection if your expectations or history aren’t in line with what the employer is currently willing to offer.

Editable samples to help you write a CV.

Still not sure what to write in your CV? Use these prompts to help.

Everyone’s CV will be different – and with good reason. We all bring unique abilities to the table. There are CV templates you can follow though, to make figuring out what to write in your CV a bit easier. We provide an example of how you could structure your CV below:

Name and contact details.

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address

Personal summary.

A paragraph of approximately 50-100 words detailing some of your main qualities, skills, experience and aspects of your work ethic. This should be concise and to the point.

Key skills.

A bullet point list explaining the key skills you’ve built and how they apply to your prospective role.

Work experience

• Job title, name of employer (location).
• Dates of employment.
• Short summary of your key tasks and achievements.

[Include for each of your previous employers]

Education and qualifications.

• Date range (year – year)
• Qualification and grade
• Institution
• [Include for previous places of education that may be relevant]

Hobbies and interests.

A short paragraph detailing your main hobbies and interest. You can briefly outline how you engage in these activities and how often you do so.

References.

• Name of reference
• Contact details
• Alternatively, simply state “References available upon request.”

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Useful things to know.

Do you put your address on a CV?

Including your address when you write a CV is optional. In previous years, it was deemed standard practice. But this has changed now – it’s no longer an expectation. You can often provide the employer with your address once they’ve offered you the job.

How long should a CV be?

Generally, you should be able to fit your CV on a single A4 page – using both sides at a push. However, this depends on your experience, and the sorts of jobs you’re applying to. For example, academic and research jobs may require a more detailed, lengthier document

How far back should a CV go?

To keep your CV relevant, list the last 10 to 15 years of your work experience. To keep things succinct, you could also you could focus on the last five to six employment positions within this timeframe.

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