Applying for a job in the UK: the British CV

In the UK the word is CV (a resume means the same, but the British say CV). The National Careers Service, run by the UK government, and Prospects, the graduate careers site, agree on the basics:

• Length: Prospects recommends no more than two A4 pages. Shorter for students looking for part-time work, a little longer for academic CVs.
• Photo: unless you are applying for an acting or modelling job, you don't need one.
• Leave out: age, date of birth, marital status and nationality (National Careers Service).
• Include: full name, home address, mobile number and email; a link to a professional profile such as LinkedIn.
• Order: reverse chronological, most recent first.
• References: don't put other people's contact details on the CV. “References available on request” is enough.

1. 1Contact details.
2. 2A short introduction or personal profile: a few lines under your name that sum up who you are and what you hope to do, tailored to the role.
3. 3Work history: employer, job title, dates and what you did, usually two or three lines per role. The National Careers Service suggests the STAR method (situation, task, action, result). Include placements, volunteering and paid jobs.
4. 4Education: qualifications, institution and dates. Early in your career it goes after the introduction; with more experience, after the work history.
5. 5Skills and interests, brief, relevant to the job.

A personal profile is a concise statement that highlights your key attributes. It goes just under your name and contact details and should be adapted to each job. Some employers feel that a graduate's profile risks being generic, so make yours specific: what you do, what you bring, what you are looking for.

If you have enough for two pages, use them fully; Prospects points out that a recruiter will view a page and a half as inadequate and prefer a full second page to one that peters out halfway. If you have a break in your work history, the National Careers Service has specific advice on explaining it.

Check the job advert or the application instructions for the file format they want, or ask the recruiter. Prospects advises this step because systems and employers differ.

The two are close: reverse chronological, results first, no photo. The UK CV usually runs to two pages where a US resume often fits on one, has a personal profile at the top rather than an objective, and uses British spelling and the term CV.

This is a typical one- or two-page British CV, in the order the National Careers Service describes:

• Alex Carter · 07123 456 789 · alex@example.com · Manchester · LinkedIn link.
• Personal profile: three lines under your name.
• Work history: employer, job title, dates, and two or three lines per role using STAR.
• Education: qualifications, institution, dates.
• Skills and interests: short.
• References: available on request.

• CV: the document (resume is rarely used). Covering letter or cover letter: the accompanying letter.
• Personal statement or personal profile: the short introduction under your name.
• Referee: a person who can vouch for you. Placement: a short work experience or internship.
• STAR: situation, task, action, result: a way to write each role.

Do I add a photo? No, unless you apply for acting or modelling, says Prospects.

Should the date of birth be on the CV? No: Prospects calls it irrelevant, and the National Careers Service says not to include your age or date of birth.

Do I list referees? No. Both sources say you can write “references available on request”, or include a referee only if they have agreed.

Is a two-page CV too long? Two pages is the recommended maximum. Prospects adds that if you have enough for two pages, fill them properly.

• Adding a photo, date of birth or marital status.
• Listing referees' details instead of “available on request”.
• More than two pages.
• A generic profile that could fit any job.
• Sending the same CV to every employer.

• Two pages at most, reverse chronological.
• No photo, no age, no marital status, no nationality.
• A short profile tailored to the role.
• Two to three lines per job with results.
• “References available on request”.
• File format as the advert asks.