How to Write a CV That Gets You Noticed (UK Edition)

By Carmen Neagu, 16 September 2025

Writing a CV in today’s UK job market is about clarity, relevance, and tailoring. But advice isn’t one-size-fits-all — what works in finance may not apply to healthcare, and what works in education may not apply in tech.

Here’s how to make sure your CV stands out for the right reasons. Think of this as a starting point — depending on your industry or niche, your CV may need to be tailored differently.

What to Include

  • Contact details: Name, town or city, email, and phone number.
  • Personal profile: Three to four lines highlighting your skills and value. Include whether you drive, how far you’re willing to travel, and your availability.
  • Employment history: Always listed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent role first. Include employer name, job title, and dates (month and year). Use bullet points for responsibilities and key achievements.
  • Education and qualifications: Prioritise the most relevant and recent.
  • Skills: Tailor these to the job description, using relevant keywords. Include specific software you know well — for example, CRMs if you’re in recruitment, or rostering systems if you work in social care.

What Not to Include

  • References or the line “available on request”.
  • Hobbies, unless they add genuine value to the role.
  • Every training course you’ve ever completed. For example, in care roles: include NVQ Level 2 and above but don’t list routine courses such as Moving & Handling or Basic Life Support. Do include specialist training such as PEG or Catheter Care, this will set you apart from other candidates.
  • A photo — not standard in the UK, and can introduce bias.
  • Personal details such as NI number, date of birth, or marital status.

Formatting Matters

  • Length: Two to four pages, depending on your experience. May need to be longer if you are applying for roles in highly regulated industries like Social Care or Education where full work history is required.
  • Layout: Keep it clean and consistent. For example, section titles (e.g. Work History) in bold and underlined, job titles in bold, company names in italics, and dates written as month and year.
  • Consistency: Whatever style you choose, apply it throughout.
  • Keep it live: Update regularly — add completion dates for training as soon as you finish.
  • Avoid design extras: like text boxes, tables, or images — they often confuse recruitment software. A simple, well-structured CV is usually best. The only time to go big on visuals is if you’re in a creative role and your CV itself is part of your portfolio.

Practical Advice (from my professional view)

You don’t have to follow these suggestions, but in my experience they consistently make CVs clearer and more effective:

  • Keep the font simple: Verdana, size 10, is the clearest and easiest to read, but you can use any of the basic, standard fonts as well.
  • Don’t title the document “CV”: Just use your full name as the file name (e.g. Jane Smith CV.docx is fine, but within the document you don’t need “CV” as a heading).
  • Make job titles easy to recognise: If your company used a title that isn’t common in the market, add a bracketed equivalent, for example: Client Success Lead (Operations Manager).
  • Write with keywords in mind: Keep formatting plain, use keywords from the job description, and avoid text boxes or decorative designs.

Final Thought

A CV is not your life story — it’s your marketing document. Keep it clear, tailored, and professional. And remember: it should grow with you. Update it as your career evolves.