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British CV conventions · A4 · Free to copy

CV Examples UK — Real British CV Samples to Copy

See how a strong UK CV actually looks before you write your own. These examples follow the conventions British recruiters expect: two A4 pages, no photo, a personal statement up top and achievements with numbers throughout.

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Why start from an example

What a good UK CV example shows you

A CV example is a working answer to the questions most people stall on: what order the sections go in, how long a personal statement should be, and what an achievement looks like when it is written as a single sentence. Reading one good example for your career stage is faster than reading ten articles about CV theory.

The examples below follow the conventions recruiters at UK employers and agencies work with every day: reverse-chronological work history, a short personal statement, degree classifications stated plainly, and no photograph. British anti-discrimination practice under the Equality Act 2010 means photos, dates of birth and marital status are left off — expect many UK employers to prefer it that way.

Anatomy

The UK CV structure these examples follow

Every example on this page uses the same skeleton. If you only remember one thing, remember the order — it is the order British recruiters scan in.

  • Contact details Name, phone, email, town or city and a LinkedIn URL. A full street address is unnecessary; a London postcode versus Leeds matters only if the role is location-dependent.
  • Personal statement Three to four lines stating your role, years of experience and the value you bring to this specific employer. Written for the job advert in front of you, not reused from the last application.
  • Work experience Job title, employer, dates (month and year is the UK norm) and three to six bullet points per role. Each bullet opens with an active verb and closes with a measurable result where possible.
  • Education Degree with classification (2:1, First), university and graduation year. A-levels are listed by subject for early-career CVs; GCSEs can be summarised as a single line once you have a degree.
  • Key skills Six to ten skills that mirror the wording of the job advert. This section carries a lot of weight with UK applicant tracking systems such as Workday and Tribepad.

Avoid these

Mistakes these examples deliberately avoid

UK recruiters see the same handful of errors every day. Each example on this page is written to show the alternative.

  • Duties instead of achievements “Responsible for social media accounts” says what the job was. “Grew LinkedIn following from 4,000 to 11,000 in 18 months” says what you did with it. Every bullet in these examples is the second kind.
  • An objective instead of a statement “Looking for a challenging role where I can grow” tells the employer what you want. UK employers respond to statements that tell them what they get.
  • Unexplained gaps A six-month gap labelled “Career break — caring responsibilities” reads as honest. An unexplained gap reads as hidden. The examples label gaps directly.
  • “References available on request” This line is obsolete in the UK and wastes a line of space. Employers assume references happen at offer stage.

Make it yours

How to adapt an example without plagiarising it

Copy the structure, never the sentences. Recruiters who read 200 applications a week spot a copied example instantly, and some ATS platforms flag duplicated text. Steal the skeleton — section order, bullet rhythm, number-with-context pattern — then rewrite every line from your own history.

When a bullet in an example impresses you, ask what the equivalent fact would be in your own role. “Cut invoice processing time by 30%” might become “answered 40+ customer emails a day with a 98% satisfaction rating”. The number is what makes it credible; the job it comes from is irrelevant.

Worked examples

Two UK CV examples you can copy

A mid-career example and an entry-level example. Notice how both follow the same skeleton but spend their space differently.

Example 1 — Marketing Executive, 4 years' experience

Mid-career · Manchester · two pages

Laura Whitfield Manchester, M4 · 07700 900 461 · laura.whitfield@email.co.uk · linkedin.com/in/laurawhitfield PERSONAL STATEMENT B2B marketing executive with 4 years' experience across SaaS and professional services. Own email and content programmes that generated £1.2m in attributed pipeline last year. Looking to bring demand-generation experience to a growing UK tech firm. WORK EXPERIENCE Marketing Executive — Clearpath Software, Manchester | Mar 2023 – Present • Rebuilt the email nurture programme; open rates rose from 19% to 31% and attributed pipeline reached £1.2m • Manage a £180k annual paid-media budget with an average cost per SQL of £214, 22% below target • Write 3 long-form articles a month; organic blog traffic up 74% year on year Marketing Assistant — Bright & Co Accountants, Leeds | Jun 2021 – Feb 2023 • Produced the monthly client newsletter for 2,400 subscribers from briefing to send • Coordinated 12 in-person events a year, including a 150-delegate tax update seminar EDUCATION BA (Hons) Marketing Management, 2:1 — University of Leeds, 2021 A-levels: Business (A), English (B), Psychology (B) KEY SKILLS HubSpot · Google Analytics 4 · Paid social · Copywriting · SEO basics · Budget management

Notice the pattern in every bullet: verb, task, number. Nothing here needed an unusual career — only specific facts.

Example 2 — Retail Assistant, first full-time role

Entry level · Glasgow · one page

Daniel Osei Glasgow, G2 · 07700 900 382 · daniel.osei@email.co.uk PERSONAL STATEMENT Reliable retail assistant with 2 years' part-time experience in a high-footfall city-centre store, completed alongside an HND. Consistently positive customer feedback; trained four new starters. Seeking a full-time floor role with progression to supervisor. WORK EXPERIENCE Retail Assistant (part-time) — Northgate Sports, Glasgow | Sep 2023 – Jun 2025 • Served 100+ customers daily on tills and floor, keeping queue times under 3 minutes at peak • Trained 4 new team members on tills, stock checks and fitting-room procedure • Suggested a new rota for weekend restocking that cut Monday-morning stock gaps by half EDUCATION HND Business — City of Glasgow College, 2025 National 5s: 6 passes including English and Maths KEY SKILLS Customer service · Cash handling · Stock management · Team training · POS systems ADDITIONAL • Weekend availability, including early deliveries • Basic first aid certificate (2024)

With a short history, availability and reliability are selling points — treat them as such rather than apologising for experience you do not have yet.

Matching templates

UK templates that fit these examples

Both examples above map directly onto a free template. Open one, replace the sample content with yours and download as PDF or Word.

Resume templateeuropean

London British CV

British CV template in UK format: no photo, two A4 pages, personal statement and reverse-chronological roles. Free download for UK job applications.

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Resume templateeuropean

Manchester Modern CV

Modern British CV template with an accent sidebar for skills and a clean UK-format main column. Free two-page A4 CV with instant PDF download.

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Resume templateclassic

Heritage Classic

Timeless single-column classic resume with warm brown accents and centered header. Built for corporate, legal and business analyst roles.

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Keep going

More UK CV help

FAQ

Common questions about UK CV examples

Can I copy these CV examples word for word?

Copy the structure freely — section order and formatting are conventions, not copyright. Rewrite every sentence from your own experience: recruiters recognise stock phrasing, and the facts in your own history will always be more convincing.

How long should a UK CV be?

Two A4 pages is the standard for most UK professionals. Graduates and school leavers should aim for one page. Only academic, medical or very senior executive CVs justify a third page.

Should a UK CV include a photo?

No. Photos, dates of birth and marital status are conventionally left off UK CVs. UK employers are alert to discrimination risk under the Equality Act 2010, and most either prefer or require photo-free applications.

Do I still need a personal statement in 2026?

Yes — but a short one. Three or four lines that name your role, experience level and the specific value you offer this employer. Generic statements about being a 'team player' do more harm than leaving the section out.

Turn one of these examples into your CV

Open a template, paste in your details and download a finished UK CV as PDF or Word — free, with no account and no watermark.

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