A CV that worked well back home can fall flat with UK employers, not because your experience is weaker, but because the expectations are different. Recruiters often spend under a minute on a first read, so that minute needs to count.
Keep it to two pages
For most jobs, a UK CV is two sides of A4. Early-career applicants can often fit everything on one. Academic and some senior medical or research roles are the main exceptions, where a longer CV listing publications is normal. If you run over, cut older jobs to a single line each.
What to leave out
UK employers try to avoid anything that could lead to unfair treatment, so personal details common elsewhere are not expected. Leave out:
- A photo (unless you are applying for acting or modelling work)
- Your date of birth or age
- Marital status, children, religion or nationality
- Your full home address (town and postcode area is enough)
- Passport or ID numbers
- The line “References available on request” – it is assumed
Your name, phone number, email address and, if you have one, a LinkedIn profile link are all you need at the top.
Write a short personal profile
Under your contact details, add three or four lines that say who you are, what you are good at and what you are looking for. Make it specific to the role. “Hard-working team player” tells a recruiter nothing. Something like “Registered pharmacist with five years’ hospital experience, now seeking a community pharmacy role in the West Midlands” tells them straight away whether to keep reading.
Show achievements, not just duties
List your experience in reverse order, most recent first. For each job, give the employer, your title, the dates (month and year) and three to five bullet points. The strongest bullets describe what changed because you were there, and use numbers wherever you honestly can:
- “Reduced invoice processing time from five days to two by introducing a shared tracker”
- “Supervised a team of 8 care staff across day and night shifts”
- “Handled around 60 customer calls a day with a satisfaction score above target”
Only use figures you could explain in an interview. Rounded, honest numbers are far better than impressive ones you cannot back up.
Make it readable for ATS software
Many larger employers and recruitment agencies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan your CV before a person sees it. To give yourself the best chance:
- Use a plain layout with standard headings such as “Profile”, “Experience”, “Education” and “Skills”
- Avoid text boxes, tables, columns, graphics and headers or footers holding key information
- Mirror the wording of the job advert where it truthfully describes your skills
Explaining overseas experience and qualifications
UK recruiters may not know your previous employer or how your degree compares. Add a few words of context, for example “one of the largest private hospitals in Lagos, 300 beds” or “national telecoms provider with 4,000 staff”. Convert grades into plain terms where you can, and avoid local abbreviations.
If an employer needs to understand how your qualification compares to UK levels, you can apply to UK ENIC for a Statement of Comparability. This is a paid service and not every employer asks for it, but it can help for roles where a specific qualification level is required. Regulated professions such as nursing, medicine and teaching have their own registration bodies, so check with the relevant regulator rather than relying on a comparability statement alone.
Add a clear right-to-work line
Employers must check that you can legally work in the UK before you start. A short line near the top saves them guessing, for example “Right to work: British citizen” or “Right to work: Graduate visa, valid until [month, year]”. Be accurate. You will be asked to prove it, usually with a share code or documents, as explained on GOV.UK’s prove your right to work page. Our guidance here is general career advice. Only advisers regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (formerly OISC) or solicitors can give immigration advice, and you can find a regulated adviser on GOV.UK.
Cover letters still matter
If an advert asks for a cover letter, or lets you attach one, write one. Keep it to a page. Say which role you are applying for, pick two or three things from the job description and show how you have done them before, and explain anything a recruiter might wonder about, such as a recent move to the UK or a career gap.
NHS and council jobs: the supporting statement
Public sector employers usually work differently. NHS trusts and local councils often use an online application form with a “supporting information” or “supporting statement” section instead of, or as well as, a CV. Shortlisting is normally done strictly against the person specification.
The approach that works best is to go through the person specification point by point, especially the essential criteria, and give a short real example for each one. NHS Jobs’ own advice makes the same point: applicants who closely match the person specification are the ones who get shortlisted. Never reuse a statement word for word.
Tailor every application
A tailored CV sent to ten jobs usually beats a generic one sent to fifty. Keep a longer master CV with everything in it, then copy and trim it for each role, moving the most relevant experience and skills to the top. When you are ready to start applying, you can browse current roles on our jobs page.
Before you start
- Strip out your photo, date of birth and other personal details
- Rewrite each job’s bullets so at least one includes a measurable result
- Add a one-line right-to-work statement you can back up with evidence
- Check whether you need a UK ENIC statement or professional registration for your field
- For NHS or council roles, map your supporting statement to every essential criterion
Official sources we checked
- UK ENIC – Statement of Comparability
- GOV.UK – Prove your right to work to an employer
- NHS Jobs – Making successful applications
- GOV.UK – Check if you can work in the UK (employers)
Checked on 1 October 2026. Rules and fees change — always confirm on the official page.
