How to write a CV for a UK job

Gather the facts before writing

Make a list of each employer, your job title, dates and the tasks you actually carried out. Check dates against your own records where possible. For agency work, distinguish the agency that employed you from the workplace where you were assigned. Do not turn several temporary assignments into a permanent job.

Read the vacancy and underline its essential requirements. Choose examples that show how you meet them. If you have not used a particular system or held a licence, leave it out rather than treating a requirement as something you possess.

• Contact details: your name, telephone, email and town.
• Work history: employer, role, dates and relevant responsibilities.
• Training and skills: only items you can explain or demonstrate.

Write the sections in a useful order

For an experienced applicant, put a short profile before reverse-chronological work experience, followed by skills and relevant education or training. If you are applying for your first job, you can put education, volunteering or practical experience earlier. There is no need to force an empty work-history section onto the page.

Keep the profile to a few lines. For example, someone who has really worked in a stockroom could write: ‘Retail stockroom assistant used to checking deliveries, organising shelves and helping colleagues find products. Seeking a warehouse role where careful stock handling and teamwork are important.’ A target role alone does not establish experience.

Turn tasks into clear evidence

Start duty lines with a plain action: checked, prepared, cleaned, answered or recorded. Explain what you handled and how you worked. ‘Checked incoming deliveries against delivery notes and reported damaged packaging’ is more useful than ‘Responsible for many duties’.

Include figures only when they are accurate and you can explain them. A clear description of work is enough when you have no reliable numbers. Do not copy someone else's pick rate, customer satisfaction score or management responsibilities.

Tailor and check the final version

Change the emphasis for each vacancy rather than rewriting your employment history. Put relevant duties first, remove unrelated repetition and use the employer's terminology only when it accurately describes your experience.

Read the finished CV aloud, check spelling in British English and inspect dates, phone number and email. Follow the employer's file-format and length instructions. A readable one- or two-page CV is a useful starting point, not a rule that overrides the application instructions.

• No photo, date of birth, marital status or National Insurance number is normally needed.
• Explain gaps briefly if you choose; you do not need to disclose private medical details.
• Open the exported document before sending it.