UK CV Format: What British Employers Expect in 2026
In Britain the document is a CV, never a resume, and the norms differ from America in ways that matter. Two pages is standard rather than generous. A personal statement opens the document. And the Equality Act 2010 makes several details that are routine elsewhere actively unwelcome, because they expose the employer to discrimination claims.
United Kingdom CV rules at a glance
Name: CV (curriculum vitae). 'Resume' marks you as unfamiliar with the market
Length: Two pages is the expectation. One page reads as thin for anyone past graduate level
Photo: No. UK recruiters and agencies frequently strip photos before passing CVs to hiring managers
Personal details: No date of birth, marital status, nationality or photo — Equality Act 2010 territory
Date format: DD/MM/YYYY or Month YYYY. Never MM/DD/YYYY
Spelling: British English — organise, analyse, centre, programme, specialise
References: 'References available on request' is still normal and accepted in the UK
Paper size: A4
What to include, in order
Name and contact details (phone, email, LinkedIn, town/city)
Personal statement — 3–4 lines opening the CV
Key skills, often as a short bulleted block
Employment history, reverse-chronological
Education, including A-levels and GCSEs for early-career applicants
References — 'available on request' is sufficient
Mistakes that cost people interviews in United Kingdom
Sending a one-page American-style resume — UK reviewers read it as insufficient detail rather than admirable brevity.
Including a date of birth or photo, which many UK employers must remove before circulating your CV internally.
Using US spellings throughout; 'organized' and 'analyzed' stand out immediately to a British reader.
Omitting GCSEs and A-levels as a recent graduate, which UK employers still expect to see.
Writing a personal statement in the third person — 'Alex is a driven marketer' reads as dated in the UK.
United Kingdom CV questions
How long should a UK CV be?
Two pages of A4 is the British standard and what most recruiters expect. One page is acceptable only for school leavers and very early-career applicants. Academic and senior public-sector CVs legitimately run longer.
Should I put a photo on my UK CV?
No. UK employers generally avoid photos to reduce the risk of discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010, and many recruitment agencies remove them before sending your CV on. A photo can get your application set aside for reasons that have nothing to do with your ability.
What is a personal statement on a CV?
A three-to-four line paragraph at the top of your CV stating who you are professionally, your strongest relevant experience, and what you are looking for. It replaces the American 'objective' and is expected on a British CV. Write it in the first person but drop the pronoun: 'Marketing manager with eight years in B2B SaaS…'