The UK CV: personal statement, two pages, no photo

Updated 4 Nov 2026 · 3 min read

The British CV sits between the European and the American styles. It is usually two pages on A4, has no photo or date of birth, and opens with a short personal statement. Recruiters expect British spelling and a clear, honest tone.

Personal details: keep it minimal

The Equality Act 2010 protects candidates from discrimination on grounds such as age, sex, race, religion, marriage and disability. Employers would rather not see this information, so leave out:

• your photo,
• your date of birth or age,
• marital status and children,
• nationality, unless it explains your right to work.

Your contact block needs your name, phone, e-mail, town or city and, if useful, a LinkedIn link. A full postal address is no longer expected.

Right to work

International candidates should say where they stand in one line, for example "Right to work: Skilled Worker visa required" or "Right to work: settled status". It saves the recruiter a question and shows you understand the process. If your driving licence matters for the role, add it too ("Full UK driving licence").

The personal statement

Under your contact details, write a personal statement of 50 to 150 words. It answers three questions: who you are, what you offer and what you want next. Write it for the job you are applying to, in the first person without "I" or in the third person, but stay consistent.

Cloud engineer with eight years' experience running Azure and Windows Server estates for public-sector and enterprise clients. Led identity migrations for 2,000+ users and cut hosting costs by 30%. Looking for a senior infrastructure role in a team that values automation.

Experience and education

• List jobs in reverse chronological order with job title, employer, location and dates (Mar 2019 – Present).
• Use bullet points that show impact. British recruiters like evidence but dislike exaggeration: "helped deliver" when you were part of a team, "led" when you really led.
• Explain gaps briefly if they are long ("Career break: caring for a family member, 2021–2022").
• Education: degree classification for recent graduates ("BSc Computer Science, 2:1"), and A-levels only if you graduated recently. For overseas qualifications you can mention a UK comparability statement if you have one.

Length and format

• A4 paper, two pages. One page is fine for school leavers and graduates.
• A clean single column works best. Many employers, including the NHS and the civil service, use online systems and competency questions, so keep your CV easy to read and search.

References

Most UK CVs end with "References available on request" or leave references out entirely. Employers usually contact referees after an offer, so you don't need to list names.

Spelling and vocabulary

Use British spelling: organise, programme, licence (noun), CV rather than résumé. Avoid American terms such as "GPA" unless you studied in the US; use your degree classification instead.

Checklist

1. No photo, no date of birth.
2. Right to work in one line.
3. A personal statement aimed at the job.
4. Two pages on A4, one column.
5. Honest, evidence-based bullet points.
6. British spelling throughout.

The UK model in CV Passport prints the personal statement, right to work, licence and notice period in the header and hides the fields British employers don't want to see.