UK CV Format for International Graduates

A UK CV for a graduate job should make your relevant qualifications and experience easy to find. Use clear sections, accurate dates and examples that match the vacancy. Check the employer's instructions before choosing the length or file format.

For most non-academic graduate applications, a straightforward reverse-chronological structure is a useful starting point: show the most recent entries first within each section. An academic CV has a different purpose and may need publications, research and teaching detail beyond this format.

Start with your name and usable contact details. A short profile is optional; keep it only if it adds a clear statement of the role you are targeting and evidence you bring. A general objective about seeking growth can usually be removed.

Education can come before experience when your degree and projects are your strongest evidence. If you already have directly relevant work, put that earlier. Keep dates consistent and avoid forcing the reader to reconstruct your history from scattered skill lists.

Oxford's careers guidance describes reverse chronology as a common format and recommends adjusting headings to the application. A graduate applying for a teaching role might use “Teaching experience”; another might separate “Relevant projects” from “Additional experience.” The labels should help the employer understand what the entries represent.

Write the official name of your qualification, institution, country and completion or expected-completion date. If you include a grade, identify the scale where needed. An unexplained number from a grading system the reader may not know creates unnecessary uncertainty.

Do not convert an overseas result into a UK classification using a guess or an informal online comparison. If the employer requests a formal comparison or specified evidence, follow that process. Otherwise, make the original qualification understandable without claiming an equivalence you cannot support.

Choose modules or dissertation detail for relevance. A small number of well-selected academic examples is more helpful than a full transcript reproduced in the CV.

The following section examples are illustrative, not a complete applicant's record.

Within an experience entry, explain the action rather than relying on the title. “Customer service volunteer” gives context; a bullet explaining how you recorded enquiries and escalated unresolved issues shows what you did.

For more detail on writing entries, see our guide to work experience examples for a CV.

For an ordinary UK graduate CV, leave out a photograph and unnecessary personal information. The National Careers Service advises against including age, date of birth, marital status and nationality. These details do not explain your suitability for the work.

Work-authorisation questions are a separate part of an application. Answer them accurately where the employer asks, including any question about future sponsorship. Do not imply that omitting nationality from a CV removes the need to provide truthful eligibility information.

You do not need to put passport details, immigration document numbers or someone else's referee contact details into a general CV. Supply requested documents through the appropriate employer process when needed, and get a referee's agreement before sharing their details.

A simple layout makes editing and checking easier. Use consistent headings and enough space between entries to distinguish them. Avoid using skill bars to suggest precise proficiency levels that have no defined meaning.

Read the vacancy's page limit. If none is given, prioritise relevant evidence and cut repetition rather than shrinking the font to squeeze in everything. A first application with limited relevant experience may need less space than one with several substantial roles; academic applications follow different conventions.

Save the file in the requested format and reopen the exported version. Check that the text can be selected, symbols display correctly and page breaks do not separate a heading from its entry. No template can guarantee how every employer's application system will process a document, so follow its instructions and check any preview it provides.

Compare the CV with your application form and professional profile. Dates and job titles should agree. Tailoring changes emphasis; it should not create different versions of your history.

Then read only the opening, headings and first bullet of each entry. They should make the intended role and strongest evidence clear. If the reader must search past unrelated detail to find why you fit, move the relevant material forward before submitting.

Bring the vacancy and your current CV to discuss what the employer needs to see. Use the employer’s instructions as the starting point.