Are you searching for jobs in the UK? If your answer is yes, writing a CV in UK format is vital. Most candidates think that the same type of CV will be accepted globally. But it is a myth altogether. Especially when you are considering a job in the UK, you must follow the style that employers in Britain prefer
What is a British CV?
Employers have accepted a curriculum vitae or CV in British format in the UK. They have a different style of CV writing which the candidate must follow to get considered as a candidate seeking a job interview in UK-based jobs and for part time jobs for students such as Tesco jobs.
You may get proper guidance in writing a resume.
Why is the British CV different than other cv formats?
British CVs and resumes accepted in other parts of overseas are indeed different. To understand it well, you must get a division of 3 categories:
- Candidate A is applying for overseas jobs
- Candidate B applies for the job in the UK. But he faces the conflicting information that is present online.
- Suppose C is applying for one of the academic positions overseas or in the UK.
Let us make the analysis short and simple. For candidates A and B, the document they submit as a non-academic job application in Britain or the UK is a CV. But, when you apply for a job in the USA, the same document is known as a resume. Likewise, the names are different in other countries of the world. Also, the style of writing a British format CV is quite different. Further, in this guest post, we will explain it in detail. Also, you will get examples.
Tips for writing a killer CV in the British format
If you wish to write a CV for a job in the UK, there are some tips you can follow. Following these tips is always beneficial if you wish to get a UK-based job.
Application type
Unlike other countries like France, Denmark, and Italy that deal with speculative applications, UK job application offers a great view of advertising roles. The speculative application can only be accepted when there is a reference within the company.
Style
In some countries such as France, Germany, etc, the style of fonts can be used in italics. But, in UK CV, employers prefer only the fonts like ‘Times New Roman, ‘Calibri,’ Garamond, etc. The style that is considered among the official styles is only preferred here. Also, the text ‘Curriculum Vitae ‘will be in bold. Never use italics when writing a UK resume.
Number of Pages
UK employers want a CV that is going to be crisp and short. Thus, you can keep the length of the CV to 1- 2 pages. Some countries prefer 3-5 pages of CV. However, there is no penalty if you write the CVs longer. Yet, employers won’t prefer it. Thus, try to keep it within two pages.
Photographs
Usually, the majority of countries prefer a passport-size photograph along with a CV. But UK employers are pretty different. They prefer something other than the picture and the candidate’s CV. Thus, please only partially put a picture on the CV.
Personal details
The countries like Spain, Italy as well as France have a preference for the personal details of the candidate. It includes the date of birth, nationality, marital status, etc. But The UK CVs is different, and the employers don’t wish to see any personal details of the candidates. It is just due to the reason that they prefer equal opportunity rights among the candidates.
Format of the CV
In UK based CV, job experience is something the employers wish to see at first. Thus, when you are writing a CV for UK based job. You must put work experience first. Also, if you have several years of experience in multiple companies, it is better to place the recent one at the top and follow consecutively.
Just after the job experience, you can put your education details. And after that, write about your hobbies and interest just below, one after another.
Profile/ Objective
Usually, in an American or UK CV, the profile or objective statement is placed at the top. Since it highlights your background, the Americans do prefer the same right there. Even if the sentence placement is identical, the UK employer will always want the sentence to be short and concise.
Are you willing to know the components of a cv? Get the details right here.
References
UK employers always want references from your previous company. You can provide the contact details and designation of someone who works in a senior profile in your previous organization. But it is not required in the application stage. Thus, do not write references in the UK CV.
Mistakes to avoid while writing UK CV
Some contents in the CV might be accepted in resumes of other countries, but for UK employers, those are going to be the biggest mistakes. Let us find out the mistakes that one should avoid in UK CV.
- Never put a picture of yours along with your CV or UK jobs
- Don’t use the fonts like comic sans or informal ones.
- Avoid using italics in the UK cv
- Don’t provide any personal details such as marital status, religion, date of birth in UK cv
- The resume should not have references included
Conclusion
To conclude, you must know some key points while writing the CV for UK-based jobs. The employers are pretty particular about the characteristics.
You must use the British CV template while formatting and writing the resume’s contents. There are several examples which you can see and write the CV accordingly. It’s time to discover the correct CV format to get your dream job in the UK.
You can also get help from professional resume makers. They are very professional and have years of experience in this particular task. Thus, you can trust them.
