Call it a CV and keep it to two pages
In the UK a CV is normally one to two A4 pages. Graduates can usually fit on one.
FREE CV TEMPLATE · DOCX AND PDF
UK CV template
A4, UK spelling and the headings UK employers expect: a personal profile, key skills, work experience and education, in one ATS-friendly column.
Free, no account needed. Every placeholder is in [square brackets]; nothing in the file is a real person, employer or result.
[Your Name]
[Target job title]
[Email address] [Mobile number] [LinkedIn URL] [Town or city]
Profile
[Personal profile: three or four lines on your experience, your strengths and the role you are applying for]
Key Skills
[Skill named in the job advert that you can evidence] [Second key skill] [Software or system you use] [Qualification-based skill, if relevant] [Language and level, if relevant]
Work Experience
[Job Title], [Organisation, Town or city][Month Year] – Present
- [Achievement with a number you can verify]
- [Responsibility that matches the job advert]
- [Project or programme you contributed to, and its result]
[Previous Job Title], [Previous organisation, Town or city][Month Year] – [Month Year]
- [Achievement with a number you can verify]
- [Responsibility that matches the job advert]
Education
[Degree, classification and subject][Year]
[University, Town or city]
[A levels or equivalent, with subjects][Year]
[School or college, Town or city]
Certifications
[Professional qualification or training][Year]
[Awarding body]
Why this layout is ATS-friendly
- One column, no tables or text boxes. Text is read top to bottom in the order you see it; dates sit on a right-aligned tab stop, not in a table.
- Standard headings. Profile, Key Skills, Work Experience, Education, Certifications: names applicant tracking systems and recruiters already look for.
- Real text, not images. Every word, including your name and contact details, is selectable text in the body of the page, not in a header, footer or graphic.
- Common fonts. The DOCX uses Calibri, which Word and Google Docs both offer. The PDF embeds Noto Sans with selectable text.
Applicant tracking systems differ by employer, so no template can promise how a particular one reads your CV. This layout avoids the features that most often cause trouble. Once you have filled it in, you can check it against a job description with the free ATS resume checker.
What to change for UK applications
Open with a personal profile
Three or four lines on your experience, your strengths and the role you are applying for, tailored to each job advert.
Leave out a photo, date of birth and marital status
UK employers do not expect them, and leaving them out keeps your CV to information about the job.
Show your right to work if it matters
If you need, or already hold, permission to work in the UK, a short line such as “Right to work in the UK: [your status]” answers the question early.
Use UK conventions
Write “organisation” and “programme”, give your degree classification (for example 2:1) and A levels or equivalent if you are early in your career. You do not need “References available on request”.
Applying from India or comparing countries? Read how UK and Australian CVs differ from a US résumé.
How to use it in Word or Google Docs
- Word: download the DOCX and open it. Replace every placeholder in [square brackets], then delete any section that does not apply to you.
- Google Docs: download the DOCX, then in Google Docs choose File → Open → Upload and select the file. Google Docs converts it into a document you can edit; check the spacing once it opens.
- Before you send it: search the document for “[” to catch any placeholder you missed, then save it as a PDF or DOCX, whichever the employer asks for. In Google Docs use File → Download.
The files are free to download and use; no account is needed. A4 paper size.
Rather fill it from your confirmed facts?
ROLIVA’s Resume Studio uses this same single-column layout. Upload your current resume, review and confirm each fact it finds, then build a version for a specific role. Only facts you have confirmed are used, and nothing is added for you.
Build it from my confirmed factsHow Resume Studio works