CV Format: UK’s Best Examples & Templates in 2024

A properly formatted CV is a recruiter’s best friend. It makes their job easier and lets them see your expertise at a glance. But format it badly, and it won’t even get read. That’s why selecting the right CV format and figuring out how to boost your document’s readability is a must.

Don’t worry. In five minutes, I'll teach you how to format a CV so that it suits your needs and best shows off your strengths as a candidate. You’ll be hired in a flash. 

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This guide will show you:

• What is a CV format
• UK CV format: 2 main choices
• 1. Chronological CV Format
• 2. Skills-Based CV Format
• How to format a CV
• Best CV format templates
• Key takeaways

What is a CV Format?

CV format is the structure that your CV is built on. It’s both the way your document looks and how all the necessary information is presented in it. CV formatting is needed to arrange your experience, skills, and achievements properly, so they’re easily readable by ATS software and humans alike. 

UK CV format: 2 main choices

Good things come in pairs, and the same goes for CV formats. Depending on your circumstances, there are two standard types of UK CV format.

• A chronological CV format focused on your work experience.
• A skills-based CV format focused on your skills.

Now I'll show you samples and how they’re written, for whom they’ll work best, and what are their pros and cons.

Acing your CV format is great, but don’t forget about nailing its layout. Read more: Professional CV Layout

1. Chronological CV format 

The chronological CV, also known as a reverse-chronological format is the best CV format for most candidates. It lists your most recent role first and then moves back through your previous jobs. It’s the format recruiters are most familiar with and are able to scan it in seconds, picking out all the info they need with ease. 

Computers also love it because it’s easily read by the ATS software used to scan incoming job applications. However, with this format, every gap in your employment history will be visible.

To follow this CV format, you should start with a personal statement and then list your work experience. These two sections are the most important, as you will see in our template below. While your personal statement and experience section are the most significant, let’s not forget about your education section (listed in a reverse chronology), key skills, and additional sections, such as language skills.

Let me show you what it looks like:

CV format template [chronological CV]

This candidate has listed their achievements using the PAR formula (Problem—Action—Result), creating impressive accomplishment statements. A personal statement perfectly summarizes all her qualifications. It’s important to do it right because your recruiters will look at your CV in an F-shaped pattern. If you want to impress them, these sections should really shine.

Is a chronological CV the best CV format for you?

This CV format works perfectly for almost everyone. Trust me: whether you’re writing a finance CV with a work experience section that goes on for years or a graduate CV to land the first job, the chronological is your go-to CV format. 

However, if you're a career-changer or have significant gaps in your employment, you might want to highlight your skills more than your experience. In that case, I advise you to have a look at the skill-based CV format.

CV format pros [chronological CV]

• It’s a format preferred by recruiters. 
• It’s most likely to pass an Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) CV test.
• It highlights the peak of your career and your accomplishments.

CV format cons [chronological CV]

• It requires some extra effort to catch the recruiter’s eye.
• It’s not great if you have some gaps in your employment history.
• It’s not a good CV format if you’re changing careers.

Now, I'll tell you more about the second UK CV format type: a skill-based CV.

Learn how to create an impressive CV summary that will make your recruiter want to call you ASAP. Read our guide: CV Summary

2. Skills-based CV format

Skills-based CV format, also known as a functional CV, focuses on your core set of skills and abilities rather than your work experience. Recruiters don’t tend to like it because it’s missing the neatly laid out work history they’re used to seeking first. Plus, it may not be readable by older ATS systems. That said, a well-written functional CV can be a great help only for some candidates. 

This format starts with a personal statement followed by a key skills summary section. Both your soft skills and your hard skills should be explained further. Beneath that main section, you briefly include your work experience, education, and other sections, such as language skills.

Let me show you how this CV format looks in practice.

CV format template [skills-based CV]

As you can see, the candidate above has listed performed tasks and achievements within each of the three skill groups, containing soft, hard, and technical skills. Placing the skills summary section in the centre of this CV made it stand out the most. Following that with work history, education, and additional sections provided the recruiter with all the necessary information. 

Is a skill-based CV the best CV format for you?

Since this CV format emphasizes skills and not your work experience, and it’s not really ATS-friendly, you might want to avoid choosing it. However, it’s a format that will work perfectly for you in some scenarios:

• Writing a career change CV.
• Writing a freelance CV.
• Transitioning from military work to civilian one.

CV format pros [chronological CV]

• It focuses on your skills and not on your work history.
• It’s a good CV format for freelancers, veterans, and career changers.
• It’s perfect for showing your skills, regardless of when or where you acquired them.

CV format cons [Chronological CV]

• It’s difficult to scan quickly. That’s why busy recruiters prefer the chronological format.
• It might not work if the job you’re after requires experience.
• It will probably fail the ATS CV scan.

Now that you know everything about both UK CV formats, let mesummarize what we’ve learned.

If you’d like a more detailed guide to CV writing, then read more here: How to Write a Professional CV

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

How to format a CV

Here’s a selection of my best CV formatting tips. You’ve learned the difference between the two types of CV formats, but the following rules stay the same, regardless of which template you choose.

CV formatting tips

• Use one-inch margins on all four sides of the page, set your spacing to 1 or 1.15, and select a readable and professional CV font.
• Use 11–12 point font for your section content and 4–6 points larger for section titles.
• Left align only, no justification.
• Get your CV length right. It should never be longer than 2 pages.
• Use bullet points to talk about skills and past positions.
• Keep your CV formatting consistent (e.g., if you use 14-point font for your first heading, then use 14-point font for headings throughout).
• Save your CV in PDF to keep your formatting intact.

Remember these, and you’ll create a CV that’ll make a great first impression with recruiters. 

Consistency in formatting is key to creating a professional CV. Ensure uniformity in font style, size, and spacing throughout the document. This not only enhances readability but also reflects your attention to detail and organisational skills, which are highly valued by employers.

What’s a great CV format without a perfect template? Read on and see my selection of the best templates for both formats.

Having a perfectly formatted CV is great, but you must also remember about your second application document. Learn how to work on it to impress your recruiters: How to Format a Cover Letter

Best CV format templates 

There are some free CV templates online that help you win the job you’re after. However, I firmly believe it’s better to find a professional CV-building website with professional ATS-friendly templates that will pass every initial selection made by an algorithm. 

Below, you will see some Zety templates that I've selected for you. They are all good for both formats mentioned above. They are also editable CV templates, and you can adjust them as you go. Choose the best CV template and start working on your document.

1. Diamond

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This creative CV template highlights your key sections with diamonds—and that’s eye-catching! A big header allows you to add all your contact info, including your social media profiles, online portfolios, and websites, while keeping the CV format intact.

2. Muse

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A full-width header for your name, title, and CV profile makes Muse one of my favourite choices from our builder. Those spectacular icons help your recruiter quickly locate each section on this visual CV template.

3. Influx

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Elegance and professionalism—that’s our Influx template. With a bold CV header and a single-column CV format, your document will be impossible to miss on your recruiter’s desk. And there’s plenty of room to talk about your experience and skills, which is great for both UK CV format types.

4. Enfold

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Here’s a perfect CV design example. Two-column CV format with a right-hand sidebar to include all your relevant additional information. Enfold is a perfect, classic CV template with an elegant hint of modernity.

5. Primo

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The unique string of round icons is what I love about this modern CV template. The usage of a timeline on the left-hand side of your document makes it easier to track your experience and education dates. And the sidebar on the right allows you to include a lot of relevant information.

Now, you know both CV formats and how to format each, and you’ve seen some great templates to choose from. Let’s head up to the summary of it all.

Want to learn more about creating a job-winning CV? Read our guide: Best CV Tips

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

To create a job-winning CV format, remember my advice:

• There are two main types of CV format: chronological and skills-based. Choose the best format for your needs.
• To format your CV correctly, divide it into sections. The most important CV sections include contact information, personal statement, work experience, educational background, and skills.
• Follow the basic rules of CV layout, such as using one-inch margins, setting spacing to 1 or 1.15, selecting a readable and 11–12 point font, avoiding justification, using bullet points, etc.
• Regardless of the format you choose, always make sure your CV is tailored to the job description for each application you make.
• Avoid using a poorly formatted free CV template. Use one from a professional CV builder to secure greater results.

Got any questions about how to format a CV? Still not sure what the best CV format for you is? Let’s have a chat in the comments section. I’d love to help.

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