How to write a CV that gets read

Lead every bullet with a verb and end it with a number

“Responsible for reconciliations” says nothing. “Cleared a backlog of 400+ unreconciled items in one quarter” says you can do the job. If you cannot put a number on it, put a scale on it — how many people, how much money, how often.

Two pages, and no more

Recruiters skim. Anything past page two is rarely read, so if it does not help you get this particular job, cut it. Older roles can collapse to one line each.

Match the words in the advert

Most employers now screen applications automatically before a person sees them. If the advert asks for IFRS and you have written “international standards”, you may never reach a human. Use their words where they are honestly yours.

“References available on request” is all you need

UK employers take references after an offer, not before an interview. Listing names and phone numbers up front wastes half a page and volunteers other people's contact details — one line at the end is the convention.

Leave out photo, age and date of birth

UK employers are barred from hiring on any of them, and most screening software strips them anyway. A photo on a British CV reads as unfamiliar with the market. Your work is the argument.

Name your tickets and memberships near the top

CSCS card, MRICS, NMC PIN, ECS card — in the sectors this board serves, the qualification is often the shortlisting question. Put it in the headline or the first line of the profile, not on page two.

Mistakes that cost interviews

• One CV sent to every employer. Tailor the summary and the top three bullets each time, at minimum.
• Duties copied from a job description instead of what you actually achieved.
• Gaps left unexplained. A one-line note beats a silent year.
• Typos in the first three lines, which is exactly where attention is highest.
• An email address from a past life — use firstname.lastname wherever you can.
• Burying the ticket the advert asked for. If they need a CSCS card, say so in the first five lines.

Questions about the CV builder

How long should a UK CV be?

Two pages. Recruiters skim, and anything past page two is rarely read. A graduate or career changer can happily use one page; nobody needs three. Older roles can collapse to a single line each.

Should I put a photo, my age or my date of birth on my CV?

No. UK employers cannot lawfully take any of them into account, most screening software strips them out, and a photo on a British CV reads as unfamiliar with the market. The exception is roles where appearance is genuinely part of the job, such as acting.

Do I need to list references on a UK CV?

No. “References available on request” is the convention, and employers take references after making an offer rather than before an interview. Listing names and phone numbers up front wastes space and volunteers other people's contact details.

What is the difference between a CV and a resume?

In the UK the words are used interchangeably for the same two-page document. A CV in the American academic sense is a longer record listing publications and research, which is not what a UK employer is asking for.

Where should my CSCS card or professional registration go?

Near the top. In construction and healthcare the ticket is often the shortlisting question — CSCS card, MRICS, NMC PIN — so put it in your headline or the first line of your profile rather than burying it in a qualifications list on page two.

Is my CV stored anywhere?

No. Everything you type stays in your own browser's local storage and is never sent to us. Close the tab and come back and it will still be there; use a different device and it will not, because it never left the first one.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Press Download as PDF, then choose “Save as PDF” as the destination in your browser's print dialog. That produces a proper text-based PDF rather than a picture of one, which matters because most employers run CVs through software that has to read the text.