Making sure your CV layout is clear and proper will help you get a job. We show you CV layout examples for 2023 and give the best tips for setting out a CV for a UK job.
Knowledgeable [industry] professional with [number] years of experience. Aiming to use my [relevant skills] to fill your [position name] role. Skilled worker looking to contribute positively and achieve [Company’s Name]’s goals.
3. Work History
Most Recent Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Year–End Year (or ‘Present’ if still employed there)
Explain your job responsibilities in 2–4 bullet points
Include numbers and examples to provide context
Earlier Job Title
Employer Name / Location / Start Year–End Year
Start the bullet points in your work experience section with action verbs
To be concise and avoid repetition, don’t use pronouns
4. Education
Degree Name
University, Location | Start Date–End Date (add ‘Expected’ to the end date if you’re still studying)
5. Key Skills
Write a bulleted list of your job-related skills
Quantify your skills with hard numbers and details
Provide context by being as specific as possible (e.g., mentioning the actual names of software or tools you’ve used)
6. Additional Experience
Add other relevant sections such as your hobbies and interests, languages, volunteer experience, or publications
Below is an example of a basic CV layout that works for any type of job application. The example uses a simple header and then lists the standard CV sections:
Energetic and client-focused barista with 6+ years of experience delivering memorable service to customers. Versed in creating over 40 different beverages to meet varying customer demands. Able to drive sales through excellent customer service and developing relationships with repeat customers.
WORK EXPERIENCE
COFFEE MUG, London
Barista, August 2022 – Present
Greet customers, provide recommendations, take beverage orders, and prepare hot and cold beverages in line with customer specifications
Process payments and give out correct change using a Point of Sale (POS) system
Exceeded sales goals by over 32% in 2023 by consistently upselling to customers
Establish solid relationships with customers based on excellent service and maintain a 98% customer service feedback rating
Recognised by management on 5 separate occasions for providing consistently excellent service
123 CAFÉ, London
Assistant Barista, February 2019 – August 2022
Prepared a variety of coffee beverages to meet unique customer preferences
Drove up sales by maintaining a high standard of service and customer care at all times
Maintained a clean workspace and adhered to all food hygiene standards
Provided support by keeping sandwich and pastry displays fully stocked and increasing visual appeal of products
Worked with the team to transform the establishment into a top performing branch in 2022
EDUCATION
LONDON SOUTH BANK UNIVERSITY (2024)
Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management
HOMERTON COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM, London (2021)
A-levels: Maths (A), French (A), English Literature (A)
GCSEs: 10 Grades 9–4, including Maths, English, and ICT
KEY SKILLS
Coffee & tea knowledge
Skilled with Point of Sale software (TokenWorks Magnetic Card Reader, Plexis Software Plexis POS)
Food Hygiene Certificate
Customer service
Excellent interpersonal skills
Sales & upselling
Inventory management
Communication skills
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Cycling
Cooking
Yoga
Coffee culture
Professional CV Layout for Experienced Workers
A professional CV design is clean and easy to read, like this example:
Accomplished Digital Marketing Specialist with 4+ years of experience creating compelling written and visual content. Wrote 100+ SEO-ready blog articles that accounted for 69% of our website’s traffic. Can write for diverse audiences with my BA in English with Creative Writing and experience matching tone and content requirements for 8 clients. Looking to bring established writing and SEO talents to your company as Digital Marketing Editor.
WORK EXPERIENCE
NISSAN, Sunderland
Digital Marketing Specialist, January 2022–present
Produce ~7+ fully researched website articles on new and existing Nissan products per month
Use 10+ SEO tools to discover where consumer interest lies
Increased CTR on pages I wrote or optimised by 7% on average, helping solidify company’s 17% profit increase
Collaborate with diverse, knowledgeable team of 47 through group tasks, weekly team meetings, and daily updates
TopStrategy Digital Strategy Agency, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Digital Marketing Assistant, August 2020–January 2022
Provided Google-optimised content for agency serving 7 major clients
Devised strategy that led to 3-minute increase in average time customers spent on clients’ websites
Worked on outreach campaign for a major client that led to 47 new backlinks within 1 year and fuelled 37% website growth
Propelled clients’ websites on an upward trajectory by implementing guidance from 10+ reliable SEO sources, including Search Engine Journal, Ahrefs, and SEO Book
Waitrose, Mile End, London
Customer Assistant, October 2018–June 2020
Checked out upwards of 200 customers daily, ensuring they each had a seamless, pleasant experience
Helped train 7 new customer assistants
Balanced till at the end of the day, maintaining 100% accuracy
Provided support to 50+ customers each day, helping them find products and answering queries about items
EDUCATION
QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON (2017–2020)
BA (Hons) English with Creative Writing (upper second-class honours — 2.1)
Relevant Modules: Guillotines, Ghosts, and Laughing Gas: Literature in the 1790s; Writing Muslims; Chaucer: Telling Mediaeval Tales; Satire, Scandal, and Society; Black and Asian Writing in Britain
Dissertation Topic: The Great Vowel Shift and Its Appearance in Early English Literature
OUTER WESSEX SECONDARY SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM, TONEBOROUGH (2010–2017)
A-Levels: English Literature (A), English Language (A), Philosophy & Ethics (B)
WordPress, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google Analytics & Google Search Console
Communication skills, people skills, organisational skills
Google Docs, Microsoft Work, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel
Bilingual, fluent in English and Spanish
INTERESTS
Blogging about SEO
Playing in community sports leagues
Growing flowers and vegetables
Flower arrangement
Graphic design
Portrait sketching
Good CV Layout for Students
If you’re a student, your CV layout should emphasise your education to show employers what relevant skills you’re currently developing. Here’s an example student CV layout that you can follow when you make your CV:
Dedicated Business student at University of Kent with extensive copywriting experience and a passion for corporate innovation. Awarded multiple merit-based awards, and currently on track for upper-second class honours. Seeking to leverage my strong work ethic and drive for creative marketing solutions to obtain a marketing internship.
EDUCATION
University of Kent, Canterbury (2020–present)
BSc (Hons) Business and Management
Relevant Modules: Business Analysis In Practice, The International Business Environment, The Management of Operations, Marketing Analytics, Economics for Business
Hove Park Upper School, Hove (2013–2020)
A-levels: Maths (A), English (A), IT (A), French (A)
GCSEs: 12 A*–C including English, Maths, and ICT
WORK EXPERIENCE
Corporate Responsibility and The Workplace, University of Kent
Independent Research Project, December 2022–February 2023
Developed a dissertation proposal for a research project on corporate responsibility
Interviewed 10 different successful UK-based CEOs and CMOs
Conducted scientifically significant polling among company employees
Organised the results and presented my research to the Kent Business School
Clifton High School, Bristol
English Tutor, January 2022–May 2022
Worked with the English department to design and execute individualised lesson plans
Improved pupil writing scores by 20% on average through group lessons as well as supplementary one-on-one tutoring
Received a cumulative score of 9/10 through anonymous tutor reviews given to pupils at the end of each term
KEY SKILLS
Microsoft Office Suite
French (fluent)
Strong attention to detail
Excellent interpersonal skills
Organisation and prioritisation
Adaptability and flexibility
Time management
Finance and accounting
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Avid member of the University of Kent Rowing Society
Hiking and camping
Member of University of Kent Debate Society
Creative CV Layout for Artists and Designers
Here’s an example of a creative CV layout that’sperfect for anyone applying for a job in creative industries like interior design or visual arts:
Graphic Design Specialist with over 4 years of experience developing excellent design assets for businesses. Possess a B.A. in Graphic Design from Nottingham Trent University. Skilled at guiding challenging projects from conception to completion. Seeking to leverage my strong creative expertise and design intuition to help develop innovative branding materials for your company.
WORK EXPERIENCE
CRASHCOURSE DESIGNS, Nottingham
Graphic Design Specialist, May 2022 – Present
Lead in the design, development and execution of communication materials while helping clients cut their costs by an average of 10%
Delegate tasks to 3 freelance designers and provide counsel on all aspects of certain projects
Supervise the assessment of graphic materials to ensure the quality of the designs
Produced modern, eye-catching illustrations for clients using Adobe Illustrator and Figma
SOTO ADVERTISING, Islington, London
Graphic Design Intern, May 2021 – September 2021
Helped develop numerous marketing programmes (logos, brochures, newsletters, infographics, presentations, and advertisements) and guaranteed that they exceeded the expectations of our clients
Assisted with 3 different major design projects while under pressure to meet weekly deadlines
Recommended and consulted with clients on the most appropriate graphic design options based on their marketing goals and branding specifications
Put together design presentations and proposals for clients and account managers
EDUCATION
Nottingham Trent University (2019 – 2022)
BA in Graphic Design (upper second-class honours)
Relevant Modules: The Theories and Practice of Visual Communication, Articulation of Graphic Design, Advertising Design, Media and Meaning in Graphic Design
The City of Leicester College, Leicester (2012 – 2019)
A-levels: Arts (A), English Literature (A), French (A), Geography (A)
GCSEs: 8 A*–C including English Literature, Maths, and ICT
KEY SKILLS
Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)
Knowledge of Figma
Working knowledge of HTML and CSS
Bilingual in English and French
Website design
Printed materials design
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Still life
Salsa dancing
Taxidermy
Socialising with friends
How to lay out your CV
To make a job-winning CV layout, follow these 4 steps:
10–12 points (although it can be larger for headers)
If you’re worried the font you’re using on your CV is hard to read or too informal, switch to one of these professional CV fonts that work for any industry:
The Best Fonts for a CV
Times New Roman
Arial
Calibri
Garamond
Helvetica
Georgia
Cambria
To be consistent, use the same font type, size, and colour for each section. Consistent text formatting makes it easy for the reader to search through your CV and find the information they’re curious about.
2. Use 1.27–2.5 cm margins & 1–1.5 line spacing
The standard margin size for UK CVs is 2.5 cm. But if you’re trying to fit more of your professional details onto the pages, you can reduce the margins to 1.27 cm on all sides. Just don’t shrink them any more than that, or your CV will appear crowded.
Also, use 1–1.5 line spacing to neatly space information without making your CV feel too tight (or overly spread out).
Clearly label your CV sections with headers (and subheaders where applicable) so recruiters can quickly find the information they’re looking for. You can make your headings stand out with:
bold and italic text
all capital letters
appropriate colours (like dark blue or green)
design elements like lines, coloured bars, and CV icons
Here’s an example of a CV layout that features clear section headings:
This CV layout’s headings let recruiters quickly find the sections they’re looking for.
4. Include an appropriate number of CV pages
The standard CV length is two pages, which is typically enough space for all of the necessary CV sections.
This is an example of how your CV header should look:
A good CV layout includes a well-designed header.
2. Personal statement
A CV personal statement (also called a CV personal profile) is a 3–5 sentence paragraph you put under your personal details. Your statement should grab the reader’s attention by summarising your:
professional experience
skills
achievements
main career goal
Here’s an example of a properly set out personal statement:
Start your CV with your most job-relevant skills and experience in a personal statement.
3. Work experience
Professional experience is usually more valuable to your job hunt than your educational background. So if you have plenty of relevant experience, place your work experience section under your personal statement in your CV layout.
Begin with your most recent job titleat the top, and continue in order. Go as far back as necessary.
Each job title you list should include:
the company name and location
the dates you worked there
bullet points detailing your duties and achievements in the position
This is an example of how to set out a CV work experience entry:
Use bullet points in your CV work experience section layout to make it easy to read.
4. Education
Unless you lack professional experience or are writing an academic CV for a university teaching or research role, your CV’s education section should follow your experience section.
Place your highest degree at the top and go backwards in order. For example, if you have a Master’s degree, put it above your Bachelor’s.
For each degree, include your:
university’s name
degree title and classification
dissertation topic (if applicable)
relevant modules
When listing your A-Levels (or T-Levels), or GCSEs, name the school where you studied for them and provide your grades.
This example education section is well laid out:
Even if you’re writing a school leaver CV, make a section for your secondary school details.
Set out a CV skills section with your most job-relevant abilities listed in bullet points.
If you’re applying for your first job or need to emphasise your transferable skills to switch careers, consider listing your skills under your personal statement.
6. Additional sections
You can also include additional sections on your CV to highlight other professional information.
Just ensure where you place those sections in your CV’s layout is based on their relevance to the job you want (with the most relevant listed first). For instance, if you’re writing an academic CV, your publications should directly follow your education and experience sections.
Some details you can put in these additional sections include:
Put your name and contact details in a header at the top of the first page
Write a short personal statement as a CV introduction
Set out your work experience in chronological order (starting from most recent and going backwards)
Add your education details (university degree, high school, GCSEs, A-Levels, etc.)
List your job-specific skills
Optionally, add a hobbies and interests section that shows employers that you’re a well-rounded person
2. How do you lay out your first CV?
This is how you lay out your first CV:
Build a CV header with your name and contact information
Write a personal statement that connects your career objective to your target role
Create a detailed education section that lists and describes any classes you’ve taken that are relevant to the job you want
Include sections for any volunteer or internship experience you have
List your skills
Make a section for your hobbies and interests
3. Which page size is best for CVs?
A4 (20.99 cm x 29.7 cm) is the best size for CVs because it’s the standard size used in the UK.
Only use another page size if the job advert specifically request you do so, or if you’re applying to work in a country that uses a different size. For instance, if you’re applying for a job in the US, use a US Letter–sized page (21.59 cm x 27.94 cm)
