CV template: a clear, two-page-at-most CV in the format employers expect

Is a CV the same as a resume?

It depends on where you are applying.

• UK and Ireland: CV is the everyday word for a job application document. Résumé is rarely used.
• India: CV, résumé and biodata are often used interchangeably; follow the word the employer uses.
• Much of continental Europe: CV is the usual term, and local conventions vary, for example on whether a photo is expected.
• US and Canada: résumé means the one-or-two-page job document; CV means the long academic record.
• Australia and New Zealand: both words are used for job applications, often meaning the same thing.

What is the difference between an academic CV and a job CV?

A job CV is a selection: the experience that makes the case for one role, in one or two pages. An academic CV is a record: it lists everything relevant to a research or teaching career and grows with it, so several pages is normal.

An academic CV usually adds publications, conference talks, grants and funding, teaching, supervision, and academic service such as reviewing. Lead with education and research, and list publications in a consistent citation style.

What is the standard UK CV format?

A UK CV is reverse-chronological and usually runs to two A4 pages at most. The usual sections:

• Name and contact details: phone, email, town or city, and a LinkedIn or portfolio link
• Personal statement: a short paragraph on who you are and what you are looking for
• Work experience, newest first, with achievements rather than duties
• Education and qualifications, including degree classification, and A-levels or equivalent when you are early in your career
• Skills, with any professional registration or membership
• Optional: volunteering, interests that say something about you, languages

What should you leave off a UK CV?

UK employers generally do not expect personal details that are unrelated to the job, and leaving them out avoids inviting bias:

• A photo, unless the role is one where appearance is part of the job, such as acting
• Date of birth or age
• Marital status, nationality and religion; state your right to work in the UK if it is relevant
• Your full postal address: a town or city is enough
• “References available on request”: it is assumed

How long should a CV be?

Two pages is normal and acceptable for a UK job CV; one page is fine for a graduate or school leaver. Use the space for relevant work, not padding. An academic CV runs as long as its record requires.

How does a CV differ in India and Europe?

In India, older CV formats often include date of birth, a photo and a signed declaration. Many employers no longer need them; include them only when the employer or application form asks. Grades or CGPA are commonly expected for recent graduates.

In some continental European countries a photo and date of birth are still customary. Follow the local norm and the advert. Where you are unsure, a clean CV without them is the safer choice.

Which CV templates and examples can you start from?

Any design in CVAurum works as a CV. Set the page size to A4 in Design, hide the photo with one switch, and rename a section heading, such as Summary to Personal Statement, if you prefer the UK wording. The ATS check flags a photo and a date of birth if you leave them in.

Designs that suit a UK or academic CV: Cambridge, Academia, which has room for publications, Scholar and Oxford.

UK examples in the library: Graduate Structural Engineer, Graphic Designer, Physiotherapist, Secondary School Physics Teacher, Office Manager, Management Consultant and Engineering Apprentice. Academic CVs: University Lecturer, Postdoctoral Research Associate and PhD Applicant in Neuroscience.