UK CV vs US resume: the differences that matter
Updated 24 October 2026 · 5 min read
If you have written a resume for jobs in the United States — or anywhere that follows the US style — most of it will carry over to the UK. But a handful of differences make a CV look “foreign” to a British recruiter at a glance, and some can even get it filtered out. Here is what to change.
The differences at a glance
What it’s called
UK CV: CV (curriculum vitae)
US resume: Resume (a “CV” in the US means a long academic document)
Length
UK CV: Usually up to two pages
US resume: Often one page, especially early in a career
Opening section
UK CV: Personal statement / profile
US resume: Summary or objective
Spelling
UK CV: British: organised, programme, licence
US resume: American: organized, program, license
Dates
UK CV: Month and year, e.g. “Mar 2022 – Present”
US resume: Month and year, sometimes numeric (03/2022)
Phone number
UK CV: 07700 900123 or +44 7700 900123
US resume: (555) 123-4567
Education
UK CV: GCSEs, A-levels, degree classification
US resume: High school diploma, GPA
Photo and personal details
UK CV: Leave them out
US resume: Leave them out
| UK CV | US resume | |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s called | CV (curriculum vitae) | Resume (a “CV” in the US means a long academic document) |
| Length | Usually up to two pages | Often one page, especially early in a career |
| Opening section | Personal statement / profile | Summary or objective |
| Spelling | British: organised, programme, licence | American: organized, program, license |
| Dates | Month and year, e.g. “Mar 2022 – Present” | Month and year, sometimes numeric (03/2022) |
| Phone number | 07700 900123 or +44 7700 900123 | (555) 123-4567 |
| Education | GCSEs, A-levels, degree classification | High school diploma, GPA |
| Photo and personal details | Leave them out | Leave them out |
Length: two pages is normal
US advice often pushes for a single page. In the UK, two sides of A4 is the norm for anyone with a few years of experience, so you can give each role a little more room — three to six bullet points rather than two or three. Students and school leavers can still stick to one page.
Don’t pad it to fill two pages, though. Recruiters prefer one strong page to two weak ones.
Personal statement vs summary
UK CVs open with a short personal statement (also called a profile): three or four lines covering who you are, what you bring and what you’re looking for. It is similar to a US summary, but the old-style US “objective” that only says what you want reads badly in the UK.
Weak
Strong
Spelling, dates and phone numbers
- Switch to British spelling throughout — organised, analysed, programme, licence, centre. Set your word processor to English (UK) and run a spell check.
- Write dates as month and year (“Sep 2021 – Jun 2024”). If you ever use a full numeric date, remember the UK order is day/month/year — 03/04/2022 means 3 April, not 4 March.
- Use a UK phone number if you have one. If you are still abroad, include the international code and say when you’ll be in the UK, e.g. “Relocating to Leeds in January 2027”.
- Address: your town or city is enough. Leave out the full street address.
Education and grades
UK recruiters will recognise a US bachelor’s or master’s degree, but GPAs and high school diplomas mean less to them. Rather than inventing a UK equivalent, give the real result with a short explanation:
Weak
Strong
If an employer needs to know how an overseas qualification compares to a UK one, the official route is a statement of comparability from UK ENIC (formerly UK NARIC), the national agency run by Ecctis. Only put a UK equivalent on your CV if you have that confirmation.
Right to work in the UK
Every UK employer has to check that new staff are allowed to work here, so recruiters reading an overseas CV will wonder about it. A short line under your contact details answers the question before it’s asked:
- “Full right to work in the UK (British citizen)”
- “Right to work in the UK until 2028 (Graduate visa)”
- “Will require visa sponsorship” — honest, and saves both sides time
If you will need sponsorship, our guide to visa sponsorship jobs in the UK shows where to find employers who can sponsor you.
Keep it safe
Job titles and overseas experience
Some job titles don’t translate directly. A US “realtor” is an estate agent in the UK, an “attorney” is a solicitor or barrister, and a “CPA” is closest to a chartered accountant. Keep your real title, and add a short clarification in brackets if it would help: “Realtor (estate agent)”. Don’t claim a UK professional title, such as chartered accountant or solicitor, unless you actually hold it in the UK. Name the city and country for each overseas role, and briefly explain any company a UK reader is unlikely to know, e.g. “a 200-store grocery chain in Texas”.
For the full picture of what a UK CV should contain, read our step-by-step guide to writing a UK CV, and for the rest of the job search, see how to get a job in the UK.
