CV templates for the UK
Pick a CV template for your sector, customise it in the editor and download your CV in PDF or Word. Each template says whether applicant tracking systems read it without losing anything.
The safest choice for any industry. Nothing that can trip up automated parsing.
You can switch templates anytime without retyping anything.
29 templates in all. 21 pass every ATS parsing check, 8 fail one, and those 8 are still offered, with the caveat written on the thumbnail.
On this page
How to choose a CV template for the UK
Kandiq has 29 CV templates in five families. Pick the family first, from your sector and the length of your career, then the template and its accent colour:
- Simple (5): one column, plain headings. The safest CV template for any sector, from retail to the NHS.
- Modern (9): one colour and bold headings, for product, tech, marketing and design roles.
- Editorial (6): serif type and generous spacing, for communications, culture, publishing and teaching.
- Two columns (7): skills and languages in a sidebar. Denser to the eye, but less reliable for automated screening.
- Compact (2): fits a long career on two pages without dropping below a readable size.
What a UK CV template should leave out
A UK CV starts with your name, town, phone number, email and LinkedIn, then a short personal statement. It leaves out the photo, your age, date of birth, marital status and nationality: UK employers don't expect them. Every Kandiq CV template prints on A4, the paper size used in the UK, and a UK CV runs to two pages at most. Our guide to how long a CV should be explains when one page is enough.
CV templates and applicant tracking systems
Large employers and recruitment agencies often run CVs through an applicant tracking system before anyone reads them. Of our 29 CV templates, 21 carry no caveat for that software. The 8 others, mostly two-column layouts, say what they risk on their card. The ATS CV checker tests your finished file, and our guide to the best font for a CV covers type and size.
Customise a template, then download your CV
Start from a blank template, or import your current CV as a PDF or Word file, or your LinkedIn profile's PDF export. You can switch templates at any time: your content stays in place. Writing and editing are free; PDF and Word downloads come with a subscription, and the Word file is single-column so you can keep editing it.
Not sure what to write in each section? Our CV guide takes it section by section, starting with the personal statement, and our CV examples show finished CVs for graduates, care assistants, teachers and more.
Questions