As the weeks go by, we will be listing more and more articles on how to write a resume of CV for various countries around the globe.

If you have a particular country that you need to know how to write a CV or resume for, then then drop the editor an email, who will add it to the research list for publication in the future.

Whether you are going to London on a temporary basis as a backpacker, or applying for a full time position in the UK, use these tips below to adapt your Australian resume for the United Kingdom.   

Rename your document

In the UK a resume is always called curriculum vitae (CV), unlike Australia, where resume and CV are often used interchangeably and the term resume is the term predominately used.  If you have a document headed up resume, just change this heading to curriculum vitae, or do what I do, and that is not provide the document with a name, as it is pretty obvious to employers what the document is.   

Keep it brief and to the point

Length varies within the UK depending on the seniority of the position you are applying for and can vary from 1 page to several pages in length.  However, the principle mistake people make when preparing a CV for the UK market is to make it too long.  Although the strict rules about length as found in the USA don’t apply, it is important to make sure you keep it as brief and too the point as possible and to cut out all waffle.  The average length of a CV in the UK is usually between 1 and 3 pages. 

Chronological work history rules

List your work history in chronological order (most recent experience first) and don’t bother with the functional resume format.  The general trend is to concentrate on your recent work history and to just summarise older information.

Personal details

There is a trend towards excluding all personal information such as marital status, number of children, age and hobbies and interests from a CV.  However personal details within a CV are still relatively common within the UK.  Solution - include this heading if it ‘value adds’ to your CV (for example you list your passion as conservation and you are applying for a position at the zoo) and keep this section of the CV to the bare minimum.

Many professional CV writers in the UK also recommend that you don’t include a photograph of yourself.

Referees

For the UK, don’t include your referees within your CV.

Don’t brag

While you should focus on your achievements and contributions in your CV, make sure your language is quite demure and conservative.  That is don’t brag, make bold claims, or use over the top language.

Relevant articles and resources

• Going global - marketing yourself for an international audience
• How to write a resume for the United States
• Resumes / CV's for lawyers
• Creating a resume / CV for New Zealand
• Resumes for Hong Kong