Updated November 8, 2026.
In short: the standard CV format is reverse-chronological. Your name and contact details go at the top, then a short personal profile, then work experience and education with the most recent entry first, followed by skills and, optionally, interests and references. Keep it to two A4 pages at most, in a clear font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman at 10 to 12 points, with bold headings and margins of about 2.5 cm. Those figures come from Prospects and the UK National Careers Service; academic CVs are the main exception and run longer.
What is the standard CV format?
Most UK and European employers expect a reverse-chronological CV. Oxford's careers service recommends it for most student applications, and Prospects says to list everything in reverse chronological order so that "the recruiter sees your work history and most recent achievements first."
The sections, top to bottom:
1.Name and contact details. Your name as the title, then phone, email and a LinkedIn or portfolio link.
2.Personal profile. A few short lines on who you are, your most relevant skills and the kind of role you want.
3.Work experience. Most recent job first: job title, employer, dates and bullet points on what you did and achieved.
4.Education. Qualifications, institution and dates, most recent first.
5.Skills. Languages, software and job-specific tools.
6.Interests (optional). Only if they are relevant to the job.
7.References (optional). "Available on request," or leave the line out to save space.
Sections 3 and 4 can swap. The National Careers Service and Prospects both put education first if you are early in your career and work history first once you have relevant experience.
What are the CV layout rules?
| Element | Guideline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Length | No longer than two A4 pages; academic CVs slightly longer | University of Chester careers team, quoted by Prospects |
| Font | A clear font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman | National Careers Service, Prospects |
| Font size | 11 or bigger (National Careers Service); 10 to 12 (Prospects); 10 or 11 (Oxford) | As listed |
| Headings | Larger (14 or 16 pt) and bold | Prospects |
| Margins | About 2.5 cm all the way around | Prospects |
| Order | Reverse chronological within each section | Prospects, National Careers Service |
| Dates | Job title and employer on the left, dates on the right | Oxford |
| Title | Your name, not "Curriculum Vitae" or "CV" | Prospects, Oxford |
| File name | Something like Joe-Smith-CV, not "Document 1" | Prospects |
| File type | Whatever the advert asks for, usually PDF or .docx | Prospects |
Two rules sit behind all of these. Use the same style throughout, as the National Careers Service puts it, and use headings and bullet points so the page is quick to scan. Oxford's careers service notes that employers may spend "as little as a few seconds" on a first look.
What are the main types of CV?
Prospects names three: chronological, skills-based and academic.
| CV type | Structure | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Chronological | Work history and education in reverse date order | Most applicants; Oxford recommends it for most student applications |
| Skills-based | Experience grouped under skill headings, with a short list of jobs below | Applicants with lots of job-specific skills, per Prospects |
| Academic | The full record: education, research, publications, teaching, grants, presentations | Research, teaching and fellowship applications |
For academic CVs, MIT's career office says there is "no single correct format or style," and that publications often go at the end. Put the section that matters most for the post first.
CV format template
Copy this into a document, keep it in one column, and replace every bracket:
[YOUR NAME]
[City] · [Phone] · [Email] · [LinkedIn URL]
PROFILE
[Two or three lines: who you are, your strongest relevant skills,
and the role you are looking for.]
WORK EXPERIENCE
[Job title], [Employer] [Mon YYYY – Mon YYYY]
- [What you did, and the result]
- [What you did, and the result]
[Job title], [Employer] [Mon YYYY – Mon YYYY]
- [What you did, and the result]
EDUCATION
[Qualification], [Institution] [YYYY – YYYY]
SKILLS
[Languages] · [Software] · [Job-specific tools]
REFERENCES
Available on request.For finished versions of this layout, see our CV examples. To fill in each section, follow how to write a CV.
Does the CV format change by country?
The section order above works across the UK and Europe. The personal details do not travel. The National Careers Service says a UK CV should leave out your age, date of birth, marital status and nationality. Germany's Federal Employment Agency tells applicants from abroad to include date of birth, place of birth and address, says a photo is not mandatory but "still expected by most employers," and says to end the CV with the date and your signature. The EU's Europass CV is a widely recognized template, available in 31 languages.
Elsewhere, conventions vary by country, so check the posting and the local careers service. In the US and Canada, most employers want a resume rather than a CV; see the difference between CV and resume and our guide to the curriculum vitae.
Is this CV format ATS-friendly?
Yes, if you keep it simple. A single column, standard headings and real text are the safest choices for applicant tracking systems. Prospects advises avoiding images, logos and graphics, because an ATS can't read them, and checking which file type the employer accepts, because not every system handles PDFs. Our ATS CV guide covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CV format?
For most people, reverse-chronological: profile, work experience, education and skills, newest entries first. Use a skills-based CV if your skills matter more than your job history, and an academic CV for research and teaching posts.
How long should a CV be?
Two A4 pages at most for most jobs, according to the University of Chester careers team, quoted by Prospects. Students applying for part-time jobs can go shorter, and academic CVs run longer.
What font size should a CV be?
10 to 12 points for body text. The National Careers Service says 11 or bigger; Oxford's careers service suggests 10 or 11. Make section headings larger and bold.
Should a CV be a PDF or a Word document?
Whichever the job advert asks for. Prospects notes that some adverts ask for PDF and others for .docx, so check before you send.
Should I put a photo on my CV?
In the UK, no, unless you are applying for acting or modeling work (Prospects). In Germany a photo is not mandatory, but most employers expect one (Federal Employment Agency). Elsewhere it varies by country.
Should I write "Curriculum Vitae" at the top?
No. Prospects and Oxford both advise against it. Your name is the heading.
Sources
- National Careers Service (UK government), How to write a CV — checked November 8, 2026.
- Prospects (Jisc), How to write a CV — checked November 8, 2026.
- University of Oxford Careers Service, CVs — checked November 8, 2026.
- MIT Career Advising & Professional Development, Curricula vitae (CVs) — checked November 8, 2026.
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency), Application process in Germany, part 1: curriculum vitae — checked November 8, 2026.
- Europass (European Union), Create your Europass CV — checked November 8, 2026.