How to Write a Software Engineer Resume for the UK Job Market (2026)
The UK tech market — centred in London but with strong hubs in Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol — has its own conventions. A CV that works in the US needs small but important adjustments for UK employers. This guide covers what changes and what stays the same.
CV vs Resume — UK Terminology
In the UK, it's called a CV (curriculum vitae), not a resume. The document itself is identical in format for tech roles, but using the right terminology in cover letters and applications matters.
Format and Length
Unlike the US strict one-page rule, UK CVs can run to two pages for anyone with 2+ years of experience. For new grads, one page is still cleaner. Key rules:
- Reverse chronological order
- Clean sans-serif font (Inter, Calibri, Arial)
- No photo — while legal, it's not expected and can introduce bias concerns
- No date of birth, nationality, or marital status
- Include your city (e.g. "London" or "Manchester") — not full address
Header for UK Applications
Alex Thompson
London, UK • alex@email.com • +44 7700 000000 • linkedin.com/in/alexthompson • github.com/alexthompson
Experience Section
UK tech employers want impact, same as US — but the tone is slightly less aggressive. Avoid overusing superlatives. Lead with action verbs and quantified results:
"Reduced deployment pipeline time by 35% by introducing parallel test execution in GitHub Actions, enabling 3x more frequent releases."
- Use £ not $ for any salary or financial metrics
- Include team size and scope when notable
- Hackathons, open source, and side projects are valued — include them
Graduate Schemes vs Direct Applications
The UK has a strong graduate scheme culture that doesn't exist in the same way in the US. Companies like Sky, BT, and large banks run structured 12–24 month rotation programmes. These have separate applications from direct hires and usually close October–January.
ATS Keywords for UK Tech Roles
Education
UK degree classes matter to some employers — include your degree classification (First, 2:1, 2:2). A 2:1 is the baseline for most tech grad schemes. Some employers have a First-class preference for competitive roles.
- Include: University, Degree title, Classification, Year
- Final-year project: include if it involved technical depth
- A-levels: include if graduating in the last 2 years; drop after
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