ATS CV template UK
Build a CV that software can read and recruiters can trust.
An ATS-friendly CV is not about tricking a system. It is about making the right information easy to find: clear headings, clean formatting, relevant keywords and honest evidence.
No false promises
ATS-safe does not mean interview-guaranteed.
The template can make your CV easier to read and parse. The interview still depends on fit, evidence, timing and the strength of other applicants.
Principles
The best ATS CV template is boring in the right places.
National Careers Service guidance lists the core CV sections a recruiter expects. Oxford Careers notes that CVs should make it easy for both readers and applicant tracking systems to find relevant skills and experience. That means clarity beats decoration.
Clear structure
Use familiar sections: profile, key skills, work history, education and other relevant information.
Job advert language
Match the real requirements in the advert. If the employer asks for Excel, safeguarding or stock control, use those terms where true.
Readable formatting
Avoid over-designed layouts, text boxes for core content, tiny fonts and decorative graphics that distract from the information.
Template structure
Use sections that both humans and systems expect.
This structure works for most UK job applications. Keep the order stable, then tailor the words inside each section to the job.
Name and contact details
Full name, phone, email, town/city or region, and LinkedIn or portfolio link if relevant.
Profile
Three to five lines focused on the target role, key evidence and value you bring.
Key skills
Six to ten skills that match the advert and can be proven elsewhere in the CV.
Work history
Reverse chronological roles with job title, employer, dates and achievement-led bullet points.
Education and training
Qualifications, certificates, licences, short courses and recent training relevant to the role.
Additional information
Optional: driving licence, right to work statement where appropriate, languages, volunteering or systems.
Good vs risky
Small formatting choices can change readability.
The goal is not to remove all design. The goal is to make sure the design never hides the information the employer is trying to find.
Headings
Creative labels such as 'My journey' or 'Where I have shined'
Standard labels such as Profile, Key Skills, Work History and Education
Layout
Two-column designs where dates, job titles and bullets are split apart
A clean single-column flow with job title, employer, dates and bullets together
Keywords
Stuffing a keyword list that does not match your experience
Natural wording taken from the job advert and backed by real examples
Contact details
Important details hidden only in a decorative header or footer
Name, phone, email and location placed plainly near the top of the CV
Quality check
Check the CV before you apply.
JobHelp guidance on applicant filters focuses on making your CV relevant and easy to process. Before downloading, review the CV like a recruiter searching for exact evidence.
Research checked
Based on UK CV guidance and applicant-filter advice.
Last checked 13 June 2026. This page uses National Careers Service CV section guidance, Oxford Careers guidance on readability for recruiters and ATS, and JobHelp advice on application filters.
Build a clean UK CV without fighting the template.
Use an ATS-friendly structure, preview your CV, and pay £4.99 only when you download the PDF.