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CVs for every situation: first job, graduate, career change and gaps

By Stephen Reed · Published 4 November 2026 · Updated 4 November 2026 · 10 min read

The standard advice for writing a CV assumes a steady run of jobs that lead neatly to the one you want. Real careers are rarely like that. You may be applying for your first job, finishing a degree, switching industries, coming back after time out, or trying to fit twenty years of experience onto two pages.

The core rules do not change: be clear, be honest, be relevant. What changes is what you lead with and what you leave out. This guide takes each situation in turn and draws on published UK guidance, listed at the end. If you have not yet read the basics, start with our complete guide to writing a UK CV.

The principle behind every situation

Reed's central point on CV length also works as a rule for situations: a CV should show relevant strengths and be no longer than it needs to be ¹. Whatever your situation, ask of every line: does this help the employer see I can do this job? If yes, keep it and make it prominent. If no, shorten or cut it.

Your first job or no experience

If you are applying for your first job, you may think you have nothing to put. The National Careers Service says to focus on skills gained through projects, work experience and volunteering, and that interests and hobbies can show skills, for example being a sports team captain shows leadership and organisation skills ². It also says it is fine to feel overwhelmed when you have limited work experience ².

For a first CV:

1. Put education straight after your profile. The National Careers Service says to do this if you are early in your career or have limited work experience ².
2. List everything that counts as experience. Work placements, volunteering, paid or unpaid jobs, helping in a family business, school or college projects, clubs and teams. The National Careers Service includes work placements and volunteering in your work history ².
3. Describe what you did and what changed. "Helped organise a charity bake sale that raised £420 for the local hospice" tells an employer more than "Fundraising".
4. Show your skills with examples. Prospects warns against generic claims like "team player" and says to back skills up with real examples ³.
5. Keep it to one page if that is all you have. Reed says a one-page CV is perfectly fine for recent graduates, as there is usually less experience to list ¹.

An example profile (invented, to show the shape): "Year 13 student studying Maths, Business and Geography, with six months' weekend work on a market stall and two years as a school sports captain. Looking for a part-time retail role where I can develop customer service and teamwork skills."

Graduates

TARGETjobs says the standard maximum for a graduate CV is two A4 pages, with one if the employer asks for it, and that you should fill one or two full pages rather than leave a second page partly empty ⁴. It says to always include contact details, work experience and education history, with your university, dates and course title. A grade is optional but worth including if you meet or exceed the stated academic requirement. It also says there is no fixed section order: use the order that best shows your strengths and matches what the employer wants, and put employment before education if you have several relevant jobs ⁴.

The University of Reading's careers team adds three points specific to students and graduates ⁵:

• Do not give your degree a one-line entry. Dissertations show project management, and modules show knowledge and skills. Use real titles to bring them to life.
• Back up claims with evidence. Teamwork, presentation skills and leadership need examples.
• Leave out age, gender, marital status and nationality (unless needed), and photographs for UK graduate roles.

TARGETjobs also advises keeping bullets short, ideally no longer than two lines ⁴, and not inventing anything to fill space. Prospects notes that changing a degree grade is classed as degree fraud ³. Students and recent graduates can get free advice from their university careers service ³.

Changing career

When you change career, your old job titles will not match the new role, so your CV has to build the bridge. Prospects says a skills-based CV can suit people with lots of job-specific skills, though a chronological one is the safer default ³. The National Careers Service adds that tailoring your CV to the job by highlighting the skills the employer asks for can improve your chances of an interview ².

A practical approach:

1. Study the target job. Pick out the five or six skills and requirements it repeats.
2. Find the evidence you already have. A retail supervisor applying to office administration has handled cash, rotas, stock records and customer complaints. Describe those in the target job's language.
3. Write a profile that states the move. Say what you did, what you are moving towards, and the strongest bridge between the two.
4. Lead with relevant experience, and keep it chronological. You can use a "Relevant skills" section near the top, but keep your dated work history.
5. Add proof of commitment. A course, a qualification, volunteering or a project in the new field shows you mean it. Prospects suggests placing courses under education and volunteering under work experience ³.
6. Cut what does not help. Reed's tips for shortening a CV, which are to include only relevant content, avoid repetition and use white space, apply even more when changing career ¹.

An example profile (invented): "Experienced retail supervisor, leading a team of eight and managing stock worth £60,000, now moving into office administration. Completed the Level 2 Business Administration award in 2026. Strong in scheduling, record keeping and customer communication."

Gaps in your work history

A gap is rarely the problem. The unexplained gap is. The National Careers Service says a gap is not a problem in itself, but you may be asked about it, so be open and honest, focus on transferable skills and what you learned, and be ready to explain what you were doing ⁶. Prospects agrees that gaps are common and rarely a problem if explained, and says to be honest but brief, give the reason and dates, and put the information in the right section: volunteering under work experience, courses under education and new skills under skills ³.

Wording for common situations

The National Careers Service gives guidance for several common situations ⁶:

• Career break (for example raising a family): state the reason plainly and briefly.
• Redundancy: describe the business decision, not anything about you. Its example is "The company merged the role of sales and accounts manager to reduce costs", preceded by the dates.
• Dismissal: it is better to raise this at interview than on the application. If asked, briefly cover the circumstances, what you learned and how you have improved.
• Disability or mental health: you choose what to share. You do not need to disclose everything.
• Criminal conviction: check whether it is spent, using the government's guidance on ex-offenders and employment. The National Careers Service points to Nacro for advice on telling employers.

On disability, Prospects says disclosure is optional. It may help if you need adjustments, want to explain a gap or want to highlight strengths such as resilience, and any disclosure should be brief, positive and focused on your ability to do the role ³.

Short example lines (invented): "2023 to 2025: Career break to care for a family member." "2022: Redundancy when the company closed its Leeds depot." "2021 to 2022: Full-time study, Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration." For more wording, see our guide to explaining gaps in your CV.

Returning to work after a break

If you are returning after caring, illness or time away, the approach is the same as for any gap, plus a profile that looks forward. Say what you offer now, not just what happened. Include any recent courses, volunteering, or short-term work, as Prospects suggests ³. A careers adviser can help: the National Careers Service offers free advice and a CV builder from the Department for Work and Pensions ².

A long career or an older worker

If you have decades of experience, the challenge is selection. Prospects advises keeping the main points, cutting anything irrelevant to the role, and summarising older details such as those from ten years ago. It says three pages may suit high-level roles or candidates with substantial experience from the last five to ten years ³. Reed suggests focusing on roughly the last five to ten years of relevant experience ¹.

Practical steps:

1. Lead with relevant recent experience and summarise earlier roles in a single "Earlier career" line of job titles and employers, keeping your dates honest.
2. Leave off your date of birth. The National Careers Service says to leave out age and date of birth, and Prospects describes date of birth as irrelevant ^{2 3}.
3. Show current skills. Name the software, systems, methods and training you use now.
4. Do not shrink the margins or font to fit more in. Reed warns this makes the CV stand out for the wrong reasons ¹.
5. Use achievements that matter today. The most relevant results usually matter more than the oldest ones.

Our sources do not give detailed guidance on age discrimination. If you think you have been treated unfairly in recruitment because of your age, get independent advice, for example from Acas or Citizens Advice.

Self-employed, contract and freelance work

If you have been self-employed or worked on short contracts, treat it as one role with a clear title and dates, such as "Self-employed delivery driver, 2019 to 2023", and list the main clients or projects underneath with results. Several short contract roles can be grouped under one heading in the same way. (This is our suggestion rather than a quoted source; it follows the general rule of listing role, employer, dates and what you did ².)

What stays the same for everyone

Whatever your situation:

• Keep to the truth. Prospects says lying on a CV can be a criminal offence and that facts are easy to verify ³.
• Keep the layout plain. Avoid tables, columns and graphics so software reads your CV correctly. See how software reads your CV.
• Tailor it to each job. The National Careers Service advises matching your CV to the advert ².
• Send a cover letter. The National Careers Service says to always send one, and that a cover letter is a good place to explain a gap by describing skills you gained during that time ⁷.
• Check spelling. Ask someone else to read it ².

Frequently asked questions

Can I write a CV with no experience?

Yes. Use education, projects, volunteering, work experience and hobbies to show your skills, with specific examples ^{2 3}.

Should a graduate CV be one page or two?

Two A4 pages is the maximum, and one page if the employer asks. Reed says one page is perfectly fine for recent graduates ^{1 4}.

How do I explain a gap in my CV?

Briefly and honestly, with the reason and dates, and say what you learned or did ^{6 3}.

Do I have to tell an employer about a disability?

No. Disclosure is optional, and you choose what to share ^{3 6}.

Should I include my date of birth if I am over 50?

No. Leave it off. The National Careers Service says to leave out age and date of birth ².

What should a career changer put first?

A profile that states the move, then the skills and experience most relevant to the new job, in a chronological layout ^{3 2}.

Check your CV for your situation

Check your CV free. Choose "Graduate or first job" or another mode, see the plain-text view of what software reads, and get your three biggest fixes.

Sources

1. Reed, How long should a CV be?
2. National Careers Service, CV sections
3. Prospects (Jisc), How to write a CV
4. TARGETjobs, How long should a CV be? Graduate jobs and other CV FAQs answered
5. University of Reading Careers, The top 10 CV mistakes
6. National Careers Service, Explain gaps in work history
7. National Careers Service, Covering letter