A CV for the UK usually has no photo, runs to 1–2 pages and is printed on A4 paper. The 11 designs below suit accountants and open in the free builder with our sample accountant CV filled in, and the checklist further down shows what to change before you apply in the UK.
A UK CV is usually two sides of A4, opens with a short personal statement and lists experience in reverse chronological order. British employers do not expect a photo, date of birth or marital status, and most prefer that you leave them out. Use British spelling throughout, mention your right to work if it is not obvious, and send the file as a PDF or Word document unless the advert asks otherwise.
Each design below opens in the free builder with our sample accountant resume, Ramesh Bansal, Senior Accountant, already filled in. The list further down takes that sample section by section and shows what to change before you send it to an employer in the UK.
Why the sample works: Ramesh states his closing timeline and vendor numbers, two concrete markers a finance manager uses to judge an accountant’s grip on the books.
11 designs that suit accountants and the UK
About applicant tracking systems: Some older applicant tracking systems read two columns out of order, so pick a single-column design for large company portals and use a two-column one when a person reads your resume first.
No photo, except for acting, modelling or presenting roles. None of the designs below has a photo slot.
Length
Two sides of A4 is the norm; one page suits graduates and school leavers.
Paper size
A4 paper size with sensible margins, not US Letter. Pick A4 in the builder before you download.
Personal details
Name, phone, email, town or city and LinkedIn; no date of birth or marital status.
Dates
Month and year for each role, most recent first.
Spelling
British English: organise, colour, programme, licence (noun), CV rather than résumé.
Section names
Call it a CV. The usual order: Contact details, Personal statement, Key skills, Employment history, Education and qualifications, Training and certifications, Additional information, Interests.
File
PDF or Word document, named with your full name and “CV”.
The sample accountant CV, adapted for the UK
Header
Put Ramesh Bansal as the heading (no “Curriculum Vitae” above it), with one mobile number, email, a UK town or city and a LinkedIn or portfolio link. Drop the photo, date of birth and marital status, and add a right-to-work line if sponsorship could be a question.
Personal statement
“Accountant with ten years of experience in manufacturing companies, handling the full cycle from purchase entries to finalisation of accounts with the auditors. Manages payables, receivables, GST and TDS compliance, payroll inputs, stock valuation and monthly MIS.” In the UK this becomes a personal statement of three to five lines, tailored to each advert by echoing its job title and two or three of its requirements.
Key skills
Month-end closing, Accounts payable and receivable, GST returns and reconciliation, TDS returns, Payroll, PF and ESI inputs, Inventory valuation, Audit support, MIS reports.
Employment history
Senior Accountant, Bicycle components manufacturer with export sales: “Close the books every month within five working days, including accruals, depreciation and stock adjustments. Reconcile GST input credit with GSTR-2B monthly and recovered credits that suppliers had not uploaded on time.” Earlier: Accountant, Hosiery and knitwear manufacturing unit. Give job title, employer, town and month-and-year dates, then four to six achievement bullets; roles from more than ten to fifteen years ago shrink to one line.
Education and qualifications
M.Com, State university. Experienced candidates put education below employment. Follow an overseas qualification with a short UK equivalent where you know it.
Training and certifications
Certificate in SAP Business One Financials, training partner; Diploma in Taxation Laws, university evening course.
Additional information
An “Additional information” section holds right to work, Punjabi, Hindi, English with an honest level, and a full UK driving licence if the role involves travel.
