Tips for Indian students + a proper UK CV guide

1. UK CV format rules

Prospects recommends no more than two A4 pages for most graduates, and says your date of birth is irrelevant and a photo is not needed unless you are applying for acting or modelling (Prospects).

• No photo, date of birth, marital status, religion, father’s name or passport number. GOV.UK says employers must not ask whether you are married, and can only ask for a date of birth on an application form if the job has an age requirement (GOV.UK – discrimination in recruitment).
• Let your name be the title, not “Curriculum Vitae” (Prospects).
• Clear font (e.g. Arial or Calibri) at 10–12pt, bold headings, about 2.5 cm margins (Prospects).
• Reverse chronological order; bullet points; UK spelling.
• Save as “Firstname-Lastname-CV” in the file type the employer asks for (Prospects).

2. Structure and example layout

A standard order: contact details → right-to-work line → profile → education → experience → skills → projects. If you have lots of relevant work experience, put experience before education (Prospects). The National Careers Service also explains each CV section (National Careers Service).

FIRSTNAME LASTNAME
Sheffield · 07xxx xxxxxx · [email protected] · linkedin.com/in/yourname · github.com/you
Right to work: Graduate visa valid to [month year] – no sponsorship needed until then

PROFILE
MSc Data Science graduate with 2 years’ experience as a data analyst in India.
Built [project] that cut [metric] by [x%]. Seeking graduate data analyst roles.

EDUCATION
MSc Data Science, [University] – Merit (expected)          Sep 2025 – Sep 2026
  Dissertation: [title] – [one-line result]
BTech Computer Science, [University], India – 8.1/10 CGPA  2019 – 2023

EXPERIENCE
Data Analyst, [Company], Bengaluru                          Jul 2023 – Aug 2025
  • Automated weekly sales reporting in Python, saving 6 hours a week
  • Built a Power BI dashboard used by 40 regional managers
Part-time Customer Assistant, [Store], Sheffield            Jan 2026 – present

SKILLS
SQL, Python (pandas, scikit-learn), Power BI, Excel, Git · English (fluent), Hindi, Telugu

PROJECTS
[Project name] – [what, tools, result, link]

3. The personal statement (profile)

A short profile at the top: who you are, 2–3 relevant achievements and the roles you want. Prospects describes it as a concise statement aimed at the sector you are applying to (Prospects).

• IT: “Software engineering MSc graduate with internship experience building REST APIs in Java and Spring; contributed to an open-source project with 2k stars. Seeking graduate backend developer roles.”
• Finance: “MSc Finance graduate (Distinction expected), CFA Level I candidate, 18 months in credit analysis at an Indian NBFC. Seeking graduate analyst roles in risk or credit.”
• Healthcare: “NMC-registered nurse with 3 years’ ICU experience in India, seeking Band 5 roles in critical care.”
• Avoid “hard-working team player” with no proof (Prospects).

4. Visa status, right to work and share codes

State your status in one plain line under your contact details so recruiters don’t have to guess. At the offer stage you prove it with a share code or eligible documents; GOV.UK says the employer cannot reject you for choosing documents instead of a share code (GOV.UK – prove your right to work).

• Student visa: “Student visa – can work up to 20 hours a week in term time; available full time from [date].” (Check the work conditions on your own visa and UKCISA – student work.)
• Graduate visa: “Graduate visa valid to [date] – no sponsorship needed until then.”
• Will need sponsorship later: say so honestly when an application form asks – recruiters check right to work at offer stage anyway.
• Get a share code from your UKVI account; it lasts 90 days and the employer will need your date of birth (GOV.UK – eVisa share code).

5. Cover letter

Always include a cover letter unless the employer says otherwise (Prospects). Keep it to one page: why this company, why this role, two evidence-based examples, and a short close.

1. Opening: the role, where you saw it, one line on why you fit.
2. Why them: something specific about the company (a product, client, value or recent news).
3. Evidence: two examples with results that match the essential criteria.
4. Close: right-to-work line, availability, thanks.

More examples: Prospects – cover letters.

6. Common mistakes Indian applicants make

These come from comparing typical Indian-format CVs with the UK guidance above.

• Photo, date of birth, marital status, father’s name or religion on the CV.
• “Declaration: I hereby declare…” at the end – not used in the UK.
• 3–5 page CVs listing every school mark. Keep two pages; focus on degree, projects and results.
• Unexplained gaps. Prospects advises a brief, honest reason with dates (Prospects).
• Changing grades or inventing experience – Prospects notes altering a degree grade is degree fraud and lying on a CV can be a criminal offence (Prospects).
• A fully AI-written CV – Prospects advises using AI only to research, draft and proofread, never to invent details (Prospects).
• Not stating CGPA meaningfully: give the scale (e.g. 8.1/10) and the class if your university awards one.
• Home address on public CV sites – Prospects warns fraudsters can target it (Prospects).

7. Tips & tricks for Indian students

practical tip Use your university careers service early – CV reviews and mock interviews are free while you study. Ask for feedback after every rejection at interview stage.

• Part-time UK work (retail, hospitality, campus jobs) is useful UK experience – list it with transferable skills.
• Get your National Insurance number early (GOV.UK).
• Prepare STAR stories for interviews – see Interview prep.
• Check minimum wage rates so you know you are paid legally (GOV.UK – minimum wage rates).
• Search official vacancies on GOV.UK Find a job as well as LinkedIn and employer sites.