Guide · CVs
How to write a CV when you are over 50 (UK)
Decades of experience is a strength, but an old-style CV can hide it. The trick is to lead with recent, relevant results, trim the distant past and show your skills are current. Here is how to do it.
Rather have it done for you? UK CV rewrite from £25
Step 1: focus on the last 10 to 15 years
- Give your recent roles full detail: what the job was and what you achieved.
- Put older roles under one heading, "Earlier career", with job title and employer only.
- Leave off jobs that have nothing to do with what you are applying for now.
Step 2: leave off what invites age assumptions
- No date of birth, age, photo or marital status. None of these belong on a UK CV.
- You do not need the year you left school or finished a degree.
- Avoid phrases like "over 30 years’ experience". Say "extensive experience in..." and prove it with results instead.
Step 3: use a clean two-page layout
- Name and contact details: phone, a modern email address, town and LinkedIn.
- Profile (three or four lines): your strongest experience and the role you want next.
- Key skills: six to ten skills taken from the adverts you are applying for, including named software.
- Experience: newest first, with achievement bullet points.
- Training and qualifications: recent courses first, with dates for anything recent.
Step 4: show results, not duties
Long careers often turn into long duty lists. Pick your best three to five results per recent role:
- Before: "Responsible for managing the accounts team."
- After: "Led a team of six through a move to cloud accounting, cutting month-end close from ten days to five."
Only use figures you can back up at interview. If you are unsure of a number, describe the scale instead.
Step 5: prove your skills are current
- Add short recent courses (free ones from FutureLearn, Google or your professional body count).
- Mention modern ways of working you already use: video calls, shared drives, online systems.
- Tailor each CV to the advert, using its key words where true, because many employers screen CVs with software.
Mistakes to avoid
- Three or four pages of detail on jobs from the 1990s.
- An old email address from an internet provider you left years ago.
- Tables, text boxes and two-column layouts, which screening software often scrambles.
- Sending one CV to every job.
Free help: the National Careers Service offers free careers advice in England. Related guides: CV after redundancy, career change CV and cover letter.
Frequently asked questions
- How far back should my CV go if I am over 50?
- Most UK recruiters focus on roughly the last 10 to 15 years. Give those roles full detail, then group anything older under a short "Earlier career" line listing job titles and employers, with no dates if you prefer.
- Should I put my date of birth on my CV?
- No. UK CVs should not include date of birth, age, a photo or marital status. Age is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, and employers do not need it to judge your application.
- Do I need to put the dates of my qualifications?
- No. You can list your qualifications and where you gained them without the year. Recent training and certificates are worth dating, because they show your skills are current.
- How long should a CV be at 50-plus?
- Two pages is the UK norm. Long careers tempt people into three or four pages, but shorter usually reads better: cut older roles down and keep the detail for recent, relevant work.
- How do I show I am up to date with technology?
- Name the actual tools you use, such as Microsoft 365, Teams, Excel, Xero or your sector's software, and add any recent online courses. Use a modern email address and include your LinkedIn link if you have a profile.
Want it written for you?
Send us your current CV, however long or out of date, and we rewrite it into a tight, two-page, achievement-led UK CV for the job you want next. A CV rewrite is £25, CV plus a tailored cover letter is £40, and the full job-hunt pack with LinkedIn is £60. You get Word and PDF by email within 2 working days, all done by email with no calls.