Guides

Guide

Your first CV

Many of us have never written one. The good news is that a CV for life after the service follows a few simple rules.

Two ways to start

Either way, a draft is only the start. The rest of this guide helps you turn it into a CV that sounds like you: what to gather, what to keep, what to cut and how to check it.

Before you start

It helps to gather a few things first:

• The year you joined, and roughly when each role started and finished, including roles you held alongside your main job
• What you did before
• Numbers you can give: team size, caseload, people trained
• The full names of your courses and qualifications, with expiry dates; a photo of each certificate helps
• Any qualifications you gained before joining, such as the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP)
• Any vetting or clearance you hold, and whether you may share it
• Your driving licence categories and notice period
• One or two sentences, in your own words, about what you enjoy and want to bring next
• Anything you would rather leave off

Check that your dates agree throughout before anything else. Employers check them against your references.

One page is fine; two is the most

Employers skim. If one page covers it, stop there; there is no need to pad it out to two. Let the substance - dates, numbers, qualifications - decide the length. Your full service history can wait for the interview.

Lead with what you can do

Under your name, add a short headline of three things you do well, for example "Risk and safety | Crisis response | Developing people". Then open your profile with what you offer rather than your rank or grade. "Safety and investigations professional with twelve years' experience of high-pressure work" works harder than "Sergeant, twelve years' service" or "Paramedic, twelve years' service". Rank, force and dates belong in your experience section, where they back up what you say.

Show what you achieved, not what the job involved

Count things: cases, team size, people trained, incidents managed. Each line can follow a simple pattern - what you were responsible for, what you did, what changed as a result.

Not everything can be counted. For wellbeing or peer support work, describe what you did and the skills it took, rather than forcing a number.

Lose the jargon

Most employers will not know the abbreviations we used every day, from MG3s to ePCRs. Use the plain words in the table below, or the words in the job advert.

For courses and qualifications, give the full name first and the short form once in brackets, for example "Emergency Life Saving (ELS) Instructor". Someone from the service recognises the short form, anyone else understands the words, and application software finds both. Avoid loose translations that sound odd outside the service; "inspection and compliance" says more than "applying rules fairly".

Use your real job title

Use the title you actually held, or a plain equivalent such as "trainer and instructor". A title like "coach" can suggest a qualification you do not hold; describe coaching as something you did instead.

Say "I" for what you did

In the job it is always "we". On a CV, use "I" for your own actions and "we" only for team results.

Keep it broad until you know

If you are not yet sure where you are heading, keep your first CV open. Avoid a headline or closing line that names one sector; some of the best routes may be ones you have not thought of yet. Once the Skills Translator and Future opportunities have helped you choose a direction, narrow it down, then adjust it for each advert.

One CV for each kind of job

Once you know your direction, a CV for fraud investigation and a CV for project work should look different. Mirror the words in the advert; many employers use software that searches for them.

A simple layout

• Name, phone, email, town, and LinkedIn if you have it
• Headline: three things you do well
• Profile: three or four lines on what you can offer
• Key skills: five or six, in the employer's words
• Selected achievements, if you want them: two or three of your best results
• Experience: each role in plain words, with three to five achievements
• Qualifications and training, with full names (for example "Advanced investigative interviewing")
• Other: vetting held, driving licence, notice period

What to leave off

Personal experiences such as trauma, therapy or ill-health stay off the CV. If they led you to something, such as running a peer support group, include that and the skills it involved. Whether to talk about the rest at interview is your choice; our Gaps and difficult questions guide will help.

Leave off a photo too. In the UK, photos do not belong on application CVs; save one for LinkedIn.

Qualifications you may already hold

Many people hold qualifications without realising. A few examples for each service:

Completing training is not always the same as being awarded a qualification recognised outside the service, so check what you actually hold. Some people leave after a long career with few external qualifications; the experience still counts, and the Skills Translator shows it. To check:

• Look for the certificate, from Pearson or Edexcel, City & Guilds, SFJ Awards, Qualsafe or a first aid provider
• Ask your force, service or trust Learning and Development team for your training record
• Check your free online Personal Learning Record, which covers most regulated qualifications since about 2010
• Ask the awarding body, which can confirm and reissue a certificate for a fee

The Skills Translator has a qualifications check to help you spot what you may hold.

Two versions of the same CV

Use whatever tool suits you: Word, Pages, Google Docs or Canva. It helps to keep two versions. A designed version, saved as a PDF, is for people: emailing a named contact, networking, or printing for an interview. A plain, single-column Word version is for job sites, employer portals and recruitment agencies, and it is also the easiest copy to keep up to date.

A quick test: open your PDF, select all, copy, and paste into a blank email. If it reads in order, a portal will probably manage it; if it comes out scrambled, use the plain version.

Using AI tools

AI tools can help you check and improve a CV, but they should not write it for you. Every line needs to be true, in words you could explain at interview. Our Using AI well guide shows how to use them safely.

First impressions count

Spelling and grammar matter more than most people expect; a single mistake can count against you. Read it aloud, use the spelling checker, then ask someone you trust to read it with fresh eyes before you send it.

An example, before and after

An invented example, not a real person's CV.

Guide

Using AI well

Many of us now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude. Used well, they save time and help you find the right words. Used badly, they can cost you the job. The simple rule: you write it, AI helps you improve it.

Good ways to use it

• Exploring options: ask which kinds of work use skills like yours, then check the answers against real adverts and our Future opportunities page.
• Understanding an advert: ask it to explain unfamiliar terms, or to list what the employer is really asking for.
• Finding plain words: ask how to describe a task from the job to someone outside the service, then check it is still accurate.
• Checking your draft: spelling, grammar, clarity and word count.
• Getting past a blank page: ask for a structure, then fill it with your own examples.
• Practising for interview: ask for likely questions, then answer them out loud in your own words.

Where to stop

• Do not let it write from scratch. Write your own first draft, then ask it to improve it.
• Never let it invent or inflate. If something is on your CV, an interviewer can ask about it.
• Never use it during an online test or interview. Many employers forbid it and may withdraw your application.
• Do not send the same AI-written application to lots of jobs. Each one should be written for that role.

Keep information safe

• Never paste in case details, names, intelligence, vetting information or internal documents.
• Leave out your own address and phone number too. Many tools store what you type.

Keep your own judgement

Before you send anything, read every line and ask: is it true, could I explain it at interview, does it sound like me, and is it right for this employer? Employers notice: in a 2025 survey, nearly three in four hiring managers said they can spot AI-written CVs and cover letters.

Follow each employer's rules

Some employers, including Civil Service departments, publish guidance on what they allow. Most accept AI for research, planning and checking spelling and grammar, but not for writing your answers or during tests and interviews. Check the advert, and if you are unsure, ask the recruitment team before you apply.

Drawn from candidate guidance published by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Royal Household, advice from Prospects, and a 2025 Robert Walters survey. Sources

Guide

LinkedIn

More people who left found their next job through people they knew than through job boards. LinkedIn is the easiest way to reach those people, and to be found by them. A profile does not need to be clever. It needs to say clearly what you can do and what you are looking for.

While you are still serving

Check your force or service social media policy before you change anything. Nothing operational, nothing about cases, incidents or colleagues, and nothing critical of the service. If you are not ready for people to know you are looking, LinkedIn's "Open to work" setting can be shown to recruiters only, rather than as a frame on your photo. LinkedIn says it tries to hide this from people at your own organisation but cannot promise it, so use it with that in mind.

Your photo

Head and shoulders, with your face filling most of the frame. Natural light, a plain background, a relaxed expression, and recent enough that people would recognise you. Avoid AI-generated headshots, which look slightly wrong and undermine trust. Think carefully before using a photo in uniform: it tells everyone where you work.

Your headline

The line under your name travels with everything you do on LinkedIn, so it matters more than any other. Put the words an employer would search for first, then your background, then where you are heading. For example:

• "Safeguarding and investigations | 12 years in policing | Moving into counter fraud"
• "Health and safety and training | Firefighter and instructor"
• "Clinical assessment and patient care | Paramedic | Interested in primary care roles"

Leave out words like "passionate" and long strings of job titles. Change the headline when your direction changes, not every week.

Your About section

Three or four short paragraphs, written in the first person:

• What you have done, in plain words. For example: "For twelve years I worked where things go wrong: incidents, investigations and people on their worst day."
• What you bring. Three strengths, using the words from your Skills Translator results.
• Proof. One or two facts with numbers, such as teams led, people trained or cases managed.
• What you are looking for, and how to get in touch.

Only the first two lines show before "see more", so make those count.

Experience

Use the same lines as your CV: what changed because you were there, not a list of duties. Use your real job title, with a plain explanation if it would puzzle an outsider. The Skills Translator and our Your first CV guide help with both.

Skills and recommendations

Add the skills that match the work you want, in plain words, and pin the three that matter most. One or two specific recommendations from a former supervisor, colleague or partner agency carry more weight than many vague ones. Ask soon after you leave, while your work is fresh in their mind, and suggest what they might mention.

Reaching out

The most useful people to connect with are those who have already made the move you are thinking about. A short note helps:

"Hello [name], I am a [role] thinking about moving into [area], and saw you made a similar move from [service]. Would you be open to a short chat about what it was like? No problem at all if not."

Keep it short, give a clear reason, ask for something small, and make it easy to say no. Never send a request that asks for a job.

Two settings worth knowing

• Since November 2025, LinkedIn uses some members' data to train AI unless they switch it off. The setting is in Settings and Privacy, under Data privacy, then "Data for Generative AI Improvement". Whether you switch it off is your choice.
• Verifying your identity is free and adds a small badge that helps people trust your profile.

Before you finish

• Photo, headline and About done
• Experience written as outcomes
• Three skills pinned
• One recommendation requested
• Two people who have made the move contacted

The example headlines and messages are invented. LinkedIn changes its settings often, so check its help pages if something has moved. Sources

Guide

Applications

Most employers ask for some combination of a CV, an application form, a supporting statement or a cover letter. The principles are the same whichever they ask for: show you meet what they asked for, with evidence, in their words.

Read the advert twice

Most adverts include a list of what the employer needs, often split into essential and desirable. Treat the essential list as the questions you must answer. Highlight each requirement, then note an example from your own experience next to it. If you can evidence most of the essentials, apply. Few people meet every point.

Match their words

Many employers use software to sort applications before a person reads them, and people skim. Use the words in the advert where they truthfully describe what you did. If they say "stakeholder management", say that rather than "liaising with partner agencies".

Evidence, not claims

"Good communicator" proves nothing. A short example does. A simple shape works for almost any question:

• the situation, in one line
• what you did, which is most of the answer
• what changed as a result, with a number if you have one

For example: "A vulnerable adult was refusing help after a fall at home. I spent time building trust, arranged a joint visit with adult social care, and she accepted a care package that week."

Many forms ask for examples against particular skills or behaviours. Pick a different example for each where you can, and keep a note of which ones you used.

Supporting statements and cover letters

Go through the essential requirements in the order the advert lists them, with a short paragraph or a few lines for each. Open with why you want this role, and close with what you would bring. Keep to any word limit, and if there is none, one to two pages is usually enough.

Applying through an agency

Recruitment agencies can open doors, especially for contract and interim work. Ask what the role is, who the employer is and what it pays before they send your CV anywhere, and keep track of where it has gone.

Approaching an employer directly

Not every job is advertised. A short, specific email to a named person, saying what you can offer and asking whether they ever take on people with your background, can lead somewhere. LinkedIn helps you find the right person.

Before you press send

• Check every essential requirement has an example
• Use the advert's words where they are true
• Make sure your dates agree with your CV
• Remove service jargon
• Spell-check, then read it aloud
• Save a copy of what you sent

Afterwards

Keep a simple list of what you applied for, when, and what happened. Some employers reply within days, and some take weeks or never reply at all. A rejection is usually about the field of applicants, not about you. If you reach interview and are turned down, ask for feedback. Many employers will give it.

The examples are invented, not from real people. Sources

Guide

Interviews

An interview is a conversation about whether you can do the job and whether you would fit. Most of us have sat on the other side of hard conversations for years. This one is easier than it feels.

Kinds of interview

• Panel interviews, with two or three people asking set questions. These are common in the public sector and in larger employers.
• Competency or behaviour interviews, which ask for examples of times you did something.
• Strengths-based interviews, which ask what you enjoy and what comes naturally.
• Video interviews, live or recorded. Test the link, the sound and the light beforehand.
• Assessment centres, which can include group exercises, presentations or written tasks.

If the invitation does not say which kind it is, it is fine to ask.

Prepare five stories

Most questions can be answered from five or six well-chosen examples. Pick ones that show leadership, handling pressure, working with others, solving a problem, and one where something went wrong and you learned from it. Use the same shape as in applications: the situation in a line, what you did, and what changed. Say them aloud until they take about two minutes each.

Questions you are likely to hear

• "Tell us about yourself." Two minutes on what you have done, what you bring and why this role.
• "Why do you want to leave the service?" Short, honest and forward-looking. Our Gaps and difficult questions guide helps.
• "How will you cope without the structure?" Say what you have already done to prepare.
• "What would you do in your first three months?" Show you have read about the organisation.

Translate as you speak

Under pressure, service words come back. Practise saying "team of eight" rather than "my shift", and "investigation" rather than "job". If you use a term, explain it in a few words.

Your questions for them

Have two or three ready, such as what success looks like in the first year, how the team works, and what training is offered. Asking good questions shows you are choosing them too.

Afterwards

A short thank-you email the same day is a good habit. If it is a no, ask for feedback. Most people need several interviews before the right offer, and every one makes the next easier.

The example questions are common ones, not from any one employer. Sources

Guide

Talking about pay

Pay conversations can feel uncomfortable, especially if your pay was always set by a scale. Outside the service, most pay is agreed between you and the employer, and a polite conversation is expected.

Know your number

Work out what you earn now in total: basic pay, overtime, shift allowances and London weighting. Then add what your employer pays into your pension, which in the service is far more than most employers pay. The legal minimum employer pension contribution is 3 percent of qualifying earnings. Our pay comparison shows how roles compare.

Know the going rate

Look at several adverts for similar roles, the National Careers Service job profiles, and salary surveys from recruitment agencies. Pay often varies by region, sector and the size of the organisation.

When pay comes up

Many adverts show a salary range. If you are asked what you earn now, you can give your total package, or say what you are looking for instead: "Based on the role and my experience, I am looking for around [figure]." Aim for a figure within the advertised range that reflects what you bring.

Negotiating an offer

It is normal to discuss an offer. Thank them, say you are keen, and ask whether there is flexibility. Salary is not the only thing that can move: the start date, annual leave, flexible or hybrid working, training and the level of the role can all be discussed. Ask once, politely, and give a reason. Get the final offer in writing.

The pension

Leaving can affect your pension a great deal. This guide cannot give financial advice. Before you resign or accept a role, check your position with your pension scheme, your union or staff association, or an independent financial adviser. MoneyHelper offers free, impartial guidance.

Not financial advice. Sources

Guide

Working for yourself

Many people already have a business or second job alongside the service, and for others, working for themselves is the plan. Service skills translate well into training, consultancy, inspection and trades. It helps to know the basics before you start.

While you are still serving

Sole trader or limited company

Most people start as a sole trader: simple to set up, with you and the business treated as one for tax. A limited company is a separate legal body, with more paperwork and different tax rules. An accountant can help you choose.

Tax and records

• You can earn up to £1,000 a year from self-employment tax-free under the trading allowance.
• Above that, register for Self Assessment with HMRC by 5 October after the end of the tax year in which you started.
• Keep records of income and costs from day one.
• From April 2026, sole traders with income over £50,000 must keep digital records and send quarterly updates under Making Tax Digital. The threshold falls to £30,000 from April 2027.

This is general information, not tax advice.

Turning service skills into work

• Training, such as first aid, conflict management or health and safety. You will usually need a recognised teaching or assessing qualification and an awarding body.
• Fire risk assessment and safety consultancy. This needs qualifications, registration and supervised experience, as Future opportunities explains.
• Investigation or consultancy work, often through associate arrangements with larger firms.
• Trades and other businesses you may already run.

Most client-facing work needs professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Check what your sector expects.

Finding your first clients

Start with people who know your work: former colleagues, partner agencies and your own network. A clear LinkedIn profile, a simple description of what you offer and a fair price usually matter more than a website at the start.

Free help

• GOV.UK, on setting up and registering.
• Your local Growth Hub in England, Business Gateway in Scotland, or Business Wales.
• Start Up Loans, a government-backed scheme offering loans of £500 to £25,000 with a year of free mentoring.

General information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Sources

Guide

Gaps and difficult questions

Most of us dread one question more than any other: why did you leave? A gap on a CV can bring the same worry. Employers usually spend far less time on this than people fear, and a short, honest answer almost always serves you best.

Short, honest, forward

Two or three sentences are enough: what happened, in plain words, then what you are looking for now. Practise it aloud until it feels natural. You do not owe anyone your whole story, and an interview is not the place to relive it.

Why you left

Most reasons need very little explanation. For example:

• "After twelve years, it was time to use what I had learned in a different way, with more say over my hours."
• "My family circumstances changed, and shift work no longer fitted."
• "The job meant a great deal to me. Now I want to build on my experience of [skill], which is what drew me to this role."

Avoid criticising your service or former colleagues, even with good reason. It tends to say more about the speaker than the service.

If you are leaving through injury or ill-health

You decide how much to say. In England, Scotland and Wales, employers generally cannot ask about your health or disability before they offer you a job. There are a few exceptions, such as checking whether you need adjustments for an interview or test, or whether you can do a part of the job that is essential to it. Once a job is offered, an employer can ask, and the offer can depend on a health check.

A short answer is often enough: "My health meant leaving the service. That gave me time to think about what I want next, and this role is it."

If you need changes at work because of a health condition or disability, Access to Work, a government scheme, can help pay for practical support. If your health was affected by the job, support does not stop when you leave; Looking after yourself lists where to start.

If you are leaving after a misconduct or performance process

This is for anyone in that position, whatever the outcome and however you feel about it. You still have skills and experience worth describing, and most work stays open to you.

While a process is running, you have the right to be represented or accompanied:

• Police: a police friend, often a Federation representative, can represent you, and at misconduct hearings you may be legally represented.
• Fire and ambulance: you have the right to be accompanied at a disciplinary hearing by a union representative or a colleague.

Ask for advice early, before any meeting if you can.

What may come up later: references must be accurate and fair, and many employers give only your dates and job title. A detailed reference can include disciplinary records that are recent and relevant. Other checks depend on your service; Future opportunities explains the police barred list, the position in fire and rescue, and HCPC registration for paramedics.

If you are asked, be honest and brief, take responsibility where that is right, and say what has changed since. For example: "There was a disciplinary process, and it ended my time in the service. [One line on what happened.] It changed how I [what you do differently], and now I am looking for..."

If the process is still running, or you are thinking about an appeal, check with your representative before putting anything in writing. If there was a criminal conviction, the rules on when you must mention it are different. Unlock and Nacro give free, confidential advice.

Gaps on your CV

A gap needs a line, not a paragraph: the dates and a few words. For example, "2024 to 2025: career break, caring for a family member", "2025: time out for health reasons" or "2026: retraining in fire risk assessment". Anything you did during the gap counts, such as courses, volunteering, caring or a small business.

Practise, and get help

Say your answers aloud to someone you trust, and ask where it sounded uncomfortable. For help:

• your union or staff association
• Acas, on references and disciplinary procedures
• Citizens Advice, on your rights at work
• Unlock and Nacro, on criminal records
• Access to Work, on support at work after injury or ill-health
• Looking after yourself, on the Closing the chapter page

The examples are invented, not from real people. This is not legal advice. Sources