Short answer
Sausage Dog offers four UK CV styles: Classic, Modern, Plain and Bold. They share the same wording, only the layout changes. Classic is the safe default. Pick by the kind of role you are applying for, and switch freely until one fits.
Why CV style matters in the UK
UK CVs are more factual and role-based than US resumes, less design-heavy, and weighted toward matching the job spec. A style that looks impressive in the wrong context can read as overwritten to a UK recruiter or confuse the applicant tracking system that sorts CVs before a human sees them. So the right style is not the flashiest one, it is the one that fits the role and gets your real experience read.
That is why we keep four. Each is tuned for a different kind of advert, and you can move between them without rewriting a word. For more on the underlying rules, see our guide to UK CV format.
The four styles
Classic
Best for: Doctors, nurses, plumbers, and most public sector roles
The traditional UK CV. A single column with sections in a fixed order, the format hiring panels and applicant tracking systems read most easily. If you are unsure, start here. It is the safe default that never works against you, and it is what NHS and public sector panels expect to see.
Modern
Best for: Paramedics, teachers, office and admin roles
A two-column layout: a sidebar for your credentials and numbers, the main column for the narrative. It reads fast and scans hard, which suits roles where a recruiter is skimming for specific qualifications or a quick sense of what you bring. Keep the sidebar factual and let the main column carry the story.
Plain
Best for: Teaching assistants, electricians, HGV drivers
A stripped-back CV with wide margins, generous spacing and no decoration. Built for adverts that screen for clarity above all, and for trades and support roles where the work history speaks for itself. Nothing here distracts from the facts, which is exactly the point.
Bold
Best for: Customer service, care workers, recruiters
A confident CV with a larger name block, strong section dividers, and room for a value statement up top. It suits people-facing roles where a bit of personality and a clear pitch help, without ever tipping into a design-heavy US-style resume that reads as overwritten to a UK recruiter.
How to pick in one minute
Default to Classic. Move to Modern if your qualifications and numbers are the headline and you want them to scan in a glance. Choose Plain when the advert is all about clarity and the work history carries itself. Choose Bold for people-facing roles where a short, confident pitch up top earns its place.
You do not have to commit. When Sausage Dog tailors your CV, you can preview all four and download whichever suits the advert, so the right call is just the one that looks right to you for that job.
Common questions
Which CV style should I choose?▾
If you are unsure, choose Classic. It is the traditional UK format that hiring panels and applicant tracking systems read most easily, and it never works against you. Pick Modern when you want credentials to scan fast, Plain when the role screens purely for clarity, and Bold for people-facing roles where a short pitch up top helps.
Does the CV style affect whether software can read my CV?▾
It can with badly built templates, but all four Sausage Dog styles are designed to parse cleanly. Classic and Plain are the most conservative single-column layouts, which is the safest choice if an advert mentions an applicant tracking system. Modern uses two columns but is still built to be read correctly. None of them hide your text inside images or unusual structures.
Can I try more than one style?▾
Yes. When Sausage Dog tailors your CV you can switch between Classic, Modern, Plain and Bold and download whichever fits the role, at no extra cost. The wording stays the same, only the layout changes, so you can match the format to the advert without redoing the work.
Is a design-heavy CV better for getting noticed?▾
Not in the UK. UK CVs are more factual and role-based than US resumes, and a heavily designed CV often reads as overwritten to a UK recruiter and can confuse parsing software. Bold gives you a confident, distinctive layout while staying within UK norms, which is the right balance for standing out without raising eyebrows.
Last updated 2026-06-13.