CV Services: 7 Best UK Sites for Hiring Professional Writers

Looking for CV services to help you write your CV? We understand.

Learning how to write a good CV can feel like tip-toeing through a minefield. Whether it’s following the right CV formatting rules, optimising your CV for applicant tracking systems (ATS), or understanding what employers are looking for in your industry, there’s a lot to consider when writing your CV — and a lot to get wrong.

Using a professional CV writing service can help you stand out in the job market and effectively highlight your skills to employers so you get more job interviews.

CV writing services specialise in creating compelling, well-organised CVs from scratch, normally for a fee.

But with so many to choose from, finding the right CV writer for your industry and experience level can be challenging — so we’ve rounded up 7 top UK-specific CV services that can help you put together a job-winning application.

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The 7 best CV writing services for applying to jobs in the UK

Here are seven of the best online CV services that will pair you with a CV writer and boost your chances of getting the job you want:

1. PurpleCV

With a no-template guarantee, PurpleCV is a bespoke CV writing service that aims to give job seekers a competitive edge by providing various personalised writing and coaching services.

One of the more affordable CV services in this roundup, PurpleCV has a staggered pay scale based on your level of experience. A CV for applicants with three years of experience or fewer costs just £50, while mid-level and senior-level CVs cost £95 and £110 respectively.

PurpleCV also offers a number of handy add-on services, including:

• cover letter writing (£40)
• LinkedIn profile writing (£50)
• interview coaching (from £60)
• high-quality CV printing, with 10–30 delivered to your door (from £17.50).

The site has a speedy average turnaround time of two days for entry, mid, and senior-level CVs. You can also get your first draft back in 24 hours by opting for their express service (£50).

If you’re applying for a niche position, PurpleCV offers a specialist CV writing service for £190. The average turnaround is five days, but you’ll be paired with a CV writer with considerable experience in your industry.

2. Sarah Lovell

A full-time CV writer with more than 11 years of professional experience, Sarah Lovell offers a highly personalised writing service that promises quality above all else.

Beginning with an in-depth assessment of your current CV (or review of your professional profile if you haven’t got a CV), Lovell crafts a CV that connects your skills and experience to the specific job you’re applying for.

An estimated deadline for writing your CV is set during your initial consultation, with a usual turnaround time of around seven working days.

Lovell charges £195–£475 to write a professional CV from scratch, making this one of the more expensive options on our list. But what you get in return is a more thoughtful, user-centric service than you might receive at larger CV writing agencies.

If you need a resume instead of a CV (and yes, there is a difference between a resume and a CV), Sarah Lovell also provides resume writing services (£85–£165). Other features include cover letter writing (£45–£75), personal statement support (custom pricing), interview prep (custom pricing), and LinkedIn profile writing (£95–£145 as an add-on service, £195–£315 as a standalone service).

3. TopCV

With the promise of ‘helping professionals build personal brands’, TopCV provides a range of one-on-one CV services to cater to different individual needs.

TopCV offers three packages you can choose between:

• Professional Growth package (a keyword-optimised CV — £99),
• Career Evolution package (featuring a CV, cover letter, and two revisions – £129)
• Executive Priority package (a CV, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile rewrite by an executive writer – £219)

We found this pricing to be a little expensive but offset by added perks like a 60-day interview guarantee (for the Career Evolution and Executive Priority packages) and TopCV’s extensive network of over 1,200 CV writers — making it easier to pair you with a professional who understands your specific industry.

All communication with TopCV writers is done through a dashboard, which we feel is a little impersonal. If you’d prefer to communicate with your writer over the phone, you can do so for an additional fee.

Overall, we considered TopCV to be an excellent mid-range service for professionals who are moving into a new industry or applying for their first job in a competitive field. The extensive pool of writers and close collaboration style means that TopCV is well-positioned to produce high-quality, targeted CVs that accurately address your individual needs.

4. PCVW

PCVW (Professional CV Writing) is a well-rounded careers consultancy that offers excellent CV writing services in addition to career support and coaching for interviews.

Prices for CV writing range from £149 for a starter CV to £329 for an executive CV, with four levels of service available depending on your experience level. PCVW can also write your cover letter, LinkedIn profile, professional bio, and personal statement.

Once you’ve chosen your package, PCVW will pair you with an experienced writer for an online or call-based consultation to gather all the information they need for your CV. There’s no time limit to these calls, but they typically take 1–2 hours. You’ll receive your first CV draft within five working days of the consultation. If you’re not happy with your initial draft, you can ask for as many revisions as you like.

Overall, PCVW offers a highly personalised, professional service, with knowledgeable CV writers who are able to create a detailed, purposeful CV using the information you give them. Customer support is excellent, and you can contact your CV writer in the evenings or on the weekend. The quality of the final product was excellent, and we found the pricing to be fair given the number of hours our writer committed to our application.

5. The CV Store

The CV Store is an established CV writing service with over 20 years of experience and superb customer support.

Rates for end-to-end writing services range from £79.97–£199.19, depending on your needs and experience level, and the standard completion time is three to five business days. But if you’re tight for time, you can opt for one- or two-day express completion during checkout.

The site also offers a same-day CV revamp service (£56.51) if your current CV just needs fine-tuning.

Instead of making bold guarantees that your new CV will get you a job interview, The CV Store offers excellent post-draft support. You’ll get unlimited updates for one year, during which time you can contact your writer to add new job entries and qualifications or make any other necessary tweaks to your CV.

6. Taylor CVs

Operating for over 24 years, Taylor CVs is an established producer of professional, industry-appropriate CVs.

Prices are very affordable, ranging from £50 for an entry-level CV to £200 for a specialist / C-level CV. Bundle packages, which include a cover letter and LinkedIn profile rewrite, are also available for £100–£250 depending on your level of experience.

After you make your purchase, Taylor CVs will ask you to send them your current CV and career objective — or if you haven’t written a CV before, they’ll send you a form you can fill out to give them all the information they need.

Taylor CVs promises a quick turnaround time, with a two- to three-day turnaround for the first draft and unlimited amendments for seven days. This gives you plenty of time to review and refine your CV until you’re completely satisfied with your application. However, it’s not quite as much aftercare as you’ll get from some other CV writing services.

With Taylor CVs you can expect a high degree of quality control given that the service uses an exclusively UK-based, full-time staff rather than relying on freelance writers from around the world.

7. The CV Centre UK

The CV Centre promises to ’empower your job search’ with a range of packages for different needs and experience levels.

Their CV writing rates are very affordable, starting at £40 for an early career CV. For academic, director, or C-level job applicants, The CV Centre also offers premium CV bundles that pair you with veteran CV writers with extensive writing experience.

If you’re not sure which package is right for you, The CV Centre offers a free 15-minute CV review, which they provide over the phone. A standout feature of this service is that your reviewer will give you specific, detailed feedback on your CV rather than just a numerical score (a common practice in free CV reviews), which will give you a more precise understanding of how your CV needs to be improved to start attracting more employers.

The CV Centre promises a two-day turnaround time on average (three days for specialists), with unlimited revisions until you’re happy with the final product. If you’re pressed for time, they also offer a very flexible express completion service, which ranges from £20–£60 in price, depending on when you need your CV (fastest turnaround: six hours).

How to choose the best CV service for you

Whether you’re writing a CV for your first job, trying to break into a new industry, or just more of a talker than a writer, hiring a CV service to write your CV is a great way to gain a competitive edge in the job market.

However, which CV writing service can best address your needs depends on your current experience level and job goals.

For example, if you’re an entry-level candidate, it’s often best to use service rates and first-draft turnaround time to help you pick a CV writing service. Employers are often more lenient when hiring for entry-level positions, and there’s more crossover in best CV practices between industries early on in your career.

On the other hand, if you’re applying for a more advanced position or navigating a career change, it’s wise to pick a service with specific experience in your industry, even if that service comes at a higher price. Slower turnaround times can also be an indicator of higher quality writing and more collaboration between you and your CV writer.

Frequently asked questions about CV writing services

Still weighing up your options? Here are three questions people often ask about CV writing services in the UK:

1. Why use a CV service?

There are several reasons why using a CV writing service might be right for you, including the following:

• You’re applying for your first job
• You’re applying for work in an unfamiliar industry
• You’re better at selling yourself in person than writing about your skills
• English isn’t your first language, and you need help advertising yourself to UK employers

CV writing services use professional CV writers with expertise in showcasing individual clients’ skills and experience to employers in various industries.

So when you use a CV writing service, you can feel reassured that you’ll get a CV that both looks professional and is appropriate for the specific job that you want.

2. Is it worth paying for a CV writing service?

Paying someone to write your CV is worthwhile if you don’t have much CV writing experience or are looking for a job in a competitive or unfamiliar industry.

CV writing services employ professional CV writers who are familiar with industry standards for CV writing and formatting. So they know how to present your experience and skills in a way that will impress the employer.

Even so, it’s worth doing your research before hiring a CV writer to ensure that the service you choose is knowledgeable enough about your speciality or experience level.

If you’re not sure about hiring a CV writer, a safe alternative is to use a CV builder to create a professional, job-specific CV using AI guided or expertly written CV prompts.

3. What’s the difference between a CV writing service and a CV builder?

CV writing services pair you with a professional CV writer who makes a professional CV for you using information that you provide.

CV builders are tools that guide you through the process of writing a CV. The best builders have features like:

• CV section writing prompts
• pre-written or AI-guided content
• custom CV templates
• feedback from CV experts

Using a CV builder can help you create an impressive, job-specific CV, even if you have no experience putting your professional skills into words.

More CV writing resources

Have more questions about writing your CV? Here are three more common questions to help you out:

• Are Canva CVs good for UK jobs?
• How do I make a CV on my phone?
• How long does it take to write a CV?
• How to do a CV online for free?
• Photo CV templates