Examples & writing guide
Underwriter CV example and writing guide for 2026
Updated 16 July 2026
This underwriter CV example guide shows how to turn risk decisions, portfolio responsibility and commercial results into evidence a recruiter can assess quickly. Use it to write a clear CV for your career stage, drawing only on figures and claims you can defend. If you are moving into broader risk work, see this risk manager CV example.
Examples by experience level
Junior Underwriter CV
TemplateNavy Atlas4 / 5
Why this works
This entry-level underwriter CV pairs early underwriting experience with transferable insurance administration skills, while every result uses a clear and defensible measure.
Continue writing your CVMid-level Underwriter
TemplateTeal Signal2 / 5
Why this works
This underwriter CV template shows progression from support work to delegated commercial underwriting, with clear evidence of portfolio scale, decision quality and broker service.
Continue writing your CVSenior Underwriter
TemplateGrey Frame5 / 5
Why this works
This example makes the candidate's authority, commercial-lines scope, portfolio size and results easy to assess, while showing progression from case support to portfolio leadership.
Continue writing your CVJunior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Risk decisions | Shows how information was gathered and analysed to support recommendations, referrals, and acceptance or premium decisions within assigned responsibility. | Shows ownership of complex risk decisions, the scale of the portfolio involved and the commercial outcomes achieved. |
| Authority and escalation | Explains how approved financial limits were followed and cases outside personal authority were referred with clear supporting evidence. | States the scale of underwriting authority held and shows sound judgement on exceptions, referrals and portfolio exposure. |
| Performance evidence | Uses modest, defensible measures such as case volumes, quality results, turnaround times or record accuracy. | Leads with portfolio measures such as premium volume, book size, loss ratio, hit ratio and retention, using only figures that can be defended. |
| Stakeholder work | Shows clear liaison with internal teams, specialists and external contacts to move individual cases towards a conclusion. | Shows influence across larger stakeholder groups and explains how relationships supported coverage, pricing or portfolio decisions. |
| Systems and records | Demonstrates accurate, secure creation and maintenance of insurance records in organisational IT systems. | Names relevant underwriting systems and data sources, then links them to analysis, oversight or better decision quality. |
| CV emphasis | Gives more space to transferable analysis, problem solving, education and evidence of learning while keeping role claims proportionate. | Prioritises underwriting authority, lines of business, premium volume, leadership scope and measurable portfolio results. |
How to write an underwriter CV
Choose a clear structure
Use a single-column CV with standard headings, a plain font and generous spacing. Avoid graphics, text boxes, columns and decorative tables in the CV itself. A reverse-chronological format puts your latest role first and lets recruiters see how your judgement, authority and commercial responsibility have developed. One or two pages is a sensible target for a mid-level underwriter; less experienced candidates should not pad the document, while senior candidates can use a second page when their portfolio scope and leadership evidence justify it.
Arrange the sections in this order:
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Contact details | Name, UK location, mobile number, professional email and optional LinkedIn profile |
| Personal statement | Current level, underwriting specialism, scope and one or two proven results |
| Skills | Technical and interpersonal strengths that match the vacancy |
| Experience | Roles in reverse order, supported by concise achievement bullets |
| Education | Awarded qualifications, institution names and dates |
| Additional details | Relevant development, languages, membership or volunteering only |
Keep the personal statement focused. In three or four lines, identify your level, type of underwriting work and strongest evidence. If you have portfolio or delegated authority experience, make its scale easy to spot. An entry-level applicant can instead draw on numerical study, insurance administration, accurate record keeping or trusted handling of confidential information. Avoid broad claims such as "excellent communicator" unless the experience section proves them.
Treat experience as the centre of the underwriter CV. Describe decisions, referrals and results rather than copying a list of duties. Where disclosure permits, give context through book size, case volume, retention, hit ratio or loss ratio. State the line of business and underwriting authority when they help a recruiter understand your level. Use only accurate, non-confidential figures.
Build the skills section after reading the vacancy. Include hard and soft skills that genuinely match its essential criteria. Mirror exact terms such as "commercial lines" or "specialty" only when they describe your background. If relevant, name systems and data sources you have actually used, including Guidewire, Duck Creek, Verisk or LexisNexis. A short, credible list is better than a crowded block of keywords.
Keep education compact once your recent work provides stronger evidence. Give each awarded qualification, subject, institution and completion year. Mark current study accurately rather than making it look completed. Extras should earn their space: include a language, professional membership, course or volunteering activity when it adds something relevant to the application.
Before submitting, check that dates, job titles and formatting are consistent. Read every bullet aloud and remove repeated openings, vague adjectives and unsupported claims. Save the final version in the file format requested by the employer and use a straightforward filename containing your name and the role.
Personal statement examples
Commercial underwriter with six years' experience managing a £12.4m regional portfolio within delegated authority. Improved renewal retention from 82% to 88% while maintaining disciplined risk selection, and worked with brokers and internal specialists to resolve complex referrals. Brings careful data analysis, clear decision records and calm judgement under deadline pressure.
Hard-working underwriter looking for a new challenge in a successful company. I have excellent communication skills, good attention to detail and experience with many insurance tasks. I work well alone or as part of a team and always give 100%.
Writing your experience
Write about decisions and outcomes
An underwriter experience section should show what changed because of your work. Use a simple pattern: action + scope + method + result. Scope tells the reader how substantial the work was; the result shows whether it mattered. Depending on your genuine experience, scope could cover portfolio value, case volume, delegated authority or a line of business. Results could include retention, hit ratio, loss ratio, turnaround time or quality-assurance performance.
Begin with a precise verb. Useful choices include assessed, analysed, approved, declined, referred, priced, negotiated, reviewed, renewed, escalated and documented. Openings such as "helped with" or "responsible for" leave the reader guessing about your contribution.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Responsible for reviewing applications | Assessed 35 to 45 commercial applications each week, documented recommendations and referred cases above delegated authority |
| Helped improve renewals | Reviewed a £4.8m renewal book and agreed revised terms with brokers, lifting retention from 81% to 86% over 12 months |
| Updated records on the system | Cleared a 220-case record backlog in six weeks and raised complete-file quality checks from 91% to 98% |
The revised bullets answer the questions left by the originals: how much work was involved, what the candidate did and what happened afterwards. They also reveal seniority. An assistant underwriter might show assessment of client risk, contributions to accept-or-decline and premium decisions, and appropriate referral of cases beyond approved financial authority. A more experienced candidate can give greater weight to authority, premium volume, lines of business and ownership of portfolio results.
Numbers need context. "Improved retention by 5%" says less than "raised renewal retention from 82% to 87% across a £6.2m commercial book" because the first version hides the starting point and scope. Do not invent a number or disclose restricted information. If exact commercial figures cannot be shared, use an employer-approved range or a safe operational measure such as monthly case volume, turnaround time or audit performance.
Show the process when it proves judgement. A strong bullet might explain that you gathered information from several sources, analysed it, recorded a recommendation and referred the case when appropriate. Mention liaison with colleagues, specialists or external stakeholders when that work brought a case to a successful conclusion. Record keeping deserves evidence too: an improvement in file completeness, processing accuracy or backlog size is more persuasive than "maintained system records".
Keep each bullet to one or two lines. Put the most relevant result near the beginning and remove background that the job title already explains. Use past tense for completed achievements. Present tense can describe continuing work in a current position, although a finished result still takes the past tense.
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
List education in reverse-chronological order, giving the awarded qualification, subject, institution and completion year. Once you have several years of relevant work, keep this section brief so recent underwriting decisions and portfolio results receive more space. Earlier-career candidates can add selected modules, projects or assessed outcomes when those details demonstrate useful numerical, analytical or communication work. Describe the evidence, rather than pasting a course synopsis.
The UK Insurance Practitioner apprenticeship is one route that can lead to underwriting. On that specific route, the supporting qualification is either the Certificate in Insurance (Cert CII) or the Certificate in Claims Handling (Cert CILA). This is conditional guidance for that apprenticeship, not a universal entry requirement for every underwriting vacancy. Candidates following its qualification-credit route must complete the mandatory modules specified by the awarding body. Record the exact qualification and the modules you completed instead of relying on a vague label.
The apprenticeship is also described as a first step on the route towards the Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII). Do not imply that later study has been completed merely because you have started the apprenticeship route. Record professional membership only if it was actually awarded through your particular route, and use the exact membership description and organisation shown in your own documents. This avoids implying that every candidate receives the same membership outcome.
| Status | Clear CV wording |
|---|---|
| Awarded | Full qualification name, institution or issuer, completion year |
| In progress | Full qualification name, "In progress", expected completion date |
| Professional membership | Exact membership description, organisation and status |
| Relevant development | Course title, provider and completion date |
Distinguish carefully between awarded, in-progress and planned learning. Give a completion year for an awarded qualification. For current study, state "In progress" and add an honest expected completion date if known. Leave planned study off the CV until you have enrolled, unless an application specifically asks about future development.
Spell out an unfamiliar qualification on first mention, followed by its accepted abbreviation in brackets. Check every title against the original certificate or membership record. Remove abandoned or unrelated training unless it helps explain a career change. The section should let a recruiter see, without interpretation, what you have completed, what you are studying now and what remains only an intention.
Common mistakes to avoid
AvoidListing underwriting duties without showing the scale or result of the work.
InsteadAdd defensible figures such as book size, premium volume, loss ratio, hit ratio or retention. Lead with the action and make clear what changed.
AvoidLeaving underwriting authority, financial limits and escalation decisions vague.
InsteadState the authority or limits you worked within when you can disclose them, then show how you identified and referred cases outside that scope.
AvoidUsing a broad skills list that is disconnected from the vacancy.
InsteadRead the job description and use its exact, truthful terms for the relevant specialism, such as commercial lines or specialty underwriting. Include a balanced mix of hard and soft skills.
AvoidNaming software without showing how it supported underwriting work.
InsteadConnect each relevant system or data source to a task, such as maintaining insurance records, analysing risk information or documenting a referral.
AvoidSubmitting a designed CV with multiple columns, graphics or unusual headings.
InsteadUse a single-column layout with familiar section headings and straightforward fonts so the underwriter CV remains easy to read and process.
AvoidTreating confidentiality and regulatory compliance as generic claims.
InsteadGive concise evidence of how you protected sensitive information, followed organisational policy and applied the regulatory requirements relevant to your role.
Frequently asked questions
One or two pages is a sensible target for a mid-level underwriter CV. Keep the strongest and most recent evidence, use reverse-chronological order and remove repeated duty statements.
Use examples that prove careful analysis, problem solving, confidential data handling, accurate record keeping, deadline management and sound referral judgement. Keep the wording honest and connect transferable evidence to the vacancy rather than claiming underwriting decisions you have not made.
No. A British-style CV normally leaves out a photo and date of birth; use the space for relevant skills, experience and measurable evidence.
Use truthful terms from the job description, especially its wording for the relevant specialism. Depending on your experience, useful grounded terms can include risk assessment, underwriting authority, premium decisions, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, stakeholder liaison and case referral.
Yes, where you have genuinely used them. Name relevant systems such as Guidewire or Duck Creek and data sources such as Verisk, then explain what you used each one to do.
Translate earlier work into evidence of analysis, judgement, stakeholder communication, prioritisation, confidentiality and accurate records. Quantify the scope or result where possible, but use only figures you can defend.
From example to application
Turn this underwriter example into a CV that sounds like you.
Keep the structure that works. Tailor the details around your experience, strengths, and the role you want.