resume format used in germany

How to Create a German-Style Resume

This page details how to create the perfect CV for the German job market. From formatting and structure to content and style, explore the ins and outs of creating a German-style resume below.

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German job seeker checklist

Our guide to the German Job Seekers Visa

How to write a German cover letter

Applying for jobs can be painstaking! It can be tiring and time-consuming, especially if you are receiving little or no response to your applications. You need interviews, and you need them fast. But more often that not, newcomers to Germany send in their age-old CV, unaware that the German job market has quite specific requirements when it comes to resumes.

Recruiters and hiring managers in Germany are largely creatures of familiarity – as they are often spending a few mere minutes (or seconds!) on your CV, they need to see a familiar structure and style that allows them to rapidly ascertain all the info they need to offer that all-important interview. So to avoid your application being tossed out at the very first instance, follow our tips and tick off all the key requirements for creating a CV that adheres to all the standard norms of a German-style resume.

1️⃣ How to format a German-style resume

Before anything else, let us talk about the German resume format. Here there are some standard expectations, which include:

CV length – in Germany, your CV should be no more than 2 pages.

Font – Opt for a simple, easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman or Arial. For a consistent look, maintain the same font across your German resume and cover letter.

Font size – The body of the text in your CV should be size 11–12 while the headings should be size 14–16.

Bullet points – When talking about your experience in different roles, use short, snappy bullet points rather than paragraphs.

Picture – believe it or not, it is commonplace for German-style resumes to include a high-quality, professional headshot in the top-left or top-right corner. While not mandatory, a picture is something that many German employers expect to see.

Language – as a general rule, your CV should be in the same language as the job advertisement. Unless you are applying for a German-speaking position or a position that requires a reasonable level of German, your CV should be written in English.

If you are a non-German speaker but provide a German CV, then this can easily give a misleading impression of your German language abilities (which may prove embarrassing come the interview stage).

File format – your German-style resume should be saved as a PDF document. We recommend using the following filename:

First name_Surname_CV.pdf

2️⃣ How to structure a German-style resume

While the content of your CV can of course be as unique as you are, this should all be contained within the confines of a fairly narrow structure. While a German-style resume allows a little flexibility, they generally always follow the same tried-and-tested composition:

Section 1: Personal Information

As seen the world over, your CV should start with your personal details. For German CVs, this should include:

Contact details (including phone number and email address). Being easily contactable is a must – employers will quickly move on if you cannot be easily reached.

Date of birth

A photo of yourself.

A personal statement. While not mandatory, a 2–3 line personal statement is becoming increasingly popular at the start of a CV. Here you provide a short, succinct summary of who you are and what you do – the goal is to pique the interest of the employer from the very start.

Section 2: Professional Work Experience

Next up is your professional experience. In a German-style resume, you should:

List your experience in reverse chronological order (i.e. your most recent experience should be listed first).

When listing your experience, include:

The company name.

Your job title at the company.

The relevant dates that you were with the company.

3 – 5 bullet points of what you did and achieved at the company.

Here is an example of how this might look:

Section 3: Education

Next on the list when structuring your German-style resume is your education. Here you should:

List your educational background in reverse chronological order (i.e. your most recent experience should be listed first).

When listing your educational background, include:

The institution name.

The qualification you obtained (including the grade you received).

The relevant dates that you were studying for the qualification.

Any specific courses or modules that you took within the qualification that relate to the job you are applying for.

Section 4: Other Skills and Qualifcations

Section 4 of your German-style resume offers up some more flexibility than the earlier sections. Here it is common to list:

Skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for. This may include details of your language capabilities or computing skills.

Voluntary work that you have been engaged in.

Additional training you have undertaken and certifications you have obtained.

Any awards or scholarships you have received.

❗ On the whole, German recruiters and hiring managers are clinical beings! Therefore, we do not recommend using up valuable space on your CV detailing hobbies or personal interests.

3️⃣ How to write a German-style resume

Now that you know the expected format and structure of a German-style resume, the next thing on your list should be the actual content.

Here you should ensure your content is:

✅ Hyper-focused

The job description will lay out what experience and skills the employer is looking for. The content in your CV should focus entirely on demonstrating that you have these skills and experience – therefore, omit experience that is not relevant to the role as well as superfluous personal details about yourself (unless specifically requested in the job description).

Be sure to include keywords from the job description in your CV without going overboard with keyword stuffing!

German recruiters and hiring managers receive 100s of CVs. To get yours noticed, it is imperative that your content is short, sharp and clear. We recommend using bullet points throughout your resume to help the employer quickly draw out the information they need to proceed you to the interview stage.

✅ Results-driven

As well as providing an overview of your previous roles and responsibilities, your CV should also demonstrate what you have achieved in these roles. For each experience listed, try and include not just what you did but also a concrete achievement within the role.

Do not embellish, exaggerate or make up skills and experience on your CV. This will likely be found out during the interview, which will almost certainly lead to you being rejected for the position.

✅ Error-free

In an era of spelling and grammar checkers, employers are unforgiving when it comes to errors in your CV. Proofread your CV carefully, run it through a spellchecker and wheedle out any errors before applying. You may have all the skills in the world but a simple typo can quickly give off a bad first impression.

4️⃣ An example of a German-style resume

Now that we have covered the format, structure and content of your German-style resume, you have all the information you need to put together a solid CV for the German job market.

To see how all our tips and suggestions look in practice, here is an example of a German-style resume that you can use for guidance:

We hope you have found this guide helpful and that you now have all the guidance and understanding you need to create a German-style resume. For more extensive tips on successfully finding work in Germany, explore our German Job Hunting Guide and German Job Board Guide .

How to Write a German Cover Letter

A simple guide to the german ‘steuernummer’.

German CV Template in English [Ultimate English Guide]

Researched & written

by Jen Palacios

May 27, 2024

If you’re searching for a German-style CV in English that will increase your chances of nailing more job interviews in Germany, then you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, you will find tips for creating a CV that follows the German format, as well as the chance to purchase our German CV template in English that you can use on your next job application.

According to a recent study done by Stepstone, 91% of HR recruiters name the CV as the most important document of an application .

Recruiters and HR spend less than 30 seconds scanning a CV before deciding whether it goes to the next round or not.

🖌️ Table of Contents

Simple German-style CV template in English

A CV is the first impression you will make. Like all first impressions, your CV only has a few seconds to impress hiring managers. The goal of your CV is to get you an invitation to a job interview .

“Remember, the person reviewing your CV may review 50+ others that day. Making it easy to quickly understand your information will make you stand out more than a quirky design or information overload.” by Jamie Rogers, Tech Recruiter in Germany working for Darwin Recruitment

We highly recommend investing some time in polishing your CV before applying for jobs in Germany. Here is an overview of the format German HR, recruiters, and hiring managers would expect in a CV:

If you don’t want to spend time designing your own CV, you can download our German-Style CV template in English from our shop.

Easy-to-edit CV template in English that follows German standards for Microsoft Word and Mac Pages
2 REAL WORLD CV Examples
50-page in-depth guide to nail each section in your CV
30-day money-back guarantee

How to write a German CV ( Lebenslauf ) in English

The expectation of a German recruiter might be different than what you are used to.

The German CV ( Lebenslauf ) is considered less of a marketing product and more of a factual document. You are encouraged to write real, hard facts and avoid all kinds of fluff or self-promoting sentences. HR departments in Germany prefer the KISS method: Keep It Short & Simple.

In Germany, a CV is between one and a maximum of two pages and has five or six sections. Let’s explore each one in more detail.

1. Personal Information

The minimum personal details you should include in this section are your name and your address. German recruiters expect to see a few more personal details about you, though. So if you don’t add all the personal information described below, be prepared to answer some similar questions during your interviews.

Good To Know

Just like in many other countries, it is illegal for companies to reject an application based on gender, age, race, or sexual orientation.

Most Germans include additional personal information in their CV. As an expat, it is important to understand how this extra information might help you in your application.

Passport size photo : As per Jamie, a tech recruiter in Germany, “ a profile picture should be professional but not too formal. Think happy, welcoming, and relaxed – not a formal suit and tie (unless you are searching for a job in law or finance). ” Germans will judge your professionalism based on this picture, so make it count! There are some foreign names that Germans are not used to hearing, so providing a photo might help them know what pronoun to use for you.
First and last name : Germans usually have only one first name and one last name. For those who have long names (I have two first and two last names), I would recommend using the first name you want to be called by and the last name. This reduces confusion on the employer’s side on what name to use. I had an Egyptian colleague who added all of her names to her application, and this led to confusion. The employer took her first two names and considered them to be a first and last name. This was a mess when they sent her the contract and set her email address.
Address : Don’t forget to include your country!
Phone number : Only add this if you have a German phone number . If your phone number is required, make sure to add it with the correct country code.
Email address : Use a professional email address consisting of your name.
Nationality : This could help the employer know if they will need to sponsor a work visa for you or not.
Date of birth : Written DD/MM/YYYY.
Short profile (optional) : A summary of your skills and qualifications. Mention in two to three sentences why you are relevant for the job you are applying for.

Additionally, feel free to add professional social networks, such as LinkedIn or the German Xing. If you are a techy, you must include your GitHub !

2. Work Experience

Start with your most recent job and highlight relevant experience for the position you are applying. For each position, make sure to include the:

Name of the company
Title of your position
Type of work you did : For example, part-time, full-time, internship, just for the project, etc.
Dates you were employed : Include the month and year.
Country
Key responsibilities : We recommend listing your responsibilities as bullet points to make it easier for the reader to scan through your CV. Remember to stick to the facts.
Translate achievements: Be sure to translate your responsibilities into factual achievements, e.g. increased sales by 20% or increased conversion by 15%.

Germans like to read ‘gapless’ curriculum vitae. So if you took a year off between your jobs to travel, you should mention this in your CV. Any gap above three months is worth mentioning in your CV.

Also, you are encouraged to mention any voluntary work you have done.

“Context is critical! That’s why ‘Work Experience’ is the most important part of a CV. It’s the part that we learn where and how you have applied the skills listed elsewhere in a CV.” by Jamie Rogers, Tech Recruiter in Germany in Darwin Recruitment

3. Education

This section should have your education, including secondary and higher education. You should list your latest education degree first. Each degree should include:

Name of your university or school
Program that you studied
Period you studied for : make sure to include the month and the year
City and country you studied in

Use this section to list any other relevant qualifications or skills to the role. Some examples of what you can include are:

Languages : Make sure to indicate the language and the proficiency level
Computer skills : Mention any IT skill you have which is relevant to the position
Relevant achievements or certificates
Driver’s license (optional): Some jobs might require you to drive the company car to go to fairs or for other purposes. So make sure to include the driver’s license you have and for what type of vehicle.

Read Our Related Guide

German Driving License Explained

5. Hobbies And Interests (Optional)

In this optional section, you can feel free to include any hobbies or interests that might be relevant to the position. Remember, Germans love facts, so if you add this section, make it short and sweet.

Also, try to be specific about your interests. Travel is very generic, and almost everyone loves to do it.

6. Your Signature

Bonus points if you add this to your CV. Germans usually sign their CV with the date and their name.

Once you have created your CV, download it as a PDF and then digitally sign it by using a tool like Smallpdf .

German or English – In which language should you write your CV?

If you are applying for an English-speaking job, it is a good idea to write your CV in English. Since you are applying for a job in Germany, chances are a German person will look over your CV. If you are learning German, you can write your CV in English and indicate in the language section that you are currently learning the language.

Can I work in Germany without speaking German?

If your German level is good enough, go for it! Just a word of caution, though: Germans, like any other sane person, dislike typos and grammatical errors. So you better have a native German proofread your CV. Also, make sure only to do this if your German is good enough to handle the interview in German as well. If you create your CV in German, you are already setting the expectations for your future employer that you have good German skills.

Regardless of the language you choose for your CV, make sure to follow the standards German hiring managers expect.

Final Thoughts

In this guide, you learned that a CV in Germany is a one to two-page factual document, and it is not used as a promotional tool. You can add your soft skills and other details of your experience in your cover letter .

German Cover Letter Guide with English Sample

German recruiters and employers expect to receive an application free of typos and grammatical mistakes. So only send your CV in German if you are truly confident with the language.

Download our German-Style CV template in English from our shop to save you time and clear all potential doubts about what to include in your resume for the German job market.

Remember only to include information that is relevant to your role and the job requirements. Now, it is time for you to scout the job market in Germany and get your dream job.

Happy job hunting!

About the Author

Jen Palacios is a researcher and writer at Simple Germany specializing in aiding international skilled workers to navigate the complexities of German life.

Jen brings a unique immigrant perspective to her writing. Beyond her professional pursuits, Jen is an avid learner with interests ranging from woodworking to web development.

She is committed to writing guides and producing YouTube videos for Simple Germany that provide practical guidance for internationals aiming to settle into life in Germany more smoothly.

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