German CV format: what employers in Germany expect.
A tabular Lebenslauf, usually with a photo and your signature at the end. Upload your CV and a job ad, and Resume Copilot builds a German-format CV for that role, in the language of the ad.
What a German CV looks like.
Based on the Federal Employment Agency's CV guidance. Resume Copilot applies it to your own career history.
The German CV format is a tabular Lebenslauf: your career in a two-column table, newest role first, closed with place and date and, optionally, a signature.
- One to two pages
- Photo customary, not required
- Month and year for every entry
- Cover letter and certificates attached
A German CV, from top to bottom.
Personal details and photo
Name, address, phone number and email come first, often in a header. Date and place of birth are usually included; nationality and family details are voluntary. A photo goes in the top part of the CV, usually at least 4 × 6 cm.
Work experience
The newest role comes first. Each entry has a month-and-year range in the left column, such as 03/2021 – 08/2024, and the employer, location, job title and a short description in the right one.
Education and training
Degrees, vocational training and further education, again newest first.
Skills and languages
Language skills and computer skills go here. Volunteer work and hobbies are optional; the Federal Employment Agency suggests including them when they relate to the job or make a good talking point.
Place, date and signature
End with the place and date, matching your cover letter. A signature at the end is optional. The Federal Employment Agency says it is not strictly necessary, but it shows the CV is current.
US résumé or UK CV versus German Lebenslauf.
Photo
US/UK: usually without a photo. Germany: a photo is common.
Structure
US/UK: bullet points under each role. Germany: a table with the dates on the left and the details on the right, newest first and with no gaps.
Personal details
US/UK: name and contact details only. Germany: name, address, phone and email, plus date and place of birth. Nationality and family details are voluntary.
Dates and gaps
US/UK: year ranges are common. Germany: month and year for every entry. Gaps of more than two months should be explained, for example as “job seeking” or “parental leave”.
Ending
US/UK: the résumé stops after the last section. Germany: place and date close the page, with an optional signature.
Attachments
US/UK: references on request. Germany: a cover letter (Anschreiben) and copies of your certificates and employer references (Zeugnisse) travel with the CV.
Writing an English CV for a German employer.
Write in the language of the job ad. An English ad means an English CV and cover letter; a German ad usually means German documents. Make it in Germany advises reading the ad closely, because its last lines often say which documents to send. The University of Hohenheim's careers service lists a German CV in weak German among its no-gos, so if your German is not yet good enough to write it well, an English CV is the stronger choice.
In English, the CV keeps its German shape. These are the points where an English CV for Germany differs from a UK CV or a US résumé.
English headings, German structure
Use English headings such as Work experience, Education and Skills, and keep the German order: a table with the dates on the left, the newest entry first and no unexplained gaps.
Dates a German reader cannot misread
Give month and year as 03/2021 – 08/2024. A full date in the US style, such as 03/08/2024, reads as 3 August to a German employer.
Language levels on the CEFR scale
Give each language a level from the Common European Framework of Reference, as Make it in Germany suggests, for example German: B2 and English: C1. An employer reading an English CV will want to know how well you speak German.
Degrees and grades they can compare
Keep the original name of each degree and add a short English description where it helps. The Hohenheim checklist advises converting all your grades into one system so they can be compared.
Your German address
If you already live in Germany, give your German address. The Hohenheim checklist recommends it because it shows you are available.
Certificates in German or English
Your Zeugnisse go with the CV in either language. Make it in Germany advises having certificates translated into German or English, and EURES notes that smaller employers in particular may want German translations.
Photo, length and the closing line follow the same conventions as a German-language CV. Only the words change.
How Resume Copilot applies these conventions.
You upload an application photo and crop it in the editor. A handwritten signature, uploaded as a scan or a phone photo, appears at the end of your cover letter. The language follows the job ad: an English ad gives you an English CV and cover letter, a German ad a German one, both from the same profile. Resume Copilot works in German and English.
Build my German CVTranslate your CV to German nowQuestions about the German CV format.
Do I need a photo on a German CV?
No, but it is still customary. A job ad may not explicitly demand a photo under Germany's General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), and photos remain common anyway. If you use one, it goes in the top part of the CV, usually at least 4 × 6 cm. In Resume Copilot you upload the photo and crop it in the editor.
Do I sign a German CV?
A signature is optional, and the official guides differ. EURES advises you to sign and date your CV, the Federal Employment Agency says a signature is not strictly necessary but shows the CV is current, and the University of Hohenheim's checklist calls place, date and signature unnecessary. Resume Copilot puts your handwritten signature at the end of the cover letter.
Is a two-page CV too long in Germany?
No. The Make it in Germany portal recommends one page ideally and names two pages as the upper limit. A second page is fine when every line earns its place.
Can I write my German CV in English?
Yes, when the job ad is in English or the employer works in English. The format stays German and only the language changes; the section above lists what to watch. Resume Copilot follows the ad, so one profile gives you both versions.
Which personal details belong on a German CV?
Name, address, phone number and email address. Date and place of birth are usually included; nationality and family details are voluntary.
What does Resume Copilot cost?
Your first three applications are free, the first one without an account. Export needs a free account. After that you buy one-off credit packs with no subscription, and credits don't expire. Prices are on the pricing page.
Should I translate my job titles?
For an English-speaking reader, yes: use the accurate English equivalent at the same level (“Projektleiter” becomes “Project Manager”, never a step up). Resume Copilot does this automatically when your German CV goes into an English one. For a German employer, keep each job title as it appears in your contract and references, so it can be matched to your Zeugnisse; if the title would mean little to a German reader, explain the role in the description underneath. In every other case Resume Copilot keeps your job titles exactly as they are in your CV.
Do I need to send certificates with my application?
Usually, yes. Make it in Germany names a cover letter, a CV and references as the usual documents, and EURES notes that you will often have to enclose school certificates even when you have work experience. Attach the most relevant ones, translated where the originals are not in German or English.
How do I send my application to a German employer?
Follow what the ad asks for. By email, the Federal Employment Agency and EURES both advise one PDF that contains all your documents; EURES names 2 MB as the limit, the Federal Employment Agency 2 to 3 MB for the whole email. Online portals usually ask you to fill in a form and upload the documents separately.
Is a Europass CV fine for Germany?
It works as a starting point. Make it in Germany points to Europass for the formal design of a CV, and adds that German companies usually appreciate an individual design, so adapt the Europass CV to your own style.
Your career history, in a German format.
Upload your CV and paste a job ad. You see the result and edit it in your browser before you sign up for anything.
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