I often get asked about the perfect CV Template for Germany that is preferred by German HR. To be honest, there isn’t one standard CV format in Germany. However, there is a résumé format that German HR loves to see. And using this format can help you get more job interviews. In this guide , I’ll share what I believe is the perfect German CV Template.
German CV Template
Layout of the German CV Template
Most international students and job seekers often use the Europass CV format. This is a good starting point but there are a few things which need fixing in that in order to be perfect for use in Germany. So the German CV format has a 2 column structure. This structure helps you use one of the most powerful things which most beginners ignore and that is Negative space.
Have a look at the two blocks of text, which one do you think is easier to read?
Most people would say the block on the right. Thats because there is clear space between the text and its easier to read. Enough negative space enhances visual hierarchy and allows reader to focus on the key elements. And this is exactly what we want for the HR. We want to guide their eyes to focus on the most important things.
In the case of our German CV format the two column layout gives us enough negative space to direct the eyes of the HR towards the important things.
The Design of a German CV
Before coming to Germany, I made many beautifully designed resume templates. I used color theory to combine colors and create visually apprealing designs. This did help me land Freelance Webdesigning gigs because that was needed for my job. I needed to show my creative side to get noticed. So Depending on your field your resume could be a behance portfolio, your own website or a well designed CV. But the chances of you reading this guide searching for the Perfect German CV format for a visually creative field are near impossible.
I would not be wrong to say that you would be applying for a job, or student position in the IT, Engineering or perhaps Finance positions. Fields where such kind of a designs make no sense. Here a plain design having white background, black or some shade of Grey for text and perhaps 1 other color mostly blue to make things interesting would be used.
No fancy icons, or colorful bullet points. Plain and simple, brezel mit Butter just the way the German HR likes it.
Length of the German CV
The German HR loves a CV that is between 1 to 2 pages. Now if you try to make a Resume that is just 1 page you would have to cram everything together. You would be using every single visual space on the page. If you do this, you would not be able to use negative space to your advantage and you would probably overwhelm the person looking at your CV. Resulting in, well you not being considered.
So if you are using proper spacing and formatting your CV would be at least 2 pages. Here you might be tempted to make your resume 3 or 4 pages long but that again is not good. Your CV for Germany should be 2 pages long and not more than that. If you are highly expereinced or have many certifications, you should only mention the ones that are relevant to what you are applying for. And if you have many things which are relevant just pick the most recent ones.
Language in a CV in Germany
Should you write your CV in German or in English, its quite a dilemma. On one hand if your German CV is in actual German language, it could open more doors for you but on the other hand this also increase the expectations of your German language proficiency.
As an International in Germany, you may never actually become fluent in German but this shouldnt keep you from writing your CV in German language. Here you have to be honest with yourself and give a realistic asssessment.
A simple scenario that helped me answer the question to whether I should write my CV in German or English was, what If someone called me on the phone to setup an interview. How comfortable would I be to answer the questions? This actually happened with me. I had applied somewhere with a CV written in English.
A lady called me to setup an in person interview but also asked some questions about me, like my educational background, my student projects and basic stuff about my hobbies etc. I was able to answer those questions quite easily in German. I know my answers wernt perfect but I was comfortable enough. From that day, I only applied with a German CV. I did mention that I had a B1 German profieicency, so any honest HR would not expect fluent German from me.
Content of the German CV Template preferred by the German HR
In the top we have the full name and then the upto date important personal info like your phone number and email so that you can be contacted. Generally on the right hand side is the Photo
Now Germany has laws against discrimination so if you are not comfortable the but I would recommend you attach one. The law is there but I am not sure to how can it be actually enforced.
I would actually prefer to be rejected directly from my CV by someone who would discriminate against me rather than me waiting my time to go for an interview and getting rejected at a later stage just because of dicrimination. Thats why having a picture is essential.
Should you add a photo in German CV?
Most people, specially from the Subcontinent post their passport photos. Those weird low res photos with a blue background looking at the camera like. Dont post that passport photo please. If possible get a professional photo. You can get a professional photo taken, the price may vary but I remember back in my student days, there was an offer from my university to get a free professional photo. I also got my professional photos done. Personally I did not like how they turned out but I thought maybe the professional would know better. So I used that picture in my resume. Weirdly in one of my interviews the HR manager told me that in person I had absolutely no resemelence with the Resume photo. Photo made me look 5 to 10 years older.
I think even a professional photo is not necessary, most people can do post production with the photo themselves.
You can take a selfie or ask a friend to take a photo. Make sure that you have good lighting, preferrably outside with some greenry in the background. No T-shirt ,perhaps a poto shirt and a collared shirt. And make sure that you smile and show some teeth if possible. This would make you more friendly and approachable. Ideally your phone should be able to give a great result but if you still think its missing something you can use a free website to make some quick changes.
Professional Profile section in German CV
This is a topic that divides opinions. Some believe the perfect German CV format includes this section, while others consider it unnecessary. In my opinion, a profile summary isn’t essential, but if you choose to include it, avoid overloading it with keywords.
Some people think that by stuffing their résumé with all the keywords from the job posting, they’ll be selected by the résumé screening software. Let’s assume the software does pick your CV; it still gets forwarded to HR, where an actual person reviews it. If it’s just filled with keywords, HR will likely reject it without much consideration. Instead, aim for 3 to 4 concise sentences that highlight the most relevant aspects of the job posting.
Professional experience section
Depending on whether you are applying for Educational or professional purposes, the positioning of the two sections can be exchanged. For student positions you can put the Education section first if you do not have much experience which is relavent to the student job or theisis you are applying for.
For both the section, on the left you have the time frame, so the start and end dates. Only the month and the year would be sufficient.
Talking about the content, you have to follow the reverse chronological order. So the most latest thing would come first. In the Expereice section, for each job first mention the title, the comany name and then the city. After that list your responsibilities and achievements in bulletpoints.
Quantify your achievements with numbers and percentages to make them more impactful. Use a professional tone and avoid generic phrases like “team player” or “detail-oriented”. Also Use strong action verbs to describe your accomplishments and demonstrate your leadership and initiative. Use a variety of verbs to keep your language engaging and interesting.
Adding work experience in Resume
If you have a lot of experience just stick with the most recent 3 to 4 posititons. Because the HR reading your resume, doesn’t have that much time to look Deep into everything.
Some people might even take it negatively. I can speak of that from personal experience. A while back, a student contacted me regarding a thesis position that we had in our company. The student shared their resume with me. They had so much information saying that they perfectly skilled with six or seven different programming languages.
They were able to do circuit designing, measuring station development, software development, microcontroller programming, Android app development. So many things. It might be possible that this student knew all of those things and it’s totally possible that this student was really skilled.
However, it’s highly unlikely that someone with that many skills is really good at every single thing. yeah, everyone embellishes their resume a little bit, but be careful because that might also be a really negative point for you.
You can get help from Language models but make sure that you are using the right prompt. And even after that, try to change the language which you would use yourself. You don’t want to give a robotic vibe.
Education section of a German CV
In the Education section, first is the degree, then the institute and if you had relevant courses or projects, then a couple of bullet points mentioning them. If you are applying for a student position or if its your first job, then you should put your grades as well otherwise its not necessary.
If you have any certifications which are relevant then you can mention them here as well.
Dont forget to add your software competence in the Skills section.
The two next sections which most internationals ignore but are essential in the German CV Template and the German HR also takes notice are the Language and Hobbies sections.
As a foreigner it is absolutely essential to have the language section, make sure that you include your german profiency level based on the European Framework. You dont have to mention individual levels for reading, writing etc just the overall score would be sufficient if you have given an exam.
You might not think that hobbies is an important section, but believe me, it plays an important role. Especially if you do not have much work experience. Every single point that you put in your hobby section can mean something else.
For example, if you write down that you like reading books. This can relate to you being good at reading a lot of documentation. Many hobbies can relate to other skills this way.
Things to avoid in your CV’s Education Section
I remember a while back me and my colleagues were looking at a Students CV, everything was quite good but one colleague pointed out that this student didn’t have a hobbies section. He said how is it possible that the doesn’t have hobbies. At the end that student wasn’t picked, now I cant say for sure whether this was the main reason but I can say that it did have some influence.
As I mentioned in the Start, there is 1 think that will get your German CV rejected within seconds and that is mistakes in your resume. If the German sees even a single Spelling mistake, you can say goodbye to your application.
Having mistakes in your CV can create a negative impression on potential employers. It signals a lack of attention to detail and may make you appear unprofessional. Errors can also confuse hiring managers or affect how your résumé is processed by screening software. Ultimately, even small mistakes can reduce your chances of standing out in a competitive job market.
Head over to the top of the page to download this German CV Template for free. And if you are one of the lucky ones who is able to get a contract, its is very important to understand it before you sign it. Make sure to read my guide on what you should do before signing a work contract in Germany.
Disclaimer: None of the content in this article is meant to be considered as legal, tax or investment advice, as I am not a financial expert or a lawyer and am only sharing my experience with stock investing. The information is based on my own research and is only accurate at the time of posting this article but may not be accurate at the time you are reading it.