The Ultimate Guide to a Perfect German CV
Germany has a very specific work culture and set of CV expectations that must be observed. When applying for a job your CV is one of the first documents that hiring managers will view so it helps to tailor your CV to local standards.
This guide will set out some tips for writing your CV, but if possible, having a German local look over your it is a great way to get some feedback and make sure it meets all requirements.
Ideally, your CV must cover the following areas:
- Personal data’ (“Persönliche Angaben”),
- ‘Work experience’ (“Berufserfahrung”),
- ‘Education’ (“Ausbildung”),
- ‘Skills’ and ‘extracurricular activities’ (“Qualifikationen und Kenntnisse”) as well as ‘Hobbies’ and ‘personal interests’ (“Private Interessen”).
Layout and Content
Germany has a very specific work culture and set of CV expectations that must be observed. When applying for a job your CV is one of the first documents that hiring managers will view so it helps to tailor your CV to local standards.
This guide will set out some tips for writing your CV, but if possible, having a German local look over your it is a great way to get some feedback and make sure it meets all requirements.
Ideally, your CV must cover the following areas:
- Personal data’ (“Persönliche Angaben”),
- ‘Work experience’ (“Berufserfahrung”),
- ‘Education’ (“Ausbildung”),
- ‘Skills’ and ‘extracurricular activities’ (“Qualifikationen und Kenntnisse”) as well as ‘Hobbies’ and ‘personal interests’ (“Private Interessen”).
Layout and Content
Keep you CV short preferably one page or two if you are applying for an executive position, and make sure you use the same font consistently throughout. A flawless document is essential , look out for grammatical errors thoroughly or get a friend to assist you. You don't want to lose your chances because of spelling errors as Germans are very nit-picky about these. Remember you are telling a story about your experience and how your skills line up with the position.
Customise your CV for the specific job you are applying for and omit any unnecessary information about any other jobs you have done that are not in line with the specific skills required for the job. Use keywords that are used in your particular industry or in that job position, check the job description and ensure your CV mirrors the same tone and phrases used because that's what the recruiter will look out for.
Personal Details
Include your name, home address, phone number, email address, and date of birth. According to Graduateland, “the personal data you are legally required to state is pretty much reduced to your name and your address - though, most Germans still include at least their birthday and place of birth in their CV.”
Some key things to add:
- A professional photo
- Your full name
- Contact information- phone number, physical address,country, email address, LinkedIn profile link, Skype name - its important to add correct and detailed information here so that if there is a need for you to get a work permit, the hiring manager has all your information.
- Marital Status and Age are not mandatory
Education
Education should be written in reverse-chronological order, going all the way back to high school. Each entry should include the name of the institution and the area of study. Mention the details of the institution and course or degree level e.g. Bachelor or Masters, as well as final grades (GPA), any vocational training or continuing education.
Career History
Ensure that you always start with your most recent or current job and include the job title, month and year as well as location
Be specific about the work you did keeping your bullet points between 4 to 8 points specifying key tasks for the role
If you had several job positions in a company mention that and show how you were promoted to your current position which will make a great impression to the recruiters. Any other key achievements or key accomplishments you achieved in the job position are also important to mention.
Skills and Lanuages
Being fluent in German and various languages is a great plus and some jobs will require that you know other key languages like French or Chinese especially if you are applying to NGO organisations.
Ensure that you also include the level of fluency for the languages you speak and be honest!! Here are some German words you can use in your cv to do this: “Muttersprache” (native tongue), “verhandlungssicher” or business fluent (excellent), “fließend” (sound knowledge) and “Grundkenntnisse” (beginner).
For skills, be sure to follow the key words for skills that are in the job description and also add your IT skills and any other training you have currently taken.
There are multiple examples online of German CV formats you can check out this website here or better yet give us a call we would be happy to help you structure and update your CV to the ideal German format!
Conclusions
German recruiters and employers are impressed by a well-organized and detailed CV that is clear and direct about your experiences and skill set. Ensuring that you have the right information packaged in the right way can determine your chances of being called for that interview!
Quick Tip: Checkout how to create a successful job search strategy using your German CV!
References:
Graduateland - https://graduateland.com/article/german-cv#
My Career Path - https://mycareer-path.com
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