German CV Guide: Format Guide and Examples

To successfully land a job in Germany, you'll need to know and respect the standards for German CVs. With a few key tips, you'll be on your way to writing the perfect Lebenslauf.

German Lebenslauf vs UK CV: Key differences

A German CV is called a Lebenslauf. If you're used to writing CVs for UK jobs, you'll need to adapt your approach when applying for jobs in Germany.

Here's a quick summary of the key differences between UK and German CVs:

German CV examples

Take a look at the German CV examples below to see all the required elements pulled together in a German CV template with a professional structure and design:

The standard German CV structure

German employers tend to prefer traditional, highly structured CVs, so you'll want to ensure your CV contains all the necessary German CV sections, in the right order. Here's a quick rundown of the main sections of a German CV, and the document structure:

Personal details (Persönliche Daten) & photo

Your CV header will look quite different in a German CV. While in the UK, candidates are discouraged from adding personal details to your CV header, focusing instead on only the essential information and contact details, for German CVs, you're expected to include several personal details. These typically include:

While employers aren't allowed to request one, German CVs typically include a photo of the candidate, added as part of the CV header. Include your photo as a headshot in the top right or left corner of the CV. Opt for a portrait-format photo, wearing professional attire that reflects the standard of the industry you're applying to. Make sure the scene is well-lit and features a neutral or business-like background. If you're unable to produce this type of photo yourself, you could employ a professional photographer to take your headshot.

Work experience (Berufliche Laufbahn)

According to research from Jobseeker, 82.6% of HR professionals go straight to the work experience section when reviewing a CV. This is no different in Germany, where this section is considered the most important of your CV.

Your work experience section should be labelled 'Berufserfahrung' ('professional experience') for German CVs. Typically, this section sits directly below your personal details. List your employment history in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role. Unlike UK CVs, where you only list the most relevant previous roles, German employers will expect you to include a complete professional history. This includes explaining any career gaps, for an uninterrupted chronology of your career.

For each work experience entry, add the following:

One of the key ways the German CV work experience section differs from the UK CV is the company description. Employers will expect you to include a sentence or a brief paragraph describing the company. This might include details about the company size, sector, market standing and reputation.

Internships (Praktika)

If you've completed any internships, you may wish to add these in a separate section to your paid work experience, to keep things organised and easy-to-review. You can include this section after your 'Berufserfahrung' section, and structure it in the same format, listing a complete history of your internship in reverse-chronological order, adding the same details as for your paid employments. This section is more impactful if you're a junior candidate without much paid work experience.

Education (Ausbildung)

The education section is particularly important for German CVs, and you may want to include greater detail than you would for a UK CV. When listing A-levels, for example, you should include granular detail of your grades in each subject. Employers and recruiters will also expect you to translate your qualifications to their German equivalents. You can do this via the Europass service or using a German service called 'Anabin'.

Use reverse-chronological order for entries in your German CV's education section, starting with your most recent qualification. For each qualification, list the following:

If you're an experienced candidate, place your education section below your work experience, as this is the most important aspect of your CV. However, if you're a recent graduate or entry-level candidate, you may wish to lead with the education section.

Skills & competencies (Kenntnisse & Fähigkeiten)

The main focus of the skills section in a CV for Germany jobs should be hard and technical skills. Soft skills, while commonly included in a UK CV, are given far less prominence in a Germany CV, and you may even leave them out entirely.

For each skill you list, German employers will expect to see details of your competence level, and some information about how you've used the skill in your career to date. However, avoid adopting an overly self-promoting tone in your skills section, and let the facts speak for themselves.

Here's a list of the key types of skills to add to your German CV, and the types of skills that will have a lesser impact:

Languages (Sprachen)

Language skills are particularly important for jobs in Germany, so this CV section is typically more prominent than it would be in the UK. As a well-connected EU member state with an advanced economy that involves trading across international borders, many jobs in Germany require foreign language skills.

Employers will want to know your German language competency, as well as any other relevant foreign languages you speak. You can either list your language skills using a single descriptive word for your competencies, or using a standardised competency level.

Otherwise, indicate your ability in a language by referring to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference). This is universally understood across EU countries, and uses letters and numbers to describe different language proficiency levels:

Hobbies and interests (Hobbys und Interessen)

While the overall tone and structure of a German CV is formal, and the scope for descriptive prose is more limited than a UK CV, the hobbies and interests section plays an influential role. This is the section that helps German employers assess your personality, character and cultural fit for the organisation. While this section is optional for UK CVs, and a good section to include if you need more opportunities to mention relevant skills, in Germany it's more of a standard CV section.

In this section, list up to three hobbies or interests that are relevant to the role you're applying for. If you have space, you could also add a brief note showing how the hobby helps you to develop or use skills and personal qualities that might appeal to the employer or show you're a good fit for the organisation.

Extracurricular activities (Außerschulische Aktivitäten)

If you're a junior candidate or a recent graduate, adding an extracurricular activities section to your CV could help you showcase useful skills and valuable experience. While similar to a hobbies and interests section, extracurricular activities cover more structured, organised activities that require a level of commitment or responsibility. As such, avoid casual hobbies or pastimes in this section, but include participation in societies, voluntary work, performing arts or positions of leadership.

Certificates (Zertifikate)

In the German CV template, certificates play an important role, owing to the emphasis in German employment culture on formal qualifications. While skills sections and commentary on your achievements in previous roles can be valuable, a certification shows you've met a required standard set by an external assessor or industry body, giving it greater weight.

For certifications, you should follow broadly the same format as your education section, with a few extra details:

German CV format

Formatting your German CV correctly can make a big impact on your likelihood of being considered for the role. You'll want to ensure your CV meets all the standard requirements of German employers, and compares well to German candidates, showing you understand the country's employment culture. Follow the following tips to help your CV match German employment culture.

Tips for your German CV

If you need help creating your CV for jobs in Germany, Jobseeker's CV templates can make life much easier. Using Jobseeker's online CV builder, you can select your CV language and all the correct headings and CV sections can be easily added to your final document. AI suggestions can even offer ways to improve your CV text so it's perfectly aligned with German employer expectations.

For a German CV that makes a strong positive impact with the reader, follow these quick tips:

Essential German CV terminology

Writing your CV in German is essential for jobs in Germany, even if you're applying to work for a UK or international company's offices in Germany. Using the right German CV terminology will help your application pass the ATS stage, as well as ensuring it makes a strong positive impression with the reader. Take a look at the essential German CV terminology below to help you with your CV writing:

Key takeaways for an impactful German CV

Treat your German CV as a more formal, structured document than a UK CV, and list your qualifications and certifications in detail, as German employers value these highly. Focus on technical skills and specialist industry knowledge over soft skills, and list hobbies and interests to help German employers assess your cultural fit for the organisation. Don't forget to sign and date your CV before sending it.

Jobseeker can help you with tools and resources to understand every aspect of creating an application that puts you in the top bracket of candidates. Use Jobseeker's CV and cover letter templates as the starting point to create a German CV that ranks highly with ATS software and creates a strong positive impression with recruiters and hiring managers. You can also browse our cover letter examples for more inspiration.