2 of 14 open
This reorders your CV: recruiters reading a student's CV want the degree first.
Match the language of the job advert. This switches the headings; what you type stays in the language you typed it.
Each one is a finished CV you can type over (easier than an empty page). Your layout choice is kept.
All three print the same content. Pick whichever reads best for your field.
Kept muted on purpose: these still read clearly if a recruiter prints in greyscale.
Optional, and safe to leave blank. Since the AGG (2006) nobody can require your date of birth or nationality; plenty of German CVs still include them, and plenty do not.
Your photo is resized in this browser and stored inside your CV. It is never uploaded anywhere.
German CVs often carry a photo and many recruiters expect one, but you are not obliged to include it: since the AGG (2006) nobody may require it. Some applicants leave it off precisely because it invites bias. Both choices are normal.
Add your most recent role first. German CVs run in reverse order.
Add your highest qualification. Keep the original name of a foreign degree; you can note the German equivalent beside it.
Praktika count for real in Germany. List them like jobs.
Goethe, telc, ÖSD and driving licences all belong here.
List German with your CEFR level. For most employers it is the first thing they look for.
Hiding a section keeps everything you typed; it just leaves the document.
Download PDFopens your browser's print window. Pick Save as PDF as the destination rather than a printer. Your CVs are saved in this browser and nowhere else, so to carry one to another computer, Save to file here and Open from file there. That file holds your answers and photo, not the finished document.
Ready to send?
0 of 8- Add your full name as it appears on your passport.
- German employers expect both an email address and a phone number.
- Add at least your city. A local address reassures employers you are here.
- Add at least one role or qualification.
- List German with your CEFR level; it is the first thing many employers look for.
- Add a few concrete skills: tools, software, or methods you actually use.
- Add your roles first, then keep the finished CV to two pages.
- Add your roles and studies, and any gaps between them show up here.
Fits on one page.
Ihr Name
What a German CV expects
Two pages, newest first
One page for students and career starters, two once you have a few years behind you. Every section runs newest to oldest, so the role you hold now sits at the top. Past two pages, a German recruiter reads it as an inability to prioritise, so cut your oldest roles to a line each rather than dropping them.
Three months is the gap that gets noticed
The lückenloser Lebenslauf, a CV without holes, is a real convention here, and recruiters do read the dates. A gap is not the problem: Elternzeit, a language course, illness, travel and a job search are all ordinary and widely accepted. A silent gap is the problem. Name the period in one short entry and the question disappears. This builder flags anything over three months while you type.
The photo is optional, whatever the template says
Since the AGG in 2006 no employer can require a photo, and leaving it off cannot legally be held against you. Plenty of German CVs still carry a professional headshot and plenty do not, and both are normal. The same goes for date of birth and nationality: include them if you want to, leave them out if you would rather. Marital status and religion belong to a previous era and should be left off.
Your German level, on the CEFR scale
Write B1, not “conversational”. German employers read the CEFR levels precisely, and a vague self-description reads as a lower level than it is. If a certificate backs it up (Goethe, telc, ÖSD), put that in the certificates section too. Not there yet?
A foreign degree keeps its real name
Do not translate a B.Tech into a Diplom. Keep the original title and add the German equivalent beside it if you know it, the anabin database is where German employers and authorities check equivalence. For grades, convert with the Bavarian formula rather than leaving a 4.0 GPA to be misread as a German 4,0, which is the lowest pass.
The CV is one part of a Bewerbung
A full German application is usually the Lebenslauf, a one-page Anschreiben (cover letter) arguing why you fit this specific role, and scanned certificates and references (Zeugnisse). This tool builds the Lebenslauf. Before you send it, check what the offer is actually worth.
Common questions
Does a German CV need a photo?+
No. Since the Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (AGG) came into force in 2006, no employer can require a photo, and leaving it off cannot legally count against you. In practice many German CVs still include a professional headshot and many recruiters still expect one, particularly outside tech and outside large international companies. Both choices are normal. If you do include one, use a professional portrait, not a holiday snap or a selfie.
How long should a German CV be?+
One to two pages. One page is normal for students and career starters; two is normal once you have several years of experience. Going beyond two pages is unusual in Germany and is generally read as an inability to prioritise. Trim your oldest roles down to a single line each rather than deleting them, because an unexplained gap costs you more than a short entry.
What is a lückenloser Lebenslauf?+
A CV with no unexplained gaps in the timeline. German recruiters read the dates closely and expect every period of more than about three months to be accounted for. A gap itself is not a problem: parental leave (Elternzeit), a language course, illness, travel or a job search are all normal and widely accepted. What raises questions is a silent hole. Name the period in one short entry and it stops being an issue.
Should I write my CV in German or English?+
Match the language of the job advert. If the posting is in German, send a German CV; if it is in English (common in tech, research and international companies), English is fine. When you are unsure, German is the safer choice for a German employer. Either way, always list your German level using the CEFR scale (A1 to C2), because it is one of the first things a recruiter looks for.
Do I have to put my date of birth and nationality on a German CV?+
No. These were standard on older German CVs and many templates still include them, but the AGG means they cannot be required and omitting them is entirely acceptable. Marital status and religion, which appeared on CVs decades ago, are now considered outdated and should be left off. Include date of birth and nationality only if you want to.
What is the difference between a Lebenslauf and an Anschreiben?+
The Lebenslauf is the CV itself: a tabular, reverse-chronological record of your education and work. The Anschreiben is the separate one-page cover letter that argues why you fit this specific role. A complete German application (Bewerbung) usually contains both, plus scanned certificates and references (Zeugnisse). This tool builds the Lebenslauf.
Not sure how your background reads to a German employer?
A foreign degree, a career break, a visa in progress: these are the things a CV cannot explain on its own. Book a 1-on-1 video call and find out what a German employer sees.
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