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CV Formats: How to Write a Resume in Different European Countries
You are almost ready to kick off your dream career but first, you need to familiarise yourself with The Dos and Don'ts of Your CV: what works and what doesn't!
Despite some general rules that apply regardless of the country, industry or company, there are also country-based CV requirements to follow that shouldn’t be ignored. Today, we are presenting you with both general and location-tailored CV insights and tips that will help you shape the perfect CV.
When it comes to writing your CV, appearance is key! A CV that is untidy, disorganised, and too long is extremely off-putting to recruiters and hiring managers. Although your experience may be incredible, the appearance of your CV could be damaging the chances of your CV being read by the recruiter.
To get started with your CV, let's have a look at the common CV Do's and Don'ts... Later on, we will get into the location-based specifics!
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Dos and Dont's:
The CV Dos
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Keep It Concise
Use keywords and bullet points and only include relevant and valuable information. You don't have a lot of space to sell yourself, so only include relevant information.
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Use The Reverse-Chronological Resume Format
In most of Europe, Recruiters want to see your most recent experience at the top. This helps them to see what you did last and from there they can continue reading your past experiences, qualifications and skills.
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Keep it neat and well-formatted
A neat, well-formatted CV will be a lot more appealing to a recruiter and should hopefully encourage them to continue reading.
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Use a professional font style and size
Use a clear, professional font such as Arial, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Times New Roman, etc. These fonts are easy for the recruiter to read. Stick to a font size of 12. It will make the recruiter's life easier.
The CV Don'ts
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Include too much irrelevant information
Keep your CV relevant to the job you are applying for, you don't want to bore the recruiter. Only write about what's necessary for them to know about you in order to give you the job.
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Forget to update your contact details
This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make: you may have a WINNING resume, but if the recruiter has no way to contact you - what's the use!
Always make sure to include your current home address, updated phone number, and an email address you check regularly.
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Add too many colours and distractions
Although it is nice to think outside of the box and to make your CV stand out, there is a thin line between adding your own personal touch through one or two colours and adding too many distractions.
As we have previously mentioned, your CV needs to look neat and well-formatted or the recruiter will discard it.
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Make your CV longer than 2 pages
There's absolutely no use waffling on and adding unnecessary text just to make your CV longer. The more concise, the better.
Stick to a 2-page maximum - depending on how experienced you are, sometimes one page is best to keep your experience relevant!
Country Specific CV Requirements in Europe
Although these rules apply to most if not all European countries, it's important to check what is expected in the country you are in or plan on moving to.
Different countries have different rules and expectations, and it's important to familiarise yourself with these to increase your chances of employment in your dream destination!
Spain, Portugal & Greece
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CV length? 1-2 pages
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Include a photograph of yourself? Yes
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Include personal information? (Age/Exact Location) Yes
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We usually assign meticulousness and organisation to the Western EU countries, but recruiters from Spain, Portugal, and Greece also highlight the importance of a well-structured CV. Be as detailed as possible in the headlines, but don't write too much in the job descriptions - you can always elaborate more on that during the interview, so keep it concise in the CV. But the structure is everything!
Germany, Holland & Belgium
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CV length? 1-2 pages
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Include a photograph of yourself? Yes
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Include personal information? (Age/Exact Location) Yes
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Arrange your CV in reverse chronological order with education first, followed by qualifications and then work experience.
Hungary, Bulgaria & Slovakia
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CV length? 1-2 pages
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Include a photograph of yourself? Yes
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Include personal information? (Age/Exact Location) Yes
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Companies in those Eastern Eurpean countries very often use ATS (Applicant Tracking System). It's software designed to pick out the most relevant CVs based on the presence of specific keywords before a human recruiter even has access to them. Make sure to include keywords relevant to the position you're applying for in your CV.
United Kingdom
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CV length? 1-2 pages
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Include a photograph of yourself? No
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Include personal information? (Age/Exact Location) No
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British recruiters put a strong emphasis on equal treatment of all candidates. That's why they advise against including a photo in your CV. They want to create a workplace free of bias and prejudice, and a picture in their belief might impact someone's judgement. HR Managers are generally not allowed to pick candidates based on their age, gender, or appearance, so they'd rather avoid seeing the face behind the document before the interview.
Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Finland & Denmark
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CV length? 1-2 pages
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Include a photograph of yourself? Yes
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Include personal information? (Age/Exact Location) No
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Arrange your CV in reverse chronological order with the relevant, recent experiences at the top, followed by qualifications and then education.
If your country isn't on here, don't panic! Have a look at these country-specific examples to see what is accepted in your destination.
When you feel as though your CV is ready to send, we highly recommend using a CV review service for a second (expert) opinion. You will receive valuable feedback on the look of your CV, the content and the overall format.
Using a CV review service will give you the added confidence and security you need to kickstart your job search!
Feeling inspired? Visit our blog for more career advice! How can you be sure the information we provide is top-notch? We are a group of professionals working with recruiters, career coaches, and HR specialists from all over the world!
Trust our experience and let us help you find a new job in Europe!
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