How to write a resume in English for jobs in Germany
Published on September 16, 2021 / Updated on January 9, 2024
Your resume or CV is the first impression you’ll convey to recruiters and hiring personnel. It’s crucial to write a strong resume to present yourself in the best possible way, especially when you want to apply in English for a job in Germany.
With companies looking for international candidates, there are no longer fundamental differences between an English and a German resume, but you still need to be aware of the details of the German CV format. We’ll offer tips on how to write a resume in English for job applications in Germany.
German recruiters and companies expect a German-language resume, but there are exceptions, such as international positions and jobs that don’t require German language skills. To write a successful resume in English for such an opportunity, you can then follow the German format. But what are the differences exactly?
In the English-speaking world, especially in the US, a resume denotes a one-page summary of your work experience and relevant information, while a CV is longer and includes your academic background and more details.
The Germans typically use the words CV and resume interchangeably. In Germany, prepare a summary of one or two pages that is a mix between the two. Make your document easy to scan both with the eyes and automatically in electronic format by structuring the information and including relevant keywords—abilities, skills, expertise and values recruiters are looking for in regard to the position.
For academic, research, education or scientific positions, you’d send an academic CV, as well as for a grant, fellowship or doctoral programme. It should list your relevant achievements and experience, depending on your field, as well as any publications, awards, honours or affiliations.
The specific format will vary, but an academic CV is more detailed and can include your presentations at important conferences, research publications or teaching experience, as well as grants or even course work. You can also include notable references. A professor in your department can advise you on the specifics of an academic CV in your field.
A narrative resume tells the story of your career, job experience and professional development from a first- or third-person point of view. Though unorthodox, it can grab someone’s attention and highlight your branding and marketing skills as you’re selling yourself with catchy copy.
The advantage of this approach is a striking headline and full sentences which can include more keywords relevant to the job. You chart your career journey in brief paragraphs and describe your qualifications and experience in memorable sentences. On the downside, such a resume can still appear as a wall of text and recruiters might discard it before they’ve read through it. A narrative resume is therefore best for jobs where your creativity comes into play, that is, anything writing-related or positions related to art and design.
Depending on the position to which you’re applying, your resume or CV might highlight different things. But the following sections are mandatory and optional when you build your resume in English for a job in Germany.
Must-have sections for your resume:
Optional sections for your resume:
Learn more about how to write your CV in English.
We’ll go over the CV sections step by step to show you how to write a successful resume for English job applications in Germany.
It used to be common to include your birthday and marital status, but nowadays, it’s outdated; you can list your age if you think it highlights your expertise or job experience, but your marital status is private information.
Imagine a recruiter only scans your resume. If you include a brief statement at the beginning, you have a chance of making an impression while their attention is still fresh. You can do this with an objective or a summary in two or three sentences.
An objective describes your motivation and goal when applying for the job. It should highlight skills, education and anything else relevant to the position, as well as how you’ll apply yourself and what you bring to the table.
If you have extensive work experience, a summary is best, listing past jobs, relevant achievements and responsibility, important career stages and the professional growth you’re looking for.
This section is central to your resume and your key selling point. You’ll list your employment history in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent position.
To stand out, go beyond ticking off your responsibilities as they appeared in your contract. Highlight your achievements with numbers where possible, for example, a growth percentage or the number of sales. Learn more about how to build your CV with work experience.
To save valuable space, it’s good practise to tailor this section to the specific job. The description in the ad should tell you what the company is looking for, such as programming skills, technical knowledge or even certification. But you can also include so-called soft skills such as leadership, communication or management.
The section regarding your education can include:
Additional sections in your resume can help you stand out further in the application process:
Also check out our additional tips for writing the perfect CV!
Avoid a scattershot approach and don’t send out the same version of your resume for wildly different positions. Always tailor the information to the specific company and adjust your keywords and phrasing or restructure the information where necessary. Any recruiter will be put off by information that is not relevant to the role.
To write a successful resume, take extra care to eliminate errors and typos and get rid of fluff or embellishments. Use a consistent design with clear section headings, balance the white-space on the page with margins and line-space and pick a legible font scale. When you send or upload your resume without a cover letter, consider adding a brief statement at the top.
Are you ready to slay the job application process? Here’s how to find English-speaking jobs in Germany!