How to Write a German Resume: A Comprehensive Guide
German-speaking countries are well-known for their strong and stable job market, so they attract plenty of immigrants looking to join the workforce. While Germany has made it easier than ever for foreigners to get a job, creating a proper local resume is still vital. Using the right format and terminology shows hiring managers you’re serious about the opportunity and helps you stand out. In this guide, learn how to write a German resume that impresses recruiters.
German-speaking job markets today
Many German-speaking countries have strong, thriving job markets focusing on technology and finance. Let’s take a look at the most common job roles and industries in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Germany
The most prominent industries in the German working world are:
- Technology
- Finance
- Law
- Medicine
- Sales
- Electrical engineering
These are the focus in large cities, but if you’re considering smaller towns and rural areas, there are also opportunities in plumbing, electrical, and teaching.
Austria
Much like Germany, Austria has a thriving technology sector, but it also has a number of unique industries:
- eCommerce
- Media and entertainment
- Engineering (including mechanical, civil, and data processing)
- Finance
- Medicine
- Retail
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Food and beverage
Switzerland
Switzerland has a powerful focus on tourism, service, and technology and a strong economy, making it an attractive country for many professionals. Here are the most popular industries:
- Technology
- Finance
- Tourism
- Service and hospitality
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Medicine
- Mechanical engineering
Understanding the German resume format
A German resume, called a Lebenslauf, is very similar to a traditional American resume. It lists personal information, work experience, education, and skills. This document also typically uses a reverse-chronological structure to provide your most recent, relevant achievements first, making them easier for the hiring manager to review.
Much like American applications, German resumes are usually one page long. However, it’s a bit more common and acceptable to submit two-page resumes in countries like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. These documents should also be a bit more detailed than American resumes, but it’s still important to use concise language and avoid irrelevant topics and technical jargon.
Use a standard font, like Arial or Times New Roman, and choose a tidy, readable size. We recommend 11 to 12 points for body text and 14 to 16 for headers.
Expert Tip:
Don’t be afraid to use a two-page resume if it allows you to use comfortable spacing and formatting without sacrificing essential work history. Hiring managers scan applications quickly, and your information will be much easier to read with sufficient whitespace and a clean layout.
German resume example: Structure, length, and contents
German resumes typically start with a personal details section to tell the hiring manager about yourself. While some of the usual information, such as age and date of birth, may be strange for Americans to provide to potential employers, this is common in German-speaking countries, and applications may seem unfinished without it.
Optionally, you can continue into a resume summary like you usually would. This is a small paragraph describing your work experience and achievements, just like a traditional American resume. However, this isn’t strictly required or expected, so you can omit it if you need extra space.
The rest of the format is nearly identical to a standard resume. Include a reverse-chronological list of work experience, a section for educational degrees and merits, and a header for skills and language proficiency.
You can also include sections for hobbies and interests, certifications, and volunteer work. However, we recommend you only include hobbies if they’re directly relevant to the open role and you lack an extensive work history, like a programmer who creates apps in their spare time. German hiring managers prefer a highly focused, professional resume and aren’t usually interested in your personal life.
While there are specific expectations and requirements, you won’t need a special German resume template to create this resume. As long as you have a flexible, adjustable resume layout, you can personalize it to different markets and languages.
How to prepare a resume in German
Let’s walk through the step-by-step process of creating a German resume. For more tips and actionable examples of how to describe achievements and education, check out our resume samples.
Personal information/Persönliche Angaben
First, include a section for personal details. Most German-speaking countries expect the following information:
- Full name
- Address
- Contact information, including phone number and email address
- Date of birth/Age
These details are expected. The following information is common but not strictly required:
- Place of birth
- Marital status
- Number of children
While this information is intended to help employers get to know you, it can also open opportunities for discrimination and bias. Feel free to exclude it if you aren’t sure.
Summary/Kurzprofil
Resume summaries aren’t mandatory in German resumes, but they’re rapidly gaining popularity and help the hiring manager quickly understand your relevance to their role.
Build a short, two to three-sentence description of your professional experience and accomplishments. Mention strong, relevant skills and include a measurable achievement if possible.
Work experience/Berufserfahrung
This section is nearly identical to American resumes. Start with your most recent job role and work backward, providing only relevant job positions and omitting any unrelated work. For example, a sales professional should include their roles as a Sales Representative and Retail Associate but leave out their teenage job as a dishwasher.
For each work entry, provide your job title, the company name, location, date of employment, and a bullet list of achievements. Describe skills and accomplishments that align with the job description, and add metrics and percentages if possible.
Education/Ausbildung
Provide any educational degrees you possess, including your graduation dates and the name of the institution. Feel free to add relevant coursework, and include your GPA if it’s above 3.5.
Skills/Kenntnisse und Fähigkeiten
List five to 10 hard and soft skills relevant to the open role. A few examples include programming languages, time management, problem-solving, and computer skills.
If you have a large number of technical skills it’s a good idea to create separate headers for hard skills and soft skills. For instance, an engineer resume should have a dedicated section for project planning, installation, and machine design.
Optional sections
These sections reinforce your qualifications and strengthen your application but aren’t required. Here are a few common examples:
- Hobbies and interests
- Volunteer work
- Certifications
- Languages
If you speak more than two languages, create a dedicated Languages section (called Sprachen) to organize the details. If you don’t, you can simply include your known languages in your Skills section.
“A German resume, called a Lebenslauf, is very similar to a traditional American resume. It lists personal information, work experience, education, and skills.”
Tips and best practices for writing a German resume
Here’s a summary of tips and tricks for writing a successful German resume. Use this as a quick reference as you’re building applications to ensure you check every box.
- Include a photo: German resumes typically expect a headshot in the personal details section. Be sure to include a professional photo of yourself wearing business attire from the shoulders or neck up.
- Tailor it to the job description: Read the job ad you’re targeting and note keywords like the job title, skills, and responsibilities. Frame your resume around this info and include key terms to ensure it aligns with the company’s expectations and passes the applicant tracking system (ATS).
- Research the company: While many German-speaking companies have similar requirements, it’s best to research individual organizations to gain insights into their culture and preferences.
- Be detailed yet concise: Try to strike a balance between in-depth and succinct. German hiring managers prefer detailed explanations of your history and skills, but they also want information to be tidy and efficient.
FAQs about writing a German resume
German resumes are usually one to two pages long, and the length is determined by your professional background. If you have many academic achievements and degrees and a long career history, use a two-page resume to ensure you have enough space. However, if you’re a junior professional with limited experience, don’t stretch your details out just to fill two pagess.
Leverage tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT to check grammar and terminology. This AI-powered software helps you quickly scan for errors or double-check the names for headers and job titles. However, we recommend you ask a native German speaker if you aren’t confident in your German abilities. This is a very important document, and it always helps to have another human’s help.
Create a German resume and succeed in a new market
While it may seem intimidating, creating a German resume isn’t too different from writing an American one. Knowing a few simple tactics, like writing out a detailed personal information section, helps you align with a new work culture and show hiring managers your professionalism and work ethic.
Ready to put your knowledge to use? Use CVwizard’s resume maker to customize your application to any job market effortlessly. Rename headers and drag-and-drop sections, making each resume a little different to ensure they suit your target industry and country.
Make an impression with your resume
Create and download a professional resume quickly and easily