Guide
What German recruiters expect from a Lebenslauf
Concrete formatting and content choices that help international CVs read clearly to hiring managers in Germany.
German recruiters skim for chronology, degree titles, and the seniority of each role. A two-page narrative CV common in other markets often hides those signals.
Lead with a short professional profile that names your occupation and target city. List employment in reverse chronological order with month and year. Include the German or English title of your degree exactly as it appears on the diploma, and note whether recognition or assessment is already underway.
Photo practices vary by sector. When in doubt, follow the employer’s application instructions rather than a generic internet rule. Soft skills paragraphs can stay brief; German hiring managers usually prefer concrete project outcomes and tool or method names relevant to the vacancy.
Before sending materials, map each bullet to requirements in the job ad. That single pass prevents the most common rejection reason we see: a strong profile that never answers the posted role.