How to adapt your CV to apply for jobs abroad, country by country

Translation isn't enough: your CV has to fit the country

Sending the same CV everywhere is the most common mistake. A correct translation doesn't make the document fit for the target market. Every country has specific expectations around length, personal details, photo and tone. A German recruiter and a British one are looking for different things in the very same role.

The first step is knowing where you're applying. Then you adapt three things: personal details, format and language. If you're aiming for an international role, start from a solid English foundation: you'll find everything in the guide The English CV, done right.

UK and Ireland: no photo, no sensitive data

In the English-speaking market, the CV is lean and results-driven. Drop the photo, date of birth, marital status and gender: including them can count against you on equal-treatment grounds. The standard length is two pages.

Open with a personal statement of three or four lines. Use action verbs and quantify your results. References aren't attached: just write references available on request. Mind your British spelling (organise, not organize).

Germany, Austria and Switzerland: structure and completeness

Here the CV (Lebenslauf) is detailed and ordered in reverse chronological order. A professional photo is still welcome, as are a signature and date at the bottom of the document. More than two pages is fine if your experience warrants it.

German recruiters value precision: full dates, no unexplained gaps, skills listed clearly. A formal cover letter (Anschreiben) is often attached too. If the job ad is in German, apply in German.

France and Spain: concision and local format

In France, the ideal CV fits on a single page. The photo is optional but common, and the style is understated. Keep a clear, sectioned structure: expérience, formation, compétences. Avoid the over-the-top emphasis typical of American resumes.

In Spain, conventions are similar to Italy's, but still adapt your qualifications and explain the grading system. In both cases, applying in the local language improves your odds, unless the ad explicitly calls for English.

United States: the results-driven resume

The American resume runs to one page for anyone with under ten years of experience. No photo, no sensitive personal data, no date of birth. What counts is impact: numbers, percentages, concrete results.

Use keywords from the job ad to get past ATS filters. Dates go in month/year format. A full address isn't necessary: city and state are enough.

Mistakes to avoid and how to adapt fast

Don't leave Italian grades unexplained, don't use the European date format in the US, and don't send a three-page CV where two will do. Always check the cultural yardstick of the country.

Adapting nine versions by hand is slow and risky. With EuroCV Pro you translate and adapt your CV into 7 languages, with the right format for each market. You save time and avoid the errors that get an application binned before the interview.