Applying for a job in Germany: the Lebenslauf explained

The German CV is the Lebenslauf, usually a tabular list with the dates on one side and the content on the other. The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA) and the Spanish public employment service (SEPE) give these basics:

• Length: no more than two A4 pages, in tabular form.
• Order: reverse chronological, starting with what is most recent.
• Photo: no longer a must, according to the BA. For online applications you may be asked to upload it separately.
• Personal data: name, address, phone, email and, according to the BA, date and place of birth. Family and nationality are optional. Religion only if the employer asks.
• Signature: not strictly needed on the CV, the BA says.
• Gaps: any break longer than two months should be explained: say what you did.

The BA's guide groups the content into these blocks:

1. 1Persönliche Angaben (personal details): name, contact details, date and place of birth, optionally nationality and marital status.
2. 2Berufserfahrung (work experience): most recent first, with dates, employer, job title and main tasks and results.
3. 3Schulbildung / Ausbildung (education and training): school, apprenticeship, studies, with dates.
4. 4Besondere Kenntnisse (special skills): languages with level, software, certificates, driving licence if it matters.

The BA states that a photo “is no longer a must”. It can still appear on the CV or on a cover page, and SEPE notes that appearance matters in Germany, so if you include one make it professional and formal. If you use a cover page (Deckblatt), the photo goes on it rather than inside the CV.

The BA lists date and place of birth among the personal details, while family situation and nationality are voluntary and religion is only given if the employer asks. As anywhere, give only what helps the application.

A German application is often more than a CV. SEPE describes the typical folder: a cover page (optional) with the position, a photo and your contact details, then the cover letter, the CV and copies of your academic and professional certificates, in reverse chronological order. The cover page is voluntary.

• Don't staple the documents together.
• Use white A4 paper with 2.5 cm margins if you send them printed.
• Keep scanned copies of every certificate you mention: employers often want them with the application.
• Address the letter to a named person and give their position when you can.

SEPE stresses that a German CV must be specific, not general. Applying for more than one position at the same company, or saying you are flexible to take any job, is not well regarded. It is better to focus on one position and show clearly the skills you have for it.

The cover letter has a fixed layout: your name and contact details top left, the company and recipient below, the date on the right, the job reference, the text, the closing and the signature. Don't send photocopies of the same letter, even if signed.

A US resume leaves out the photo and date of birth; a German CV traditionally includes date and place of birth and, optionally, a photo. The tabular format, the complete folder with certificates and the focus on a single position are also more German than American.

A tabular Lebenslauf has the dates in a left column and the content in the right one. This is the skeleton, with the German names of the blocks:

• Persönliche Angaben: name, address, phone, email, date and place of birth.
• Berufserfahrung: 03/2023 – today · Social media assistant, Northside Studio, Manchester · two or three bullets with results.
• Ausbildung: 2018 – 2021 · BA Media and Communication, Example University.
• Besondere Kenntnisse: languages with level, software, certificates.
• Ort, Datum at the end if you wish; the BA says a signature is not strictly needed.

• Lebenslauf: CV. Bewerbung: application. Anschreiben or Bewerbungsschreiben: cover letter.
• Bewerbungsmappe: the whole folder (letter, CV, certificates). Deckblatt: optional cover page.
• Berufserfahrung: work experience. Ausbildung: training or education. Kenntnisse: skills.
• Zeugnisse: certificates, the copies SEPE says to keep ready.

Is a photo required? No. The Federal Employment Agency says it is “no longer a must”, though in an online application you may be asked to upload it separately.

Do I include my date of birth? The BA lists date and place of birth among the personal details of a Lebenslauf, while family situation and nationality are optional. Use your judgement for each application.

How do I send it by email? SEPE suggests attaching the CV and letter in Word or PDF, with a short introduction in the body of the message, from a neutral email address with your name, and keeping everything under 1 MB.

What about gaps in my career? The BA says to explain any interruption longer than two months and to write what you did in that time, for example volunteering or travelling.

• More than two pages.
• Unexplained gaps of more than two months.
• A casual photo, or one in informal clothes.
• Listing several jobs you want at the same company.
• Stapling the letter to the CV or sending photocopies.
• Abbreviations nobody outside your field understands.

• Tabular, reverse chronological, two pages at most.
• Gaps explained, dates complete.
• Photo only if you want to, and a professional one.
• Cover letter addressed to a person, with the job reference.
• Certificates ready in a clear order.
• White A4 and 2.5 cm margins if printed; PDF if sent online.