Applying for a job in Italy: how to write an Italian CV

The Italian CV (curriculum vitae) follows European conventions, with a few Italian habits. The Spanish public employment service (SEPE) summarises them for people applying in Italy:

• Length: one page, two at the most if you have a lot of experience; the cover letter, one page.
• Order: education and experience in reverse chronological order. Academic education is highlighted.
• Europass: the format is quite accepted in Italy.
• Photo: not needed unless it is specifically requested; neither are proofs of qualifications or references.
• Leave out: salary expectations and personal details such as marital status, children, religion or politics.
• Privacy sentence: it is customary to end the CV with an authorisation to process your personal data, followed by your signature.

1. 1Personal data at the top: full name and at least a phone number and an email.
2. 2A title: the job you are applying for, or your professional goal, so the recruiter sees it immediately.
3. 3Professional experience: most recent first; remove what has no relation to the goal; stress skills and achievements; use figures if you can; give dates and the name or sector of each employer.
4. 4Education and qualifications related to the job.
5. 5IT skills and languages, with the level.
6. 6Hobbies only if they relate to the job.

SEPE highlights a characteristic Italian habit: at the end of the CV (either your own or in Europass) you give your consent to the processing of your personal data, followed by your signature. The standard sentence, written in the language of the CV, is this one:

“Autorizzo il trattamento dei dati personali contenuti nel mio curriculum vitae in base all'art. 13 del D. Lgs. 196/2003 e all'art. 13 del Regolamento UE 2016/679 relativo alla protezione delle persone fisiche con riguardo al trattamento dei dati personali.”

A nuance: under the GDPR (article 13) it is the company that has to inform you about how it uses your data, and the Italian data protection authority (Garante) has indicated that consent is not needed for ordinary, non-sensitive data in the CVs people send to be considered. So treat the line as a widespread custom, recommended by SEPE, rather than a legal duty. If in doubt, include it: it does no harm.

• SEPE recommends writing the cover letter in the body of the email, not as an attachment.
• Attach the CV as a PDF and put the job or reference in the subject.
• Use a neutral email address with your name; if you are employed, don't use your work email.
• Keep email and attachments under 1 MB and read the message three times before sending.
• Use the same keywords as the job ad: automatic screening software looks for them.

An Italian CV can be a little longer in the education section, because academic education is highlighted, and it ends with the privacy sentence and a signature. A US resume would not have either. Photos and references are not needed in either country.

This is the skeleton of an Italian CV, with the Italian section names:

• Dati personali: name, phone, email.
• Posizione desiderata: the job you apply for.
• Esperienza professionale: most recent first, with dates, employer and results.
• Istruzione e formazione: highlighted, with dates.
• Competenze: IT skills and languages with the level.
• Consenso al trattamento dei dati personali, then date and signature.

• Curriculum vitae (CV), lettera di presentazione (cover letter), Europass.
• Esperienza lavorativa: work experience. Istruzione e formazione: education. Competenze: skills.
• Trattamento dei dati personali: processing of personal data (the privacy sentence).

Is Europass accepted? SEPE says that in Italy the Europass CV is quite accepted. You create it on the Europass website, which is available in 30 languages.

Do I need a photo or copies of my diplomas? Unless it is specifically requested, SEPE says you don't need to include a photo or any evidence of qualifications or references, neither originals nor copies.

Where does the cover letter go? In the body of the email rather than as an attachment, and shorter if you do so.

How long can the letter be? No more than one page.

• Forgetting the privacy sentence and the signature.
• Sending the cover letter as a separate attachment when the email body would do.
• Listing course names and hours instead of the skills they gave you.
• Including family status, religion or salary expectations.
• Using a different keyword vocabulary from the job ad.

• One page (two at most), PDF.
• Education and experience, most recent first.
• A title with the job you want.
• Privacy sentence with date and signature at the end.
• Cover letter in the body of the email.