Applying for a job in Spain: what a Spanish CV looks like

In Spain the document is called a currículum (CV), and the habits around it differ from the American resume in a few visible ways. These are the points the Spanish public employment service (SEPE) gives to people looking for work in Spain:

• Length: one page, two at the most if you have a lot of experience. The cover letter should not go over one page.
• Photo: allowed and common, not mandatory. SEPE recommends a good-quality passport-style or half-length photo on a neutral background, never a selfie or a cropped group picture.
• Order: reverse chronological, most recent first.
• Leave out: marital status, children, religion, political views and salary expectations.
• References: do not list them. You may write “available on request”.
• File: PDF, so the layout stays as you made it.
• Title of the page: don't head the document with “CV” or “Currículum Vitae”. Your name is the title.

1. 1Contact details: full name, phone number (with the country prefix if you are applying from abroad) and email. A professional LinkedIn link is welcome if you use it for work.
2. 2A target title or short profile: either the name of the job you want or a short paragraph, three or four lines at most, with your strongest points.
3. 3Work experience: most recent first. Give dates, the company or its sector and, above all, results and figures that relate to the job. Remove roles that have nothing to do with the position.
4. 4Education: level of studies and the diplomas or certificates that relate to the job.
5. 5IT skills and languages: state your level for each one.
6. 6Optional: hobbies and volunteering, but only when they relate to the skills the job asks for.

Unlike the US or the UK, a photo is normal in Spain, and SEPE's own factsheet says it can be included and recommends a professional one. It is still your choice: nothing obliges you to add it, and a poor photo does more harm than none.

On personal data, SEPE's factsheet asks for the minimum: full name and contact details at the top. It tells you not to include marital status, children, religion or politics, and not to state salary expectations. Its list of data does not include an ID number or a date of birth, so you don't need them.

One page is the norm in Spain, and two pages are accepted when your career justifies them. Use plain language, avoid jargon and unexplained abbreviations, and proofread: SEPE warns that spelling mistakes can mean an immediate rejection.

If you have little experience, have done very different jobs or have a career break, SEPE suggests a functional (thematic) CV: replace the “work experience” section with “skills and competences” and show what you can do. Otherwise a chronological CV is the standard.

Many companies filter applications with software that searches for keywords. SEPE recommends using the same words that appear in the job ad. It also warns that a heavily designed CV with graphics, boxes or tables loses visibility in those systems, because they cannot read it: use the designed version only when you send it by email or direct message on LinkedIn.

• Keep the letter to one page, personal to each application, and end by saying you would welcome an interview.
• SEPE notes that writing the letter in the body of the email is the most recommended option nowadays, and that it should then be shorter.
• Put the job title or reference in the subject line. Don't send it as “application” or “CV”.
• Attach the CV as a PDF and keep the whole email under 1 MB.
• Check the message three times before sending: right company, attachments, spelling and the employer's address.

The biggest surprises for someone coming from the US are the photo, which is common in Spain, and the absence of a long list of references. Everything else is similar: reverse chronological order, results over duties and a tailored version for each job.

This is how the skeleton of a one-page Spanish CV looks, with the Spanish section names you will see on templates and job boards:

• Alex Carter · Auxiliar de redes sociales · +34 600 000 000 · alex@example.com · Madrid
• Perfil: three lines with your strongest points and the job you want.
• Experiencia profesional: Company, role, dates (month/year) and two or three bullets with results.
• Formación: degree, institution, years.
• Idiomas e informática: English C1, Spanish native; Canva, Excel (advanced).

• Datos personales: personal details. Experiencia profesional: work experience. Formación académica: education.
• Idiomas: languages. Informática: computer skills. Carta de presentación: cover letter.
• SEPE is the public employment service, and Europass is the EU's free CV and cover letter tool.
• InfoJobs is one of the best-known Spanish job boards; SEPE links to its general advice for candidates.

Do I have to write the CV in Spanish? Write it in the language of the job ad. If the company writes in Spanish, send it in Spanish. Europass is available in 30 languages, so you can produce both versions from the same data.

Is Europass a good idea? SEPE says the Europass format is increasingly known in Spain and the platform offers several templates. You can store it online, update it, download a PDF and publish it on the EURES portal.

Is a designed CV a problem? SEPE's view: a designed CV looks better than a plain one, but use it only when you send it by email or by direct message on LinkedIn. If you register it in company databases that filter by words, it loses visibility because those systems don't read graphics or tables.

Do I need a cover letter? SEPE says it is used less every time, but it can make a difference, above all in qualified and specialised jobs. It should show your motivation for that company and position and can go in the body of the email.

• A selfie, or a photo with other people cropped out.
• Writing “Currículum Vitae” as the title.
• Listing courses and hours instead of the skills they gave you.
• Including marital status, children, religion or salary expectations.
• Sending a CV of more than two pages, or the same cover letter to every company.
• An informal or humorous email address, or your work address.

• One page (two at most), in PDF, with your name as the title.
• Reverse chronological order, with dates and results.
• Skills and languages with a level.
• No marital status, children, religion, politics or salary.
• A quality photo if you choose to include one.
• A short, tailored cover letter in the body of the email.