The German Curriculum Vitae
The “Lebenslauf” (CV) should be typed and should not be more than two pages, with a photo of the applicant attached to it. Testimonials carry great weight in a German CV. In addition, military service or alternative community service should also be included, if applicable. In the German CV it is very important that there should be no gaps. If applicants didn’t work or study for certain time there should be a good reason for it.
The CV contains the following points:
Personal details ( Angaben zur Person )
You should give your first name, family name, full address, telephone number, date and place of birth and your nationality. The martial status of the applicant is also part of these point.
Education and training ( Schule und Ausbildung )
The school education should be given in detail starting with primary school and continuing with secondary schools, universities or professional training courses. In Germany, the marks are more important than the name of the school.
Professional Experience ( Berufserfahrung )
The applicant gives detail of his previous work experience as it is relevant for the job. In the German Curriculum Vitae the career history doesn’t run in reverse, and previous jobs should be put in chronological order. Give the name and adress of the employer, the date concerned and details of the positions held. Place your work in positive light.
Language Skills ( Sprachkenntnisse )
Your language skills are very importent for the application in germany. List the language, maybe the place or institution where you acquired the language, and the level of your knowledge. The levels should be discribed in native (Muttersprache), very good (sehr gut), good (gut) and basics (Grundkenntnisse).
Additional Qualifications ( Zusätzliche Qualifikationen )
In this point you can mention relevant qualifications, membership of professionel or occupational associations, etc. Hobbys are not very importend for German employers.
Testimonials ( Arbeitszeugnisse )
Testimonials are very important in a German Application. You should ask your Employer for a Testimonial. The language could be english for an application in big international firms. For an application in a small firm, you should translate it in german and officially certified.
The German CV ends with place, date and signature.