A step-by-step guide to the German CV with a template you can follow today.
Indian CVs are often skills-first or brief. German CVs are reverse-chronological, 2 pages, include personal information and must have a professional photo.
Full name, German address, phone, email, date of birth, nationality, and a professional Bewerbungsfoto (€30–50 from a photographer — worth it).
Every role must have exact start/end months. Bullet points in active German verbs. No unexplained gaps — if you were studying, state it. If job-seeking, list 'Arbeitssuchend'.
German employers expect an Arbeitszeugnis from every previous employer. Coded language: 'stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit' = excellent; 'zu unserer Zufriedenheit' = poor. Collect these before leaving any German job.
List German level with certificate. Technical skills. Hobbies — yes, genuinely. Germans value the whole person, not just the professional.
