Make a tabular German Lebenslauf, in German or English, ready to save as a PDF.
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How to fill it in
- Jobs and education: one line per entry as title | organisation, place | dates, then one line per point starting with a dash (-).
- Skills and languages: one per line. Write Label: value to group them.
- Leave a box empty to drop that section.
- Press Print or save as PDF and choose “Save as PDF” as the printer.
How a German Lebenslauf is set out
| Part | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Persönliche Daten | Name, address, phone, email. Date of birth, place of birth and nationality are optional. |
| Berufserfahrung | Jobs with month and year, newest first |
| Ausbildung | Degrees, school and training, newest first |
| Kenntnisse | IT skills, languages with levels (such as B2), driving licence |
| Ort, Datum, Unterschrift | Place, date and signature at the end |
Germany’s Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) advises a tabular, reverse-chronological CV of no more than 2 A4 pages.
Photo and signature
A photo is no longer required: you can add one or leave it out. The tool adds the place and date and your typed name. For a printed copy, sign by hand; for a PDF, you can add a scanned signature.
Frequently asked questions
Is a photo required on a German CV?
No. Many applicants still add one, but it’s your choice.
Should I write my CV in German?
If the job ad is in German, yes. For international companies an English CV is often fine. Switch the headings with “CV headings in”.
How do I show language levels?
Use the CEFR scale (A1 to C2) and name any certificate, for example Deutsch: B2 (Goethe-Zertifikat).
Is my CV uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything, including your photo, is saved in this browser only. Use “Clear the example” on a shared computer when you’re done.
Sources
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit: Den perfekten Lebenslauf erstellen
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit: Bewerbung schreiben
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