The resume is the centerpiece of any application. It describes your professional and educational career without gaps. Presented in addition to relevant experience and strengths the resume Content clear and personal. This is how it arouses the desire to get to know you. The resume is the first work sample. Employers skim resumes in less than a minute – so content and form must be immediately compelling.
The resume (also called curriculum vitae), together with the cover letter, forms the heart of the application. On 1-2 pages it contains personal data, work experience, educational background, skills and optionally also hobbies. In addition to content, a reader-friendly structure is important because it allows employers to get a quick overview. Through an individual design you can show personality and impress at first sight.
Resume templates and samples
For a quick start to your application, here are 77 professional resume templates for every profession. Click on your desired application template and download your sample. Then open a word processor such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice and edit the template. Finally, save your resume as a PDF – done!
- Sample for all professions
- Sample for creative professions
| Previous sample | 1 23 . 6 | Next pattern |
How to write a resume?
The most common form is the tabular CV. The Tabular structure lists your career in bullet points. This form is very clear. The recruiter knows immediately where to find the important information.
Unless a detailed resume is specifically requested, always write a tabular resume. The tabular form is also the norm for the German CV and the student resume.
Type the Resume on the computer with MS Word or another text editing program. Handwritten resumes are now only required in exceptional cases.
When writing your resume, keep these points in mind:
- Tabular Structure: The layout of the resume is structured like a table. You write the time in the left column and details in the right column.
- Sequence of sections: The resume has a clear structure. List work experience and education first, as these are the most important pieces of information.
- Break it down into stages: All sections are divided into stations, such as z. B. high school and college. Each station consists of a heading, dates and details.
- Reverse chronological listing: List the stages in reverse chronological order. List the most recent station first. Then work backwards. End with the station longest in the past.
- Summarize as bullet points: do not write sentences, but short, precise bullet points.
- Two pages maximumYour resume must not be longer than two A4 pages. Describe your career without gaps, but keep it short and concise. Brevity is the spice of life.
- Without spelling mistakes: Often, all it takes is one spelling mistake and the application will be discarded. Therefore, check your application carefully several times. Have a second person proofread it.
Structure and content of the resume
The proper structure of the resume provides the employer with a quick overview about your person and describes you as a perfect candidate. In German-speaking countries, the tabular structure the usual form. In terms of content, the resume highlights your relevant Qualifications and experience for the advertised position.
The tabular curriculum vitae is structured in at least four sections:
Other sections can be optional be added:
The tabular structure and the structure of the resume are as follows:
Infographic: Resume structure
Name important sections and details always first. Experienced professionals list their work experience first, while entry-level professionals start with their educational background. Think about what your strongest hiring arguments are and what the employer would like to read. During the initial selection process, employers skim your resume in just a few seconds to get a quick overview of your knowledge and skills. Arrange your resume clearly, so that the most important information in your resume immediately catches the eye – otherwise your application will end up in the rejection list.
Summarize sections to avoid having too many bullet points – this keeps the resume organized.
Sections like school education, professional training and studies fit perfectly into a section with Heading Educational Path. You can also list full-time jobs, internships, and part-time jobs together in the work experience section.
If you are writing your resume in English, there are a few things to keep in mind. Therefore, the German resume should not simply be translated one-to-one.
1. Personal data
The personal data you mention first in the resume. This gives the employer a quick overview of who you are as a person. Indicate your personal data in the resume as follows:
Example: personal information in resume
The Mandatory information In this section are:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
In addition you can voluntary statements make. You only mention these if they present you in a good light as an applicant. The following information is not mandatory, but it is common practice:
- Date of birth (usual to mention, especially for young applicants)
- Place of birth
- Professional application photo (common in Germany)
- Professions of your parents (only mention as a student in exceptional cases)
- Denomination and marital status (mention only in exceptional cases)
Name as heading
Writing "Curriculum Vitae" as a heading was common in the past. Since every employer recognizes a resume by its structure, this is no longer necessary today. More modern is to write your own name as a heading. You also gain space for further relevant information.
If you for conventional companies we still recommend, "Resume" as a headline to use. Then write your full name as first point under the title.
Address
The address contains your current address. Here you name street, House number, Postal code and City. If your permanent residence is abroad, add the country code.
| State your complete address: | Give abbreviated address: |
| "Musterweg 77, 10115 Berlin" | "Musterweg 77, Berlin" |
| "22 Rue Jaune, 70800 Dijon, France" | "22 Rue Jaune, 70800 Dijon" |
Phone number
It is obligatory to include a current phone number, so that the employer can contact you in case of interest. Therefore, it is very important that you check the number thoroughly for Number spinners check.
It is best to mention only one number where you can always be reached, such as z. B. Your Cell phone number. If you have a landline number, a foreign phone number or are applying abroad, add the country code. We recommend to use country code always add, as it looks very professional and complies with the DIN 5008 standard (as of 2020).
| add a prefix: | Omit area code: |
| "(030) 817 9845" | "817 9845" |
| "(+49) 176 6934443" | "0176 6934443" |
| Check phone number several times: | Missed number transposition in number: |
| "(+49) 176 6934443" | "(+49) 176 6394443" |
e-mail address
The e-mail address ideally consists of your first and last name and must sound serious. Use no nicknames. If the classic combinations are no longer available, add meaningful additions add, for example Abbreviations for your first name or the desired location of the new job. Alternatively, put place names or numbers at the end of the email. If you want to give a particularly professional impression, you can secure the domain to your name for 8 euros per year and set up an e-mail address there.
Better check your email address twice after inserting it in your resume after letter or number rotators. Because it would be very annoying if the employer can’t reach you when you are interested.
| Use a serious e-mail address: | Use nicknames: |
| "[email protected]" | "[email protected]".com" |
| "[email protected]" | "[email protected]" |
| Useful abbreviations and additions: | Inappropriate abbreviations and additions: |
| "[email protected]" | "[email protected]" |
| "[email protected]" | "[email protected]" |
You can also add your contact information in the header. This will save you valuable space. This is especially valuable for experienced professionals who have trouble fitting all the information on two pages.
Date and place of birth
Although not mandatory, many and often young applicants give their date of birth.
it is mentioned in the format DD/MM/YYYY. It can be helpful, however, not to give information about place of birth and nationality; especially for smaller companies, the bureaucratic hurdles are often large to hire applicants from non-European countries. The job interview offers you the opportunity to convince the employer of your qualities.
| Date of birth in dd/mm/yyyy format: | Date of birth in abbreviated format: |
| "Born: 01.01.2003 in Musterhausen" | "Born: 2003 in Musterhausen" |
Application photo
The application photo gives your application a face. It immediately catches the eye when looking at the resume and strongly influences the First impression. It can significantly increase your application chances, but it can also noticeably decrease them.
According to the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), the photo is not mandatory more. Nevertheless, employers in Germany prefer applications with a photo, so it is in practice still common. The application photo offers a great opportunity for a convincing application, so we recommend that you always include a photo in your resume.
It is important that the Style of the photo matches the job. Depending on the job you are applying for, the photo should be more open, creative or more classic and conventional. Basically the photo must be always professional look. Your clothing should be suitable for the job you are applying for and your overall appearance should be neat and tidy.
Since there are many subtleties to consider in the application photo, we recommend going to a professional photographers to go to a photo studio. The trained eye of the employer immediately sees whether it is an amateur shot or not. Because does not fit the photo from the style or it has a bad quality, then this reduces your chances significantly!
Online voucher platforms such as Groupon have from 20 euros often discount offers for professional photo shoots in bigger cities.
| Professional photo from a photographer | Picture from the cell phone camera |
| Look straight into the camera | Picture from the photo booth |
| Face to upper body in the picture | Full body shot |
| Photo with appropriate work clothes | Photo with casual clothes |
| Keep background neutral | Background is bumpy and distracting |
Optional information
Denomination: Including your religion in your resume is optional and unusual nowadays. If you are applying to a religious organization such as a church or a nursing and care organization that is backed by a church sponsor, then this information may be helpful.
Marital status: You can also voluntarily indicate whether you are "single" (unmarried) or "married". If you have children, you can also mention the number and age of the children. As a student, leave out your marital status. Based on your age, it is assumed that you are unmarried.
Parents’ occupation: Experienced professionals leave out the information. This optional information is only worthwhile for students whose parents have a similar profession to the one you are applying for – according to the motto "the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree". Names and ages of parents as well as information about siblings are not mentioned in the CV nowadays.
Give your Career aspiration on (or what comes closest to it). This shows determination and that you have already given some thought to your professional life. For example "career aspiration: "teacher.
2. Work experience
In the work experience section, list important practical experience that qualifies you for the job you’re applying for – this includes Full-time jobs, Internships and Part-time jobs as well as the practical phases of vocational training and dual studies. For experienced professionals this is the Most important part of resume. As a high school student and young professional with less than one year of work experience, list the education section of your resume first.
The Reference to the job is particularly important here: each station describes in key points your Tasks, activities and achievements, Relevant and useful for the job you are applying for.
The job description states what skills and qualifications are important to the job. Ask yourself:
- Where have I already proven these requirements? Name the stations.
- What tasks and activities did I perform there that are useful for the new job? Name relevant details.
Describe your experiences in your own words and use central keywords – but Do not copy word for word from the job description. This will be noticed quickly and the application will end up in the filing cabinet.
The stations will be in antichronological order named, i.e. the most recent station first. In this way, the most important things are the first to jump out at you when reading. Also give your professional background without gaps an, i.e. without unexplained periods of more than two months.
The longer a station dates back, the more concise you indicate them. This means, for example, that as a professional with seven years of work experience, you no longer describe in detail all the tasks of your first internship, but briefly and concisely in one or two lines.
infographic: Work experience on a resume
The minimum information for each station of work experience:
- Position and department
- Tasks, activities and achievements
- Period of employment
- Company name
- Place of employment
Experience such as Work& Travel, Au pair stays and language travel, where the focus is on learning a language or getting to know the culture of the host country, will in the field of international experience mentioned.
Depending on the choice of words the headline achieves a different effect. Here are alternatives and our assessment of their Effect on the reader listed:
- "Work experience" (classic, concrete)
- "Practical experience" (modern, practice-oriented)
- "Practical experience" (classic)
- "Professional practice" (dynamic)
- "Professional background" (conventional)
Position and Department
Select as Headline for each station the type of employment (z. B. internship, part-time job, vocational training) and either The job title or department area and highlight them visually. This way, it is immediately clear to the employer in which role you have worked. The list of official job titles gives you an overview of this. If you don’t mention the type of employment or the amount of work in hours per week, you may give the impression that it was a full-time position.
Here are some Examples, how you can present professional stations in your resume:
Full-time job:
Example: Include a full-time job in your resume
Internship:
Example: Include an internship in your resume
part-time job / mini-job:
Example: Include a part-time job in your resume
professional training:
Example: Include education in your resume
Dual studies:
Example: Specify dual studies (practical phases) in the resume
Working student job:
Example: Specify working student job in resume
Student Internship:
Example: Include a student internship in your resume
Temporary help:
Example: Include part-time temp job on resume
If you are in an non-profit organization such as a hospital, nursing home, daycare center, or police department, then indicate the type of facility instead of the department area. This highlights your social commitment.
If you don’t have any work experience, i.e. you haven’t done any internships, summer jobs or student jobs before, fill in the section with relevant study-related activities and Project work.
If the work experience section of your resume still remains very thin, fill in other sections more and include details such as knowledge, skills, favorite subjects in school, and hobbies.
tasks, activities and achievements
For each position, write down your field of activity and tasks. The Reference to job description is especially important here. Explain your most important stations in detail, to make your resume meaningful and distinctive. Do not mention long past or little relevant stations only briefly.
Limit yourself to maximum three to six key points per station. Otherwise the resume will be too long and will not be read completely. Instead of bullet points, you can also write short and precisely formulated sentences. Place the essential concise and appealing dar.
Stick to the truth, but be reflective and inventive: pinpoint which of your past experiences could be an asset in the new position. It is especially valuable to include your Work accomplishments to mention. Try to be as concrete as possible. It is best to mention measurable numbers.
In numbers, for example, you can express
- how many Employees you have led
- by how much Percent you were able to increase / decrease X
- How many Customers you have newly gained
- in which Period you have accomplished something
The more details you include that don’t have a strong connection to the job you’re applying for, the more you’ll be able to dilute your resume and loses significance. Omit less relevant or long-ago stations, or state them succinctly if there are gaps.
If you part-time you have worked, name the time scope of the activity in hours per week.
If you have little or no relevant practical experience, list it anyway Details about your side jobs. This is better than presenting a blank resume. This way you can show that you have already done some work.
Especially for young applicants, soft skills and a suitable Personality more important than work experience.
For example, a student is applying for a part-time job as a salesperson. He did his student internship in the hospital before. He writes "Intensive conversations with patients" as a task for this station to emphasize his openness and sociability – both qualities that are also important in salespeople. Never mention soft skills without an example, where you learned these skills, – otherwise you look untrustworthy.
| Relevant activities and accomplishments: | Activities without job reference: |
| Intense conversations with patients | Make coffee |
| Details of tasks in each station: | No or little details: |
| customer acquisition via notices | Customer acquisition |
| Bullet points or short sentences: | Long sentences and paragraphs: |
| Assist management in recruiting and candidate selection | I assisted management in finding new workers and also participated in selection interviews. |
Period of time (MM/YYYY)
Always list the month (MM) and year (YYYY) of the period of employment. If your period of employment was shorter than one month, then write additionally before the company name of the employer the duration (z. B. "Two weeks at Vivantes Hospital.").
Write months as numbers, not as words, as this is more space-saving and clearer. Begin each single-digit number representing a month with a leading "0" and place a slash between the month and year without a space. Pay attention to the dates consistent spelling: This makes your resume look clear and thorough.
For current station, write "05/2020 – current" or "since 05/2020".
| Write start and end date in the format MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY: | Give only annual numbers or write data in inconsistent format: |
| "11/2017 – 01/2019" | "2017 – 2019" |
| "07/2017 – 11/2017" | "7/17 – 11/19" |
company name, place
List the complete company name of your previous employers including legal form At. You can usually find them in the imprint of the company website. Also, give the Place of employment an, i.e. the city where you worked. If this was abroad, also include the country. This prevents misunderstandings and emphasizes your experience abroad.
Optionally, you can also add a short text under the company name Company and industry description Add. This is helpful if you want to highlight industry experience or if you want to show that you have worked in a corporation, medium-sized company or startup.
| Full name with legal form: | Abbreviated company name: |
| "Florida-Eis Manufaktur GmbH." | "Florida ice cream" |
| Place of work with country, if abroad: | Do not specify a country if abroad: |
| "in Sao Paulo (Brazil)" | "in Sao Paulo" |
What to include, what not to include?
As soon as you have done some part-time jobs, internships and full-time jobs, the question quickly arises as to which stations and details you should include in your resume and what is better left out.
Here are three rules to keep in mind:
- If there would be gaps, always specify the station. If the job has little relation to the position applied for, then name the station briefly and omit details about your tasks and activities. If you have many years of work experience, you can completely omit long past side jobs, internships and small projects.
- Mention only relevant work experience and details. These are past stations and tasks in which you have demonstrated job-relevant qualifications. As an engineer, you give z. B. indicate your work in a workshop. For a position in customer service, you mention that you always received above-average tips as a waiter.
Restrict yourself to your most valuable experiences and activities. For experienced professionals, it can be difficult to limit the resume to two pages. It is all the more important to omit or summarize less relevant details – otherwise the resume will be watered down and appear less convincing.
Students and young professionals in particular often don’t give enough details about their stations. To make the resume meaningful, be sure to describe your duties, activities, skills learned, and minor and major accomplishments.
Include part-time jobs on your resume
Job-relevant side jobs and mini-jobs are always mentioned – depending on the duration and relevance of the activities more or less detailed. side jobs that have no relation to the job are not mentioned in the resume if there is no gap. If you have z. B. worked briefly as a pizza delivery person during business school and helped set up at a trade show over the summer, then omit that from your resume for a marketing job. There is no gap (due to studies) and the stations show little job-relevant strengths.
A part-time job for at least one year with the same company, even if it is not very job-related. Because a steady part-time job testifies to Personal strengths such as commitment, reliability, and a general ability to work.
Include internships in the resume
Internships whose content and experience are directly related to the position you are seeking are mentioned in your resume. However, if an internship was a long time ago and you have gained work experience in the meantime, omit it or present it in one or two lines. A college graduate calls z. B. Do not include a three-week internship from the 9th grade. Class.
Internships that are not related to the job are not mentioned in the resume if no gap is created. If there is a gap, mention it as succinctly as possible.
If you are applying for a student job (z. B. a mini-job or as a temp, an apprenticeship or a dual study program, list your work experience even if they are not directly job-related is.
A empty resume would give the impression that you have never worked before in your life. As a newspaper delivery boy, babysitter, or student intern, you may not demonstrate any technical knowledge, but you do show commitment, a sense of responsibility, and perhaps other soft skills.
indicate full-time jobs in your resume
Full-time jobs are always mentioned in the resume – more or less detailed depending on the duration and relevance of the tasks.
Do you have several stations of less than one year in your resume? Then think carefully about how you explain this in the interview. Because employers see a frequent change as a sign of Inconsistency, a Lack of reliability and loyalty to.
Try to use red thread to be included in your resume: Explain how each experience builds on the other and why the new job is a perfect fit now.
Gaps in the resume
gaps in your resume are unexplained periods of time in the career, the longer than two months persist. Frequent changes of employer, reorientation and time off are not uncommon nowadays. The modern career looks different than it did 15 years ago. Therefore gaps far less bad, than feared by many applicants – if explained correctly.
Gaps give the impression that the applicant wants to hide something and are therefore dangerous: they lead to suspicion and put the Credibility of the applicant at stake. It is therefore important to deal with gaps open and honest deal with the truth to formulate correctly and preparing for interview questions.
Gaps can be created by:
- Unemployment (z. B. due to termination during probationary period, long job search, or job loss during corona crisis)
- Illness (z. B. Depression, burnout, caring for dependents)
- Voluntary time off, sabbaticals
- Travel (z. B. after high school graduation)
How to explain gaps
Unemployment on the resume:
You should spend longer periods of unemployment on other valuable activities besides job hunting. Try to have something meaningful to show for it, such as the following:
- Further education, training and retraining
- Cultural travel or language travel
- (preparation for) self-employment
- Social commitment, voluntary work and honorary office
- Unpaid internships as an aid to career reorientation
- Self-study to learn specific knowledge and skills
If you can prove such activities, then mention them in the curriculum vitae – so the gap does not arise in the first place . Also include an professional reorientation is a good reason for longer periods of unemployment – but be prepared for explanations in the job interview.
In the resume, unemployment is indicated as follows:
01/2020 to 05/2020 – Professional reorientation with the goal of a position as Team Leader B2B Sales
Avoid the term "unemployed" in the resume and better use "job-seeking" or "application phase", which sounds more active and goal-oriented.
Whether you resigned or were terminated yourself does not matter on the resume – even personal reasons should be better explained in the interview Address if they are relevant to the future. Particularly after a long period of unemployment, it is important to look ahead to show.
Illness on your resume:
When mentioning illnesses in your resume Caution advised. You should not give the employer the impression that there is a high risk of failure – because then your application will be sorted out immediately.
Diseases that can statistically reoccur (such as mental illnesses, z. B. Depression), or illnesses that negatively affect job performance (a broken wrist as a medical assistant), should be inconspicuous in the resume be mentioned. You do not have to specify the nature of the illness, if it does not interfere with the performance of your job or risk of infection exists. In the resume, the illness is indicated as follows:
03/2019 to 05/2019 – Time off due to illness
03/2019 to 05/2019 – Sick leave with full recovery
One-time cured illnesses such as accidents, surgeries or battled cancer can be in the curriculum vitae without hesitation be included.
03/2019 to 05/2019 – rehabilitation after an accident with full recovery
Even more generally the break can be formulated as follows. However, this leaves more room for speculation open and tends to lead employers to assume the worst. Be prepared for questions in the interview.
03/2019 to 05/2019 – Professional break for private reasons
03/2019 to 05/2019 – Time off for personal reasons
Also Care of relatives Can be openly stated in the resume if it has led to a longer-term professional absence.
03/2019 to 05/2019 – Professional sabbatical to care for dependents
If no gap due to an illness arises, you can also mention it in your curriculum vitae omit. However, you must always mention an illness if it could affect your work currently or in the future – this also applies to chronic illnesses.
Voluntary time off and sabbaticals on resumes:
Voluntary sabbaticals and sabbatical years are included in a modern CV nothing special anymore. Therefore, you don’t have to conceal or gloss over it. They serve personal renewal and have often positive effects on work performance. Because you work more effectively with newfound freshness, clarity and verve.
Instead, it is important to make it credible that you did something personally meaningful and enriching with the time you spent there. How did you evolve in the process?
For example, you used your time off for a professional reorientation or pursuing personal projects used, how:
- Raising children and starting a family
- Writing a book
- Training as a yoga teacher
- Learning a new foreign language
Always explain extended time off like this in an interview, How they make you the perfect candidate Have done for the advertised position. Maybe being a father taught you important things for a leadership position, writing a book awakened your creative and literary side, or yoga classes made you more balanced and internally connected.
A good Reasoning is especially important, if time off is very long, because then doubts about your will to work and your goal orientation arise.
Voluntary time off and sabbaticals will be briefly stated in the curriculum vitae. Details can be discussed in more detail during the interview:
05/2018 to 02/2019 – Professional sabbatical for personal projects
05/2018 to 02/2019 – Personal time off for professional reorientation
05/2018 to 02/2019 – Voluntary time off to start a family
05/2018 to 02/2019 – sabbatical for a trip around the world
Travel on your resume:
Voluntary time off you can also use wonderfully for traveling. Because travel helps you break away from the daily grind and gain a new perspective on life. Experience abroad and intercultural skills are now expected in every company. If you list a trip on your resume, be sure to only include trips where you learned meaningful things and grew personally – party-only trips are less likely to be well received by employers.
A cultural trip or language study trip does not go in the work experience section of your resume. How Work& Travel and au-pair stays come travel in the section "5. international experience".
In the resume, travel is brief and to the point:
01/2020 to 04/2020 – backpacking trip through South America
01/2020 to 04/2020 – language trip to Canada
01/2020 to 04/2020 – Travel through 12 countries in Southeast Asia
Gaps that are not gaps
Application phase after graduation or training:
For career starters it is normal to search up to six months for a suitable entry-level job. Therefore there is no need to explain here. If the job search takes longer, you can indicate it this way:
08/2019 to 04/2020 – Orientation and application period for career entry
In the event of a prolonged job search, try to demonstrate meaningful sideline activities so as not to be labeled lazy.
Change of studies:
You made a mistake in your choice of major or education and now want to start something else? Of course, it usually takes more than two months from dropping out of studies to starting a new one – that doesn’t need any further explanation in your resume. Make the most of the waiting period by working in student organizations, part-time jobs relevant to your studies, or internships.
(Attempt at) self-employment:
Even failed self-employment is not a gap – on the contrary, it can be valuable work experience. It shows not only the courage to take risks, but also a great sense of responsibility and flexibility to take on different tasks and not shy away from challenges. List your self-employment as if it were a normal career stop with the name of your company, position, duties and the time period.
Do not resort to lies to improve your resume and cover up breaks in it. If former bosses or employees are contacted as references, lies will be noticed very quickly. Invented further education is also not a good idea. Because if asked about it in the job interview, you will not only get into explanation trouble, but also risk your reputation.
It gets even worse if your employer doesn’t discover lies until after you’ve begun employment: that can make the termination without notice and others legal consequences after that.
A typical mistake is to cover up the gaps by saying that you’re the Omitting monthly information from the resume and only give. employers know this "trick" very well and know immediately that the applicant wants to conceal something. If the employer doesn’t immediately reject your application, he’s guaranteed to bring it up in the interview – in any case, this is how you’ll make it not a good basis for trust.
Remember: periods of non-employment are not a problem if you explain them reasonably. But if you try to conceal it, it will arouse suspicion and give room for speculation.
Specify parental leave
Parental leave describes the phase of a career break used to raise children. You you do not have to mention them if there is no gap in the curriculum vitae. This is the case when employment continues in the same company and continues seamlessly after parental leave. If your employment ended before that, you must list parental leave. Not all employers see a break for parental leave as positive.
In any case, be prepared to Putting parental leave in the right light – because as valuable as raising a child is to our society, employers want to hire someone who is professionally up to date is and Motivation brings. During parental leave, you can also develop important personal qualities – such as patience, flexibility and the ability to take on responsibility. Try Benefits of parental leave for your job to recognize them and present them in the interview.
Parents who invest time in their own family while raising their children can shine particularly well Further education have invested. It doesn’t have to be a big deal: just completing an online self-study course or attending seminars shows that you’ve kept your career in perspective.
If you have been employed in a position for two years and one year of that in parental leave, it would give a wrong impression of your experience if you sell the parental leave as active time in the company. If the parental leave was already several years ago, then it also plays a less important role. Parental leave is usually always listed on the job reference (unless you specifically asked for it not to be listed). Therefore it is difficult to conceal it completely.
Parental leave with an existing employment relationship is indicated in this way:
Example: Include parental leave in your resume
Parental leave without an existing employment relationship is stated in this way:
01/2020 to 07/2020 – Parental leaveSince 05/2020 – Parental leave
As a mother who quickly returned to work, don’t list your parental leave on your resume. Because according to a study by the Social Science Research Center Berlin, mothers who mention a short parental leave of two months, less frequently invited to job interviews. This could be due to the fact that such mothers are considered to be less responsible. For fathers, a short parental leave did not have a negative impact on their application.
Internal job change
An internal job change, i.e. a change within the same company, can be listed either together or as separate stages in the curriculum vitae as follows:
Example: Include an internal job change in your resume
If you worked for a consulting or temp agency and were sent out to companies, represent the stops as follows:
Example: Specify temporary work in the curriculum vitae
3. Education
The educational path contains information about your school career, in particular about school, training and study period. Name here also greater Retraining and further education. Minor continuing education such as seminar attendance and online courses are indicated in the continuing education section.
Again: The longer a station lies back, the shorter you describe it describe it. Name the Most recent station first and continue in antichronological order.
Infographic: Schooling in your resume
The Minimum information to the educational path:
- Degree or degree sought
- Period
- name and type of school
- Place of school attendance
In addition, you can Voluntary information on electives, majors, grades, and final papers do. Mention this additional information only if it helps you to meet the requirements of the job advertisement and if it presents you in a positive light.
Depending on the choice of words, the heading will have a different effect. Here are alternatives and our assessment of them Effect on the reader Listed:
"educational background" (modern, fresh, academic)
"School career" (youthful, classic)
"Schooling" (youth)
"Education" (classic, practical)
If Gaps of more than three months between your school stations arise, explain these in the curriculum vitae. If you have attended z. B. apply for a place at university and after the Abitur Work& Travel, list it in the section on international experience.
In the resume for students and young professionals you mention your Educational background directly after the personal data and before work experience. You also describe your educational background more detailed.
This is because students and young professionals have little or no practical experience. If you have at least one year of job-relevant experience, list the work experience first and present the educational background more briefly.
degrees/titles
The educational qualification is the most important information an educational station. Therefore, this point is mentioned first and made clearly recognizable as a heading. Even if you have not yet received the degree, enter your degree sought here on.
Leave information about Elementary school away as soon as you have started your studies or vocational training. After completion of studies or training, also leave the details of the secondary school (secondary school, high school) away.
Experienced professionals with more than two years of experience should be mentioned only the highest educational qualification. If you have completed a bachelor’s degree with a master’s degree or a doctorate, then list both.
Degrees further back are only mentioned if a special added value in the indication lies. A school visit abroad. lifts z. B. language skills and intercultural experience.
Here are some Examples, how you can present school stations in the curriculum vitae: Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees: Always mention the degree program with the exact degree title such as "Bachelor of Science" and the field of study "in Business Administration". In addition, you can list important subjects or majors, the topic of your thesis, and your final grade.
Example: Include studies in the resume
Vocational training: List education in the education section with education title, if applicable. focus and official designation of the training occupation and the certification body. In the work experience section, list the details of your duties as an apprentice in the company.
Example: indicate education in the curriculum vitae
Dual studies: Specify the theoretical part of the dual study program in the educational pathway section similar to the normal bachelor’s degree program. List the practical phases in the work experience section.
Example: Specify dual studies in the resume
Abitur: Write out the word and do not use abbreviations like "Abi". Alternatively, you can write "Allgemeine Hochschulreife," which sounds more conventional.
Example: indicate high school diploma in the curriculum vitae
specialized baccalaureate: If you’re taking a specialized baccalaureate degree from a specialized secondary school, list the field of study right next to the degree – for example, "specialized baccalaureate in social pedagogy". More generally, you can also write "Fachhochschulreife", which looks more conservative.
Example: include specialized baccalaureate in resume
Realschulabschluss: As an alternative to "Realschulabschluss", you can traditionally write "Mittlere Reife", which is better received by conservative jobs and companies.
Example: indicate secondary school diploma in the resume
secondary school leaving certificate: Here you can alternatively write "Berufsschulreife", which emphasizes that the degree qualifies you to attend a vocational school.
Example: Include secondary school diploma on resume
If you have changed secondary schools (Hauptschule, Realschule or Gymnasium), only mention the school where you graduated.
Elementary school: Since attending elementary school does not end in a degree worth mentioning, simply write "elementary school" in the resume. Leave out information on elementary school completely as soon as you have obtained the next higher school-leaving qualification, e.g. B. Realschulabschluss (secondary school leaving certificate).
Example: indicate elementary school in the resume
Mention details only if they add value to the job being applied for. The Title of thesis is only relevant, for example, if it has a reference to the desired position. State Emphasis and favorite subjects, they should also fit the position applied for.
Do you belong to the generation that still has to Civilian service or military service has completed, then do not add this station here, but to the Social Commitment section – just like applicants who are applying for a FSJ Have decided.
Period (MM/YYYY)
Always mention the month (MM) and year (YYYY) of the beginning and end of the position. Pay attention to a Uniform spelling for each station. The format is the same as for the dates in the work experience section.
If you are currently in education, write "since 01/2020" or "01/2020 – current" and add the expected graduation date in the station details "Graduation vsl. 2022".
| Start and end dates in MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY format: | Abbreviated or inconsistent format: |
| "09/2015 – 07/2019" | "2015 – 2019" |
| "08/2009 – 10/2015" | "8/09 – 10/15" |
Name and type of school, city
Directly under graduation follow the details of the school: trainees name the place of training here. Include full name, type and location. For the name you should No abbreviations use so that the educational institution is clearly identifiable. If the place of School abroad If you are located in a country, the country is also indicated. This prevents misunderstandings and emphasizes your experience abroad.
| Write the name and type of school: | Abbreviate official name of school: |
| "Beucke-Realschule in Berlin" | "Beucke School in Berlin" |
| "Berlin School of Economics and Law" | "HWR, Berlin" |
| If school abroad, indicate country: | For school abroad, omit country: |
| "Watts Primary School, Bristol (England)." | "Watts Primary School, Bristol" |
Grades, focus, subjects
For each educational station, you can add optional information that will help you to raise your profile and set you apart from other applicants. Here are some examples:
focus areas or favorite subjects: Do you specialize in a particular field or are some of your subjects particularly well suited to the position you are applying for?? Mention it! The indication of electives, majors or favorite subjects shows your goal orientation, interest and important theoretical knowledge that you bring to the job.
Grades: Mention final grade or grade point average only if they present you in a positive light. Even if you are still in education, you can mention your current grade point average. This is how you show your willingness and ability to perform well.
If you do not mention your grades, be especially careful to mention your degree. Otherwise, you will give the impression that you dropped out of school without graduating.
Thesis: Mention the topic of your master’s, bachelor’s or doctoral thesis. You do not have to include your final grade, but you should. Otherwise your career will look incomplete.
Semester abroad: If you have completed a semester abroad, mention it here, including the place and name of the school. Alternatively, you can also list semesters abroad in the Foreign Experience section to further emphasize your experience abroad. This is especially useful if language or intercultural skills are important for the position applied for.
Discontinued studies/training
If you have dropped out of your studies or training, name that in the resume anyway, so that there is no gap.
The Dropout you must Do not specify explicitly, so as not to draw unnecessary attention to this detail. Employers will still notice that you did not graduate. So do not write "without a degree.
Instead, list the station as you would a normal vocational training/study, including time period, but instead of the degree, list the type of study or the name of the school.
Example: Include dropped out of university in your resume Example: indicate in the curriculum vitae any education you have dropped out of Example: indicate dropped out of school in resume
The longer ago the dropout or the dropout from the training and the shorter the duration of the training was, the less important it is also in the resume. Focus instead on your professional qualifications and other relevant experience and knowledge.
4. Knowledge and skills
The skills section contains relevant skills for the position you are applying for, which you have not yet mentioned in the area of education or work experience. This includes Computer skills, Language skills and others job specific knowledge. This is how you list other knowledge and skills on your resume:
Example: skills in your resume
The most common mistakes here are a wrong selection or a too long enumeration of knowledge. Always ask yourself which skills are useful in the field of the job you are applying for and list only these skills. Try to focus on maximum ten skills Limit the number of items; employers rarely read long lists in their entirety.
Depending on the choice of words, the heading achieves a different effect. Here are alternatives and our assessment of their Effect on the reader listed:
- "Knowledge and skills" (classic)
- "Other knowledge" (modern, experienced)
- "Other specialized knowledge" (practice-oriented, experienced)
Computer skills
List any computer skills, such as software and programming languages, that you have mastered. Also put here the Reference to the job and only select skills that are relevant to the job.
Be specific and avoid general generic terms like "MS Office" or "Internet". Instead, accurately name "MS PowerPoint", "MS Word" or "MS Excel" and skills on the internet such as "blogging", "Google research" or "Facebook advertising".
Give your level of knowledge To. There is no uniform scale, but the gradations "basic knowledge", "good", "very good" are common. The number of years of experience is also a meaningful statement. The The way of presentation is up to you. Here you have the opportunity to be creative and stand out from the other competitors.
The term "Computer skills" is outdated. More modern is to write "Computer skills", "IT skills" or "Software skills" as a heading.
| Specific software and skills: | General software packages and terms: |
| "MS Powerpoint", "MS Excel", .. | "MS Office" |
| "Adobe Photoshop", "InDesign", .. | "Adobe Creative Suite" |
| "Blogging", "Google research", … | "Internet" |
Language skills
Language skills in your resume include your Mother tongue(s) As well as your Foreign language skills. If you can prove knowledge with certificates, attach them to your application. Language skills should self-assessed become. Also here the way of presentation is up to you. The usual gradations are as follows:
- "Mother tongue"
- "Fluent in negotiations"
- "Fluent in spoken and written"
- "Very good knowledge"
- "Good skills"
- "Basic knowledge"
Other skills
Mention here besides language and computer skills other job-relevant skills, like for example the driver’s license. As a student, you can include it even if it is not needed for the position you are applying for. Because the driver’s license represents a personal achievement: It indicates maturity, a sense of responsibility and determination.
Examples of other knowledge include:
- Class B driver’s license
- Forklift license
- Training license
soft skills
Nowadays it is more and more common, Soft skills to be mentioned directly in the resume. Especially with little work experience it is important to show personal strengths. However, these you call never without examples, Where you have learned or demonstrated them.
Communicate soft skills better indirectly Through your accomplishments, activities, favorite subjects, hobbies, and interests on your resume. In the cover letter, on the other hand, you name soft skills directly and explain them with concrete examples.
| Cite soft skills by example: | Cite soft skills without examples: |
| "Three months backpacking through South America with my parents" | "Openness, flexibility and resilience" |
| "Playing soccer (5 years in a club)" | "Ability to work in a team" |
| "Opened your own lemonade stand" | "initiative |
5. Other optional sections
If you have listed personal data, your professional and educational background as well as knowledge in the resume, the mandatory part is fulfilled. In addition, try to further strengthen your profile by adding the following sections:
- Hobbies and interests
- Social commitment
- International experience
- Further education
- Awards and publications
These areas round out your resume and give it a more personal touch. Here you also have Possibility to sharpen your profile, by emphasizing certain experiences. You also show a willingness to disclose more than the minimal information about yourself on your resume – a good confidence builder for the interview.
hobbies and interests
By stating hobbies in the resume, the personnel officer gets a better picture of your personality. Interests give your application more Individuality And help you stay in the employer’s mind. Hobbies are stated in the resume as follows:
Example: Interests and hobbies in your resume
It is important that you not too general Phrase it, otherwise it doesn’t seem very personal.
| Name a special hobby: | State general hobby: |
| "Reference books on the subject of productivity" | "Reading" |
| "Marathon running" | "Jogging" |
| "Prepare African dishes" | "Cooking" |
| "Soccer (5 years at club as a striker)" | "Football" |
| "Backpacking through South America" | "travels" |
| "Social Media (Instagram, Twitter)" | "social media." |
If you are Achievements or if you have awards to show, then mention them briefly in addition to your hobby. Just as in your resume, personal interests are especially effective if you list them in a section called with numbers can. Here are some examples:
- Tennis (4x North German Champion)
- jogging (3x per week)
- Twitter (1000 followers)
Every hobby is a Symbol, that for certain Character traits stands. Therefore, you should only include the hobbies that make you appear positive let and fit to the job, for which you are applying. While hobbies are rarely a determining factor in the success of an application, negative hobbies but can definitely lead to a rejection.
Positive examples of hobbies in the resume
Good hobbies show you as one active, team player and committed person. You can include the following hobbies in your resume:
- Sports stand for the will to perform and dynamism. Soccer or basketball stand for team spirit, jogging or swimming prove endurance, golf or equestrian sports are considered status hobbies. Tennis, on the other hand, indicates that you are a lone warrior.
- Creative hobbies like painting, cooking, photography or making music stand for curiosity, openness and diligence.
- Further education hobbies such as reading reference books, blogs, and relevant news show an interest in your profession that extends beyond work hours.
- Social media hobbies like maintaining an Instagram or Twitter account symbolize a modern attitude and an awareness of trends. But be sure to avoid generic-sounding, passive hobbies like "Facebook".
- Volunteer work shows you as an active and social person.
It goes down very well if you match your interests to your profession and the advertised position. Here are some examples:
- A content manager who also runs a blog on the side.
- an architecture student who likes to take pictures.
Negative examples of hobbies on your resume
Not every hobby belongs in the resume and can even have a negative effect. You’d better keep the following leisure activities to yourself:
- Passive hobbies like watching TV or playing computer games can show you as a withdrawn or even antisocial person.
- Extreme hobbies with risk of injury like skydiving or climbing are interpreted as too risky or lurid.
- Standard hobbies like listening to music, meeting friends or reading make you seem boring.
How to list hobbies correctly in your resume
Hobbies belong to To the end of the tabular resume. You can title the section "Hobbies" (not "Hobbies"), but "Personal Interests" or "Involvement" sounds more professional. Keep the following in mind:
- Be honest: Name only hobbies that you actually pursue.
- Be short List up to four hobbies in your resume in bullet points.
- Prepare yourself for questions: Personnel managers will ask for more details about you.
Especially as newcomers to the profession you should include good hobbies in the resume. So you can compensate for missing experience and if you do not have any qualifications show possible potential. For experienced professionals, personal interests can round out the application, but are less important.
List hobbies with accomplishments or successes to further highlight your performance and goal orientation.
Social commitment
Social engagement is a volunteer and honorary work for a good cause. Charitable work is very popular with employers. If you can show social commitment, it shows you as a responsible person, communally minded and acting human being.
You can use your social engagement briefly in the hobbies section mentioning interests, or even Be more detailed in the area of work experience, if you have learned job-relevant skills doing them.
If you want to show your social commitment highlight extra If you want, you can also give new stage in the curriculum vitae – this underlines your social vein. As in the work experience section, you should present the stages as follows:
Example: Include FSJ in your resume
You can also briefly and concisely Describe what you did in volunteer work. Try to emphasize experiences and skills that are useful for your professional career.
Examples of social commitment:
- Federal voluntary service (BFD)
- Voluntary social year (FSJ)
- Voluntary ecological year (FoJ)
- Voluntary internship in a social institution
- Au-pair stay
- Membership in public organizations
Further education
With further education in your curriculum vitae you communicate to your employer that you have learning and be diligent are, Interest in your field show and you can develop independently. You can supplement your qualifications and close gaps in your resume with further education.
Continuing education courses include:
- seminars and workshops
- Language courses such as TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate
- Online courses on job-related topics
- computer courses and trainings
- Private further education
It is important to indicate further education separate it from the education sectionIn the education section, list major job-related training and retraining in addition to general education – everything else goes in the continuing education section. This Distinction is important, because the educational background is mentioned before the further education section in the CV; this means that the more relevant stations jump to the eye first when you read them.
Note the following points when listing continuing education:
- Only list further education in your resume that you can fit to your desired position.
- Have courses whose content no longer current are gone. If, for example, you have learned an old computer program, such as Windows XP, then this no longer has any value.
- List further education that go back more than five years, no more on. Exception: further education that qualifies for the job.
- List not more continuing education than work experience otherwise you will give the impression that you are more theoretically than practically oriented.
It is best to attend further education courses with credentials or certificates, which you attach directly to your application.
How to list continuing education on your resume:
- Period (month and year)
- degree title or type and exact name of further education
- Exact name of the educational institution, place
- Time frame (z. B. 35 hours)
Optional: brief description of focus and competencies learned
Example: Include online course in resume Example: indicate seminar in your curriculum vitae Example: Specify language course in resume
In the letter of application you can give more details and go into the reasons for which you have done further education. Note, however, that your Work experience and education are always in focus should stand.
international experience
In the foreign experience section of your resume you can important stays abroad that you have not yet mentioned in your CV, insert. You can also use this section to highlight your intercultural competencies, cosmopolitanism and language skills. This way you sharpen your international profile.
A strong international profile can be particularly helpful if:
- the position very good language skills required, or
- Sensitivity to international markets and cultures required.
- the Corporate culture internationally is, with colleagues from different countries.
Once you have gained more experience, name the language trip after your studies, the work& travel stay or the au-pair program no longer in your resume. Your international experience can then be read from your professional stations.
The foreign experience section includes the following:
- Work& Travel programs
- Semester abroad, year abroad and Erasmus
- Au pair stays
- language travel and cultural travel
- Student exchange
- Scholarships
Internships and employment abroad are to be classified in the professional experience section.
Example: Include a semester abroad in the resume language journey in the resume Example: Work& Include travel in the resume
As a student or young professional, you can include longer vacations where you immersed yourself in more than the swimming pool or your cocktail glass. The important thing is that you learned something valuable along the way, such as:
- initiative and exploratory mentality
- Flexibility and the ability to make the best of a situation
- steadfastness and calmness, even in unpredictable situations
- sociability, to quickly make friends with strangers
sign the resume
A resume with a signature at the end was common practice for a long time in the days of paper applications. At conventional jobs and companies is Signature still recommended.
If, on the other hand, you apply online to more modern companies and for jobs where following formalities is less important, then omit the signature from the resume. This looks more contemporary and saves space for more important information in the resume.
In the cover letter, the signature is still common, as this is a business letter. It will be signed with your name, date and place.
Design and layout of the resume
Professional qualifications alone are not enough. You must Presenting content correctly, so that they develop their full effect. Just as appropriate clothing and a professional appearance are crucial during the job interview, the Design of the resume convince.
Even before the content is read, the layout of the application creates the first impression. If the first impression of your application is positive, the employer will view your entire application more positively. On the other hand, if the first impression is negative, you will be rated lower overall. These effects are called halo effect and horn effect.
The design of the application is therefore crucial to the success of your application, especially with a modern resume.
The correct design of the resume
- makes central information of the resume for employers quick to grasp.
- shows a personality that fits the job.
- arouses a positive overall impression.
Create an overview
A convincing resume is first and foremost clear and reader-friendly, so that the employer can easily grasp the content. The central information must immediately catch the eye, because Employers will skim your resume often in less than a minute. If the important information is not immediately apparent, your application will end up in the rejections.
overview in your resume you can by the following means create:
- maximum two pages use (better one page)
- The right Font size choose (10-12 pt)
- for headings a larger font use to create hierarchy
- Page margins, line spacing and DIN 5008 standard note
- targeted emphasis use (boldness, colors, different font sizes)
- a clear form choose the same format as the tabular resume
- at distracting graphics or background images should be omitted
DIN 5008 standard
The DIN 5008 standard contains formatting guidelines from business letters. It was created to Create reader-friendly documents ensure office and administrative skills. It is only a guideline and not a duty – therefore you must do not blindly follow. It is important to keep the resume clear and concise.
DIN 5008 standard is only a guideline and not obligatory. This Adaptations you can make without hesitation:
- Use a more modern font as Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri – there are many alternatives to give your application a fresh touch.
- Reduce marginsIf you need more space for the text, you can reduce the margins on the left and right to 1.5 cm instead of 2.5 cm and on the top from 4.5 cm to 2 cm. If the margins are even narrower, the text will look squashed on the page.
- Add a second font to add, z. B. for headings or your name, to highlight key information and give your resume an individual touch.
highlighting
Another way to bring information to the forefront is to use Text highlighting. You can use bold, italics and different font sizes or font styles use. underlining is no longer used because it cuts off letters like p, q and g at the bottom. Use emphasis sparingly: If you use too much text formatting, your resume will look choppy and nothing will be effectively highlighted anymore.
show personality
Use shapes and colors to give your resume a unique look Personality. Whether you like it or not, the look of your resume always communicates something. Therefore, be aware of the effect of the design. Match the profession and the company, design should be more simple or eye-catching, classic or modern. In any case it must be neat and consistent appear. If you don’t put any effort into your application, what about your motivation in the job??
Personality in your resume you can by the following means create:
- a Layout Choose a style that is modern, classic, or creative
- Fonts and colors use words that evoke the desired associations
- use two fonts, e.g. B. a special font for headings
- icons and graphic elements use the margins to make the content easier to understand
- use a lot of white space for a more elegant, upscale effect or less white space for a more practical, down-to-earth impression
- a professional photo in the resume use
A typical mistake young applicants make in resume design is to lay it on too thickly. The Design of the application has primarily the purpose to better structure the resume and thus make it more reader-friendly, and not like an advertising banner attract the employer’s attention.
We advise against, graphic elements like background images or shapes, have no relation to the content have. These distract from the essentials and look unprofessional. The employer could get the impression that you want to hide weaknesses in the content.
Layout and structure
The classic layout of the CV is in two columns, with the dates on the left and the details of each station on the right – but there are other alternatives that have different effects on the reader.