Tools / German CV

German CV: build your Lebenslauf in English or German

Write your CV in English or German and get a file in the format German employers expect, checked with the (G)ATS Score (German ATS Score: how well your CV meets German CV rules and can be read by applicant software).

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    You
    Profile
    Experience
    Data ScientistRuhrwerk Logistik GmbH
    Relocation to Germany and intensive German courseLanguage school, completed at level B1
    Data ScientistSundaram Retail Tech Pvt. Ltd.
    Data AnalystKavya Analytics Pvt. Ltd.
    Job search and online course in machine learningOnline course, with certificate
    Education
    Bachelor of Technology, Computer ScienceTechnical University (India)
    Skills
    Languages
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    Arjun MehtaData ScientistStart from this example

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    The short answer

    A German CV, the Lebenslauf, is a table: dates on the left, details on the right, newest entries first. It is usually one to two pages long and lists your languages with their level. A photo is optional, though still common. Career services recommend ending it with place, date and signature. (LMU Career Service, KIT Career Service, Welcome Center RLP, retrieved 30 Oct 2026)

    What goes into a German CV

    Section What to include Good to know
    Personal details Name, address, phone, email KIT lists date of birth, nationality and marital status as additional information (KIT). For English-language applications, LMU advises leaving them out (LMU).
    Photo A professional portrait, if you use one Optional, but still common in Germany (LMU, Welcome Center RLP).
    Short profile Two or three lines on who you are and what you want Optional. Useful when you change careers or apply in a new field.
    Work experience Dates, job title, employer, city, and what you achieved Newest first. Results tell more than a list of duties.
    Education Degree, university or school, city, dates, grade Newest first.
    Internships and projects Dates, organisation, what you did Short descriptions are enough (Welcome Center RLP).
    Languages Each language with its level Levels follow the Common European Framework, A1 to C2 (KIT).
    Skills IT skills, tools, certificates Name the tools from the job ad if you really use them.
    Place, date, signature At the end of the CV Recommended by LMU and KIT. A scanned signature works (KIT).

    Format: the rules that matter most

    Tabular and newest first

    LMU’s career service describes the CV as a two-column table with the newest information at the top (LMU). Keep the format the same throughout.

    One to two pages

    LMU recommends one to a maximum of two pages. The Welcome Center Rhineland-Palatinate says two A4 pages at most. KIT allows one to three.

    Dates as month and year

    Write 03/2024 to 09/2026 rather than 2024 to 2026. This is a Joblumi rule in the (G)ATS Score: with month and year, a reader can see how long each job lasted.

    Gaps explained

    The (G)ATS Score asks you to explain gaps of more than three months. One line is enough: a course, a project, caring for family, looking for work.

    Languages with a level

    Write the level for each language. The usual scale is the European one from A1 to C2, for example German B2. KIT’s career service suggests words such as “English: fluent”, because CV parsers read words more reliably than letter-number codes (KIT).

    Not sure which level to write?

    Find my German level

    Photo, age and nationality: what is optional

    LMU’s career service calls the photo optional (LMU). KIT lists date of birth, nationality and marital status as additional information (KIT). The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) aims to prevent disadvantages based on racial or ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity (AGG § 1).

    Our suggestion: use a photo if you have a good, professional one. If you don’t, leave it out. In Joblumi, the photo is an optional field. The CV builder has no fields for date of birth, nationality or marital status, so they stay off your CV.

    See if your photo is bright, sharp and well cropped.

    Check my CV photo

    What German recruiters check First the format: a tabular CV with the newest entries first, one to two pages, sent as one PDF made from text, not a scanned image (LMU Career Service). Applicant tracking systems use CV parsers that search your CV for certain terms. Charts, dots and stars for skill levels are read less reliably than text (KIT Career Service).

    German or English CV?

    Apply in the language of the job ad: English for an English ad, German for a German one (LMU). If you apply to both kinds of jobs, you need both versions.

    With Joblumi you enter your details once, in English or German, and get your CV in either language. Translating your CV between the two is part of the pass.

    How the Joblumi CV builder works

    1. Upload your CV or start from scratch. Joblumi reads your PDF or Word file and puts each job and degree into its own field. You check every entry.
    2. Get your (G)ATS Score. The German ATS Score rates your CV from 0 to 100 in four areas: format for Germany (30 points), readability for applicant software (20), content (30) and language (20). Each finding comes with a fix.
    3. Fix and download. Pick one of ten designs, with or without photo; three are free. Download your CV as PDF with a free account, or as Word file with a pass.

    Each field has a small question mark that explains the German custom behind it, for example why dates are written as MM/YYYY or when a photo makes sense.

    What a chat can’t do here

    A general AI chat can write CV text. It doesn’t give you a finished file in German layout, and its feedback changes from one try to the next. The (G)ATS Score checks format and readability with fixed rules that are written down with their source, so these points don’t change when you ask again.

    Limits

    Joblumi helps you build and check your documents. It doesn’t know every employer’s preferences, and it doesn’t guarantee interviews. AI suggestions are marked: read every line before you send it. Details about how your CV is processed are in our privacy policy.

    Questions people ask

    Do I need a photo on my German CV?

    No. A photo is optional. It is still common in Germany, so if you have a professional photo, you can use it. If you don’t, leave it out.

    How long should a German CV be?

    One to two pages. LMU’s career service and the Welcome Center Rhineland-Palatinate both name two pages as the maximum.

    Do I have to sign my CV?

    Career services at LMU and KIT recommend ending the CV with place, date and signature. KIT says a scanned signature is enough. Joblumi adds place and date at the end of your CV. It doesn’t add a signature: sign the printout, or add your scanned signature to the PDF yourself.

    Should I write my CV in German or English?

    Use the language of the job ad. With a pass, Joblumi translates your CV between German and English.

    What is a Lebenslauf?

    Lebenslauf is the German word for CV. Literally it means “course of life”. In German applications it is the table of your jobs, education and skills.

    Is the CV builder only for English speakers?

    No. You can enter your details in English or German. The rules for a German CV are the same for everyone, and so are the (G)ATS Score, the designs and the job versions.

    Sources