Guide To Creating an Attractive French CV (With Examples)
Crafting the perfect CV is the first step in landing your dream job, so it’s crucial that you get it right. If you’re a foreigner looking for work in France, you may be tempted to write your CV with your home country’s norms in mind. Your CV shapes the first impression that potential employers will have of you, and if you submit CVs that don’t fit the French standard, you may lose those opportunities needlessly. As two Americans who successfully started our careers in France, Jalen and I are here to help you avoid making this mistake! Since American resume rules and French CV guidelines couldn’t be more different, we’re going to explain how to create a proper French CV plus show you the real CVs that got us hired as foreigners in France.
Eye-Catching Layout
Though plain text resumes are becoming the norm in the United States, stylish ones are more common in France. However, finding a happy medium between a visually interesting French CV and one that’s loud and cluttered can be tough. Incorporating shapes, colors, columns, and images on your French CV is a good idea – just be sure that your formatting choices enhance the reading experience rather than taking away from it.
Tip: Don’t forget to format your French CV using A4 paper dimensions.
Professional Photo
While not an absolute requirement, most French CVs include a photo. Adjusting to sending out pictures of your face with job applications can be difficult for Americans, but the French see it as a way to humanize what is essentially a list of impersonal credentials. Your photo should be of high quality and include your head and shoulders. Don’t forget to wear professional clothing appropriate for an interview and a pleasant smile.
Tip: Clean your lens and use natural light to get professional-quality photos at home.
Concise CV Objective
In the United States, many resume-writing experts say that the career objectives section is a thing of the past. However, they’re still an important part of French CVs! Your paragraph should include a brief, dynamic summary of your qualifications, your interest in the position, and your career goals. Given that your CV objective will likely be one of the first things your potential employer reads, it’s essential to ensure that it’s well thought out.
Tip: Using key words, tailor your CV objective to each individual job listing.
Interesting Pastimes
In France, employers are interested in getting to know the real you, which means that a section on your CV detailing your hobbies and interests is expected. While you might not dream of listing things like your love for travel or your personal blog on an American resume, your pastimes will be right at home on your French CV. When selecting which personal projects to list, think about which ones are most related to the job and whether they will elevate your application.
Tip: Take advantage of this section to showcase skills that you learned outside of the classroom or the workplace.
Impeccable Spelling and Grammar
Typos in job applications are a definite no-no in both the United States and France, but the French are known to be sticklers for accuracy when it comes to their language. Unfortunately, when French is your second language, small errors can easily slip into your CV unnoticed, possibly ruining a potential employer’s opinion of your intelligence and language abilities. Double, triple, and quadruple check your CV for spelling and grammar mistakes before hitting send!
Tip: Leave your draft CV alone for a few hours so that when you check for typos, you’ll be reading with fresh eyes.
Successful CV Examples
With these rules in mind, you’re well on your way to making an immaculate French CV. However, it’s always helpful to see an example or two as you go through the process! Below are mockups of the CVs that Jalen and I used to get jobs in France as Americans. While they both follow the guidelines we touched on, you’ll notice that they are distinct from one another. Feel free to draw inspiration from these models for your own French CV.
Tip: If you’re using a pre-made CV template, don’t hesitate to customize the layout and sections to better fit your needs.
Adapting to France’s CV customs might feel daunting, but with the right information and bit of perseverance, you’ll have a winning French CV in no time. Need more help writing your French CV? Have questions about getting a job in France as a foreigner? Let us know in a comment!
2 Comments
Caroline
One question: do you think that for an application on Campus France, it’s better to use a French-style CV or an American-style? Thanks for all the suggestions!
Jalen & Maria
You should make your decisions based on the programs to which you are applying and possibly the advice you get from your your Campus France representative. Given that we were applying to French public schools for programs instructed in French, we did French-style CVs!