A German CV, the Lebenslauf, is a short table in reverse-chronological order, usually one to two A4 pages, and it is changed for each employer. The letter that goes with it depends on what you apply for: a job or Ausbildung (vocational training) place usually expects an Anschreiben (cover letter), and a university or scholarship may ask for a motivation letter. Below is what the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA) and DAAD say, to check your résumé against before your first German application.

What a German Lebenslauf looks like

The BA describes the Lebenslauf as a table with dated entries. Its application pages say:

  • one page, at most two A4 pages
  • the most recent entry first, then back in time
  • sections for personal details, practical experience (jobs, internships, part-time or volunteer work), education, and skills such as languages, software and a driving licence
  • month and year for each entry, and three to five short points on your tasks for each job
  • any break longer than two months named, with what you did in it
  • a plain, readable layout, without playful designs or colour changes

The BA also advises against sending the same CV to several employers.

Photo and personal data

The BA’s own pages do not say the same thing about the photo. Its youth application page says a photo is no longer a must; if you add one, it goes at the top of the CV or on a cover page. Its job-seeker page advises a professional application photo and notes that some employers want anonymised CVs without a photo or details that show gender or origin. Follow what the job posting or online form asks for. Wherever you use a photo, the BA advises a professional one, not a passport photo, holiday photo or selfie.

For personal details, the BA youth page lists name, address, phone, email, and date and place of birth. It calls family details and nationality optional and says religion belongs on the CV only if the employer asks. A signature on the CV is not required.

What to check in your current résumé

If your résumé… What the BA pages say
runs to three or more pages keep it to one or two A4 pages
lists education first, oldest entry at the top most recent entry first, then go back in time
is one version for every application adapt it to each employer
has unexplained breaks name breaks over two months and what you did
uses a graphic or colourful design keep the layout plain and readable

The Anschreiben for a job or Ausbildung

The BA job-seeker page says the cover letter should not run past one A4 page. Its youth page sets out the parts in order:

  1. Your contact details and the recipient’s, then place and date (DD.MM.YYYY).
  2. A subject line with the job title and any reference number from the posting.
  3. A salutation to a named person, for example “Sehr geehrte Frau Meyer”. Use “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren” only if you cannot find a name.
  4. An opening that says why you want this job at this company. The BA advises against starting with “Hiermit bewerbe ich mich”.
  5. A main part that backs up your skills with where you gained and used them.
  6. A short closing that offers an interview, then “Mit freundlichen Grüßen” and your signature.

The BA also advises a factual tone, active verbs, no conditional “würde” or “könnte”, and your own wording instead of copied templates. On AI drafts, its youth page says the AI does not know you, so write the final letter yourself and be ready to talk about it in an interview.

The motivation letter for study

A motivation letter is different from the Anschreiben. The BA describes the cover letter as being about professional fit and a motivation letter as being about personal reasons.

For university admission, DAAD says a university may use a letter of motivation as one selection criterion, along with tests or interviews. Check the programme page or ask its international office. For DAAD scholarships, DAAD asks for a letter of one to three pages on your professional and personal reasons for the planned project in Germany. It suggests covering your education and skills, your academic motivation, why you are applying, and your personal interests. Check the call for applications for your programme: the rules can differ.

Language, certificates and how to send it

The pages read for this guide do not say whether a job application must be in German or English. Use the language of the posting and the employer’s instructions. For DAAD scholarships, DAAD says you can apply in German or English unless the call for applications says otherwise.

The BA says to attach only the certificates the job needs: your final school certificate, training or degree certificates, work references and relevant course certificates. Send copies, not originals. For an email application, its plain-language page advises one PDF of a few megabytes at most. The employer usually says in the posting which form it wants: email, online form or post. For university applications, DAAD lists certified copies and official translations of your certificates and grades.

If you want one CV format accepted across Europe, the EU’s Europass site offers an online CV builder in 31 languages and a separate cover-letter tool.

Where it depends

Employers, training companies and universities set their own requirements, so the photo, letter, language and attachments can differ by posting and programme. Where a posting or call for applications gives instructions, they come before the general advice above.

What SGC does and does not decide

SGC does not decide whether an application is shortlisted, admitted or offered a place. Employers, training providers and universities make their own selection, and SGC does not offer recruitment or job placement. Our CV and motivational letter service reviews your existing CV and restructures it toward German and European conventions, helps draft or refine a motivation letter for your target programme or employer, and works through feedback rounds with you, using your own background.

For the wider document set, see documents to prepare before you apply. Your next step: open one posting or programme page you plan to apply to, note what it asks for (photo, letter, language, attachments), and rebuild your CV to two pages in reverse-chronological order for that one application.

Official resources

What we cannot promise

German authorities, universities and employers make every decision on visas, admissions, recognition and jobs. SGC explains the process and helps you prepare; it cannot promise an outcome.