Overall
Writing a CV (curriculum vitae) or resume, is not specific in France compared to other countries, but a few sections may only appear in a French CV. Here is a list of the basics you should know to write a CV for a French recruiter !
What should be in your CV
- Personal information
- Picture
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Linkedin profile (with a clickable link)
- Education
- French people are very big on diplomas, so if you have one or more, mention it !
- Mention the equivalent of your diploma in French (e.g. A-level or Abitur = Baccalauréat)
- If you are a beginner or a junior, fill that section with your grades, favorite subjects, title of a research paper that you did and can be relevant…
- Professional experiences
- The most recent first !
- Mention the name of the company, the dates you worked there, the geographical area
- Add a little description of the role you held and the tasks you performed and begin with active verbs
- Skills
- Skills range from general IT (MS office, G suite etc…) to training/courses you may have taken (first-aider)…
- Regarding IT, only mention the software that you actually handle. E.g : if you write “Microsoft Office”, it is very possible that you’ll be asked to perform some tasks under Microsoft Access, even though you’ve never heard of it.
- Mention if you have a driving licence and what kind of vehicle you can drive
- Language
- As a foreigner, you can make a difference in that section. Keep in mind that French people are quite terrible when it comes to language. So mention as much as possible and precise your level.
- Hobbies and pastimes
- French recruiters are used to seeing this kind of section in a CV, don’t forget it, it could make the difference !
- Mention the sports you practise, the instruments you play, how you busy yourself outside of work.
- Keep in mind that French recruiters love a nice work-life balance, on paper.
Tips
- Mention your soft skills too (team-worker, good listener, efficient under a deadline,…) !
- Enhance your presentation with some graphical elements, but don’t go crazy
Mistakes to avoid in your CV
- Spelling mistakes
- Make sure you correct all of your mistakes before sending.
- Incoherences in your work history
- Make sure that the experiences you mention in your CV are explained in your cover letter
- Sending a .doc file
- You should turn your .doc file into a pdf before you send it.
- Leaving blanks
- Try as much as possible to fill all the gaps in your curriculum. E.g. if you did not work for a year, mention it as a sabbatical.
- Mentioning everything
- Don’t put your full work history on your CV, only select the most relevant experiences to the job you are applying for
- No more than one page
- a French CV should fit on one page
- Chunk of the text
- Lighten up your CV and bolden the most important words.
