Resume template · Updated October 2026
CV template for Germany (Lebenslauf format)
Short answer
Henrietta, used without a summary, follows the order of a German Lebenslauf: work history, then schooling and training, then languages and other skills, in a plain black and grey layout. The Federal Employment Agency asks for two pages at most, newest entries first, ending with the date and your signature. The fictional sample is a production engineer in Stuttgart. The templates print no photo; you can add one in Word.

Download the Germany sample
Jonas is a fictional production engineer. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Henrietta suits a Germany resume
Henrietta prints work experience, then education, then skills, which matches the order EURES gives for a German CV: employment record, schooling and training, language skills, other knowledge. Leave the summary empty and the page opens on your jobs, as that list does, since it has no profile section.
Second choice: Catalyst. Catalyst also opens on experience with no summary but prints skills before education; pick it if your tools matter more than your certificates.
What goes in each section, in Henrietta's order
Henrietta prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Work Experience. Newest job first, with month and year for each start and end; the Federal Employment Agency says month and year are sufficient. The agency's guide for international applicants says gaps are best explained in the cover letter or at interview, not left for the reader to guess.
- Education. Degrees, then vocational training and school, newest first. EURES notes that experienced applicants still often enclose school certificates, so write each qualification exactly as it appears on the certificate.
- Skills. EURES grades language skills from mother tongue through advanced working knowledge down to basic knowledge. Henrietta's grid prints no group labels, so write the level next to each language to make the column recognisable.
- Interests and volunteering. EURES ends its list of sections with hobbies and non-occupational activities, such as volunteering. One or two entries with a role and a date are enough.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Jonas Becker
Production Engineer, Lean Manufacturing
Stuttgart | jonas.becker@example.com | +49 711 555 0183 | linkedin.com/in/sample-jonas-becker
Experience
Production Engineer, Remsgau Antriebstechnik GmbH, Stuttgart (04/2022 to Present)
- Lead process improvement on two gearbox assembly lines with 120 operators across three shifts.
- Raised line OEE from 71% to 80% in 18 months through changeover reduction and a daily shop-floor meeting.
- Ran process FMEAs for six product launches with the quality and design engineering teams.
- Changed SAP PP routings to cut work-in-progress inventory by 15%.
Process Engineer (graduate trainee programme), Schurwald Metallbau AG, Esslingen am Neckar (10/2019 to 03/2022)
- Completed an 18-month rotation through machining, welding and quality before a permanent role.
- Designed welding fixtures in CATIA V5 that cut rework on frame parts by a quarter.
- Supported audits of 12 sheet metal suppliers.
Interests and volunteering
- Volunteer youth football coach, TSV Remstal 1898, under-12 team, since 2020
- Road cycling: organise a monthly club ride for about 25 riders
Education
Master of Science, Production Engineering, Technische Hochschule Remstal (09/2019). Thesis: reducing changeover time in gearbox assembly
Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Technische Hochschule Remstal (09/2017)
Skills
Lean manufacturing, Process FMEA, Changeover reduction (SMED), Root cause analysis, SAP PP, CATIA V5, Minitab, Excel, German (native), English (C1), French (B1)
How to make the sample yours
End with place, date and signature
The Federal Employment Agency, EURES and LMU Munich's career service all say to finish the CV with the date and your signature. Resumity templates print no signature line, so add one in Word at the end of the DOCX file before you send it.
Decide on the photo
The agency says a photo is not mandatory but is still expected by most employers; LMU calls it optional. Resumity templates print none. To add one, insert it in Word at the top right of the DOCX file or on a separate cover sheet, the two places EURES describes.
Choose your personal details
The agency's guide lists name, date of birth, place of birth and address at the top; LMU's career service lists only name and contact details. Neither asks for marital status: the agency says it and religious affiliation are not required.
Write in the language of the job ad
LMU advises applying in English for English-language ads and in German for German-language ones. If you write in German, the agency suggests a native speaker proofreads the CV.
Prepare copies of certificates
EURES advises enclosing copies of supporting evidence for all training, and notes that work references may need translating into German, for example for a small business.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- Lebenslauf
- production engineering
- lean manufacturing
- OEE
- SMED
- process FMEA
- root cause analysis
- SAP PP
- CATIA V5
- Minitab
- German (native)
- English (C1)
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving off the date and signature that the Federal Employment Agency, EURES and LMU all ask for.
- Going over two pages, the limit the agency's guide sets.
- Listing marital status or religion, which the agency says a CV does not need.
- Sending a German-language CV that no native speaker has read.
- Answering an English-language ad in German, or the reverse; LMU advises matching the ad.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 4 of 4 | 7 of 7 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 4 of 4 | 7 of 7 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 4 of 4 | 7 of 7 |
Frequently asked questions
How long should a German CV be?
No more than two pages, according to the Federal Employment Agency's guide for applicants from abroad; EURES gives the same limit and LMU Munich's career service says one to a maximum of two.
Do I need a photo on a CV in Germany?
It is not mandatory, but the agency says most employers still expect one, and LMU calls it optional. Resumity templates print no photo, so insert one in Word at the top right of the DOCX file or leave it out.
Should I sign my German CV?
Yes. The agency, EURES and LMU all say to finish with the date and your signature.
What date format does a Lebenslauf use?
Month and year for each entry are sufficient, says the agency. The sample writes them as MM/YYYY.
Should I write my CV in German or English?
Match the job ad: LMU advises English for English-language ads and German for German ones. A German version should be checked by a native speaker, the agency suggests.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Henrietta PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 4 section headings and all 7 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
Guides and templates for this resume
Sources, checked 29 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency), ZAV: Part 1 of the series on the application process in Germany: curriculum vitae (CV should not be longer than two pages; a photo is not mandatory but still expected by most employers; name, date of birth, place of birth and address at the top; marital status and religion not required; most recent first; month and year are sufficient; conclude with date and signature; explain gaps in the cover letter or interview; have it proofread by a native German speaker.)
- EURES (European Commission and the public employment services): Living and working conditions: Germany (CV in table format, not more than two pages, reverse chronological; sections from contact information and employment record to hobbies; a photograph remains part of an application, on the cover sheet or top right of the CV; sign and date the CV; enclose copies of evidence for training.)
- LMU Munich Career Service: Application tips for students (German CV: 1 to a maximum of 2 pages, tabular, newest information first, optional application photo, personal details limited to name and contact details, date and signature at the end; apply in English for English-language ads and in German for German-language ads.)
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