How to Write a German Lebenslauf

Resume, CV, whatever you call it -- if you are looking for a job, you are going to need one. And if you are looking for a job in Germany, you are going to need a properly formatted Lebenslauf.

Literally translating to something like "life walk-though," a Lebenslauf is the German form of a resume or CV. After a lot of research, I wrote my very first Lebenslauf about one month ago. I immediately sent it off to two employers, heard back from one of the employers two days later, and went in for an interview two days after that. After hearing back that I got the job the very next day, I ended up signing the contract on September 30th and starting work on October 1st.

Note: I also got asked to interview for the second job I applied to, but I had already signed a contract by then.

After that whirlwind of excitement, I though it would be helpful to share what I learned about turning an American resume into a German Lebenslauf.

Here are the main sections you need to include on your German Lebenslauf:

1. Header

Just like with any other type of resume, you need to start your Lebenslauf off with your basic information. This most typically includes your name, home address, phone number, and email address. Here is an example of what mine looks like:

The important thing to remember with a German Lebenslauf is that you also must include your photo. Although this would be entirely illegal in the U.S., German employers expect it and will likely throw your Lebenslauf right in the trash if it is not included.

Photographers in Germay are very experienced with taking application photos, just make sure you show up in business casual. Of course, you can probably also take them at home as long as you have some nice lighting and a decent camera (that is what I did).

2. Personal Data

The next section is personal data. For this part, you should include basic information such as your date of birth, place of birth, marital status, how many kids you have, and your nationality. Here is what mine looks like:

As an American, I found this section quite shocking. Although employers can often guess things such as age by a person's education and experience, it is totally illegal for them to explicitly ask. An employer definitely cannot ask about a person's marital status or whether they have kids. In Germany, however, all of this information is expected.

3. Education

Depending on where you are in your professional life, the next section is either education or experience. Since I am currently in graduate school, I choose to put education first. Here is what that section looks like:

Instead of "Deutsche Universität" or "American University," you should obviously write the real name of your specific university or high school. Since I am in graduate school, I normally would not write my high school on my resume, but a high school diploma (or Abitur) is very important to Germans and must be included.

4. Experience

The next section is experience and should include all of the same things that your resume or CV would include. Here is my example for the experience section:

Obviously this section can come before education if you have already been out of school for a few years and would like to highlight your work experience.

5. Skills and Qualifications

The skills and/or qualifications section is another part that Americans and other non-Germans can probably copy directly from their old resume or CV. Here is an example of what this section may look like:

Make sure to include your languages, computer skills, and any relevant certifications you may have. The Germans really love certifications.

6. Interests

Whether or not to include this section on an American resume is debatable, although from my experience, hardly anyone does. If you are looking for a job in Germany, however, employers want to see it. Here is what my hobbies and interests section looks like:

I actually did quite a bit of research on what one should include in this section before writing it because I just found it so weird and irrelevant. During this research, I found quite a few studies stating that approximately 80 percent of hiring managers say that they expect to see a hobbies/interests section on a Lebenslauf. Worst case scenario, the employer doesn't read this section. Best case scenario, it will open up a nice discussion during the interview.

I hope that helps anyone hoping to start their job search in Germany! 

Leave any questions in the comments below!