French CV: How to Make One, with Templates and Examples

CVs in France tend to be shorter and more direct than UK CVs, with some differences to the core sections and personal details, while of course, you'll need to write in French.

French CV vs UK CV: Key Differences

If you're writing a French CV, there are several key differences from a UK CV that you need to consider. Here's a quick reference guide to the main differences between a French CV and a UK CV:

French CV examples

Take a look at these French CV examples to help you understand how to structure and present your French language CV:

Jobseeker is the ideal tool to produce a professional-looking French CV with ease. Using Jobseeker's online CV builder you can access CV templates like those showcased above, enter your details, then customise the layout and content of your CV to match the role you're applying for. You can also use AI suggestions and pre-written cover letter content to improve the overall quality of your applications.

How to write a French CV (step by step)

Follow these steps to write a French CV that makes a positive impression with employers and recruiters in France:

Step 1: Add personal details

In a French CV, you’ll need to include more personal information than you may be used to. Besides stating your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address, it’s also customary in France to include your place of birth, your age and your nationality. You can also choose to include your marital status, although this information is not mandatory.

This differs significantly from the UK, where the Equality Act 2010 protects various personal characteristics from discrimination. This can make it counter-productive to include personal details on a CV. Although France has similar anti-discrimination laws focused exclusively on employment rights (Code du travail), it's still considered normal to add personal details to your CV.

Step 2: Add a photo

In France, as in many other European countries, including a photo of yourself is encouraged. This contrasts with the UK, where photos are discouraged for the same reason as omitting personal details (risk of discrimination).

A good CV photo conveys professionalism and helps recruiters to form a personal connection with you. Follow this checklist to ensure you include the most impactful personal photo on your CV:

Step 3: Write your “Projet Personnel”

Your personal motivation for the job is vital when preparing your CV for applications in France. This is why it’s important to include a ‘Projet Personnel’, which acts as an introduction to your CV.

The projet personnel is similar to a UK CV summary or personal statement, where you summarise your career history in a brief paragraph. Both are short paragraphs at the start of your CV that help you make a positive first impression with the employer. However, there are some key differences:

Step 4: Add and adapt your work experience

The traditional French CV format is reverse-chronological. This emphasises work experience and lists your previous employments in reverse order, starting with your current or most recent role.

For each work experience entry, list the following:

• Job title
• Employer/organisation name
• Location
• Start and end dates

There’s no need to list all your jobs—you only need to include the most relevant experience. Under each entry in this section, add bullet points showcasing your main responsibilities in the role. This can be a factual, concise summary of each role. This differs from an English CV, where your work experience bullet points are more about highlighting your achievements and selling your skill levels.

You could also opt for a skills-based or functional CV for your CV in French, where the emphasis is on your skills, personal characteristics and personal qualities, placing work experience further down the document. This is a good choice in many circumstances, as French employers attach great importance to the personal characteristics and competences (compétences) in a candidate.

Step 5: Add education

After work experience, the next section is commonly your education section. For junior or entry-level candidates, you may even wish to add this section before your work experience section, as employers in France tend to value qualifications, academic background and the school or university you attended more highly than UK employers.

List your relevant qualifications in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent or highest qualification. For each entry list your degree/course name, institution, location and graduation date.

It’s also a good idea to translate UK course names and qualification levels to their French equivalents. These are:

Step 6: Add a skills section

It's normal to include a list of your key skills in a French CV, in the 'Compétences' section. You may include this either under your education section, or in a sidebar beside the main content of your CV. When mentioning skills in a French CV, it's critical to mention competency levels, as French employers will want to see a precise, clear indication of your skills. As such, reference each skill with a level, such as:

• 'Maîtrise' (mastery)
• 'Expertise'
• 'Compétences' (competence)
• 'Utilisation' (use of)

Step 7: Mention skills throughout your CV

While it's important to add a clear list of your skills in a French CV, you'll also still want to mention some key skills throughout your CV. Remember that a French CV is more formal and concise than a UK CV, so there isn't great scope for detailing a wide variety of skills, but it's important to still highlight a few of the critical skills for the job in your projet personnel and work experience sections.

Step 8: Add languages

When you’re applying for a job in France, in most cases, you'll need to speak good French. If you also speak English and any other foreign languages, these language skills should be on your CV.

You can use the following vocabulary to indicate how well you speak a language:

International standards for language skills

A common way to indicate your language ability is to refer to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference). Most employers will be familiar with this framework, which uses letters to describe different language proficiency levels: A (basic), B (intermediate) and C (advanced):

French CV vocabulary cheat sheet

It's important to use the correct CV headings in a French CV. Not only will this show French employers that you understand French employment customs and professional language, it will also help your CV perform better at the ATS screening stage.

This table can help you understand the French equivalents of key English CV headings and phrases:

If you’re unsure about translations for specific headings, you could look these up online or ask a native speaker. To save time, you could also use a CV builder such as Jobseeker, where section headings will automatically be translated to French. All you have to do is provide the text for each section.

Final tips for your French CV

Follow these final tips to ensure your French CV makes the best possible impression with French-speaking employers and recruiters:

Write an impactful French CV and cover letter

Ensuring you nail all the details of your French CV will give you a far better chance of success than if you try to translate a UK CV directly. To recap, remember the following key points. French CVs are shorter and more formal than their UK equivalents, with a few content discrepancies: personal details and photos are expected on a French CV, whereas in the UK these are discouraged; The "Projet Personnel" replaces the UK personal summary, focusing on immediate career goals, what you want from the role, and your expected salary level; Work experience bullet points are factual, not achievement-driven; and Qualifications should be translated into the French academic framework.

Jobseeker's CV resources and tools give you everything you need to create a French CV that impresses recruiters and hiring managers in France. Find CV and cover letter templates that take the stress out of creating your next job application, with a range of professional CV designs that can help you stand out from the crowd. Sign up today to get started.