🇫🇷 France CV format

The French CV is short, formal, and arrives with a cover letter that is genuinely read.

One page

France is stricter about length than most of Europe. One page is the target, two only for senior candidates. Density is expected; white space is not particularly valued.

The lettre de motivation matters

A cover letter is not optional and is not a formality. French recruiters read it, and a weak one costs you the application. It should explain why this employer specifically.

Photo

Conventional, though anti-discrimination pressure has made it less universal at large employers. A formal headshot, top right.

Structure

État civil (name, contact, sometimes age and nationality), then Formation (education), Expérience professionnelle, Compétences, Langues, and often Centres d'intérêt — interests, which are taken more seriously than in English-speaking countries.

Language level

Use the CEFR scale. French employers read A2, B1, C1 literally, and vague claims are treated with suspicion.

Diplomas

The French system places heavy weight on which institution awarded your qualification. Name it in full, and give the French equivalent level of a foreign degree if you know it — a Bac+5 designation is more meaningful to a French reader than "Master's".