You have spent years building an impressive career, and your English CV has served you well. Then you apply for a job in France and hear nothing back. The issue is rarely your qualifications — it is usually that your CV does not match French expectations in format, content, or length. Here is what actually differs, and what you need to change.
The basics: format and length
French CVs are almost always one page, regardless of how much experience you have. This is stricter than in many English-speaking countries where two pages is acceptable for experienced professionals. French recruiters expect you to make choices: include what is most relevant, cut the rest.
The document is called a CV (curriculum vitae) in France — the word “resume” is not used. It is always sent as a PDF. The filename should be professional: CV_Prenom_Nom.pdf, not mycv_final_v3.pdf.
French CVs have a clear structure:
- Personal information (coordonnées)
- Professional summary or objective — optional, but increasingly common
- Experience (expériences professionnelles) — in reverse chronological order
- Education (formation) — also in reverse chronological order
- Skills (compétences)
- Languages (langues)
- Interests — optional, but common in France
The photo: expected in France, controversial elsewhere
In France, it is common — though not legally required — to include a professional headshot in the top corner of your CV. Many French candidates do it. In the UK, the US, and Canada, including a photo is generally considered inappropriate and can flag bias concerns. This is one of the biggest points of difference.
If you are applying in France: a neutral, professional photo is acceptable and expected. Make sure it looks like a LinkedIn headshot, not a holiday snapshot.
Personal information: more detail expected
English-language CVs typically include only name, email, phone, LinkedIn, and location. French CVs have historically included more:
- Date of birth (date de naissance) — still common, though declining
- Nationality (nationalité)
- Marital status (situation familiale) — was standard, now increasingly omitted
- Driving licence (permis de conduire) — relevant for many roles
Anti-discrimination laws have made some of these details less common on modern French CVs, particularly in larger companies or international contexts. When in doubt, include name, contact details, LinkedIn, and location. Omit date of birth and marital status unless the job posting specifically asks for them.
The experience section: results matter, but titles matter more
Both formats list experience in reverse chronological order. But English CVs (especially in the US and UK) have moved heavily toward quantified achievements: “Grew revenue by 23%”, “Managed a team of 12.” French CVs still do this, but the title and the company name carry more weight in the initial scan.
French experience entries typically follow this structure:
- Job title (Chargé de projet digital) — bold
- Company name and dates — on the same line or just below
- 2–4 bullet points describing missions and key achievements
Bullet points in French CVs start with an infinitive verb: Développer la relation client, Piloter la migration du site web, Analyser les indicateurs de performance. Not “Developed”, not “I developed” — the infinitive is the convention. For the full list of the right verbs to use, see 30 useful business verbs for the office.
Education: the grandes écoles system changes everything
In France, where you studied can matter as much as what you studied. Graduates of the grandes écoles (Sciences Po, HEC, Polytechnique, CentraleSupélec) will always list their school prominently. If you have a degree from a prestigious foreign institution, list it clearly with its full name.
France also has its own qualification system that does not always map directly to foreign credentials:
| French level | Rough equivalent |
|---|---|
| Bac +2 (BTS, DUT) | Associate degree / HND |
| Bac +3 (Licence) | Bachelor’s degree (3 years) |
| Bac +5 (Master, Grande École) | Master’s degree |
| Bac +8 (Doctorat) | PhD |
List your degree level in French where possible. Master en finance, Université Paris-Dauphine reads better to a French recruiter than an unexplained foreign title.
Skills and languages: be specific
French CVs include a skills section (compétences) that often lists software, technical tools, and methodologies. Be concrete. A line like Maîtrise d’Excel (Proficient in Excel) is more useful than “IT skills.”
For languages, French CVs use a specific scale:
- Langue maternelle — native
- Bilingue — bilingual / near-native
- Courant — fluent
- Intermédiaire — intermediate
- Notions — basic knowledge
If you hold a DELF or TCF qualification, list it here with your level. French employers take official certifications seriously. For context on the French exam system, the guide to DELF B2 is a good starting point.
Interests: not filler in France
In English CVs, the hobbies section is often advised against or kept minimal. In French CVs, centres d’intérêt (interests) are genuinely read. French recruiters use them to get a sense of personality and cultural fit. They are also a conversation starter in interviews.
List 2–4 genuine interests, phrased in a way that could be discussed. Lecture (reading) is vague; Littérature francophone contemporaine (contemporary French-speaking literature) is a conversation opener. Avoid anything generic like “travel” unless you can actually talk about specific places or experiences.
What not to do on a French CV
- Do not go over one page.
- Do not use a creative or heavily designed template unless you are in a creative field.
- Do not write in the first person (Je). Use infinitives in bullet points.
- Do not include references or “references available on request” — it is not a French convention.
- Do not translate your job titles literally without checking what the French equivalent is. “Project Manager” does not translate to Directeur de projet — it is usually Chef de projet or Responsable de projet.
For the full process of writing a French CV from scratch, see the step-by-step guide on how to write a French CV, which includes vocabulary, section templates, and formatting advice.
A final word on language
If you are applying to a French company, write your CV in French. If you are applying to an international company based in France, you may be asked for both. Either way, make sure the French version is proofread by a native speaker — a grammatical error on a CV in France is a significant red flag. The same attention to correctness that applies to professional emails in French applies twice over to a CV.