The EuroPass CV · a guide to filling it in

Your CV is your first contact with a future employer, so it has to catch their attention on the very first reading. Employers typically spend less than a minute on a CV during the first round of screening. If you fail to hold their attention, you lose the opportunity.

What is a EuroPass CV?

EuroPass is the standard European CV template recommended by Commission Recommendation 2002/236/EC. It lets you present your qualifications and professional suitability in a structured, chronological form — one that is recognised and accepted in every EU member state.

General guidance

Pay attention to presentation

Present your knowledge and qualifications in a clear, logical order, highlighting their strengths. Do not overlook the details, either in content or in appearance. Check your spelling.

Focus on what matters

Keep your CV concise: two pages are enough in most cases. A three-page CV is already considered too long in some countries. If you have little work experience (for example, you have just finished your studies), describe your education first and highlight your internships.

Tailor it to the role

Go through your CV methodically before sending it: does it match what this role actually asks for? Emphasise the qualities the employer is likely to value. Be careful not to embellish — it will come out at the interview anyway.

How the EuroPass is structured

The template helps you present yourself in a logical order:

1. Personal details
2. Work experience — job titles and descriptions
3. Education and qualifications (with no work experience, these two sections can be swapped)
4. Skills and competences in detail — gained through study, work and everyday life

Formatting requirements

• Print it on white paper
• Keep to the recommended font and page format
• Avoid underlining whole sentences, or setting them in capitals or bold — they hurt readability
• Do not let a page break fall in the middle of a section (a list of courses, for example)
• On the printed CV, the table borders should not be visible

Writing tips

The aim is for a future employer to be able to size up your profile in a few seconds:

• Write short sentences
• Focus on what is relevant from your studies and work experience
• Explain any gaps
• Delete sections that are neither compulsory nor relevant
• Have someone read it through once your EuroPass CV is finished

Filling it in online, in several languages

You can also create your EuroPass CV online, on the EuroPass website. There you can put together a multilingual CV, which is particularly useful if you are applying abroad or to an international company.

The EuroPass CV is part of the documentation of lifelong learning — it can be combined with a Diploma Supplement, a Certificate Supplement and other EuroPass documents.