When applying for a job in a French-speaking country, you must set out your curriculum vitae in French in order for the information to be presented in an organized and balanced way. Beside the obvious language differences, certain information that may not be required - or even permitted - on resumes in your country is required in France.
As with any resume, there is no one "perfect" order or style. There are infinite ways to format a French resume - it really just depends on what you want to emphasize and your personal preferences. Nevertheless, you should pay attention to some following details.
The first thing you need to know is that the word resume is a false cognate in French and English. Un resume means a summary, whereas a resume refers to un CV (curriculum vitae). Thus, when applying for a job with a French company, you need to provide un CV, not un resume.
You should leave a margin all the way round the curriculum vitae and spaces between the headings.
A larger left-hand margin is left so that the recruiter can notes on the candidate's profile. If you are a fresh graduate in France, it is wise for your CV to be one page long, neither more nor less.
When writing your CV, personal details and experience should be the first information shown. These are: surname and forename, age, address in France, personal telephone numbers and an e-mail address. You should afterwards list the positions previously held and your achievements, when the case. You can choose to include experience from internships or casual jobs. Make sure you give the exact dates you took up the job, the description of the position and the responsibilities you had for supervising others, managing turnover and meeting commercial objectives, if any.
It is recommended to give as much information as you can about your formal education (just higher education). Give the year you obtained a qualification, the type of establishment and its equivalent in France. State also your languages and your level of proficiency.
You might be surprised to learn that a photograph as well as some potentially delicate personal information, such as age and marital status, are required on a French resume. These can and will be used in the hiring process; if this bothers you, France may not be the best place for you to work.
Personal information
-Situation
personnelle et état civil
Last name (in all caps) - Nom de famille
First name - Prénom
Address - Adresse
Phone number, including
international access code - Numéro de téléphone
* Work phone -
bureau
* Home phone - domicile
* Mobile phone - portable
Email - adresse e-mail
Nationality - Nationalité
Age - Âge
Marital status, number and age of
children - Situation de famille
* Single - célibataire
*
Married - marié(e)
* Divorced - divorcé(e)
* Widowed - veuf
(veuve)
Passport-sized, color photograph
Objective
- Project Professionnel or
Objectif
Short, precise description of your skills and/or short-term career goals (i.e., what you'll bring to this job).
Professional Experience
- Expérience
professionnelle
Thematic or backwards chronological list
Name of company, location, dates of employment, title, job description, responsibilities, and notable achievements
Education
- Formation
Only the highest diplomas you have obtained.
Name and location of school, dates, and degree earned
(Language and Computer) Skills
-
Connaissances (linguistiques et informatiques)
Languages - Langues
Don't exaggerate your language skills; they're very easy to verify.
Qualifiers:
* (Basic) knowledge
- Notions
* Conversant - Maîtrise convenable, Bonnes
connaissances
* Proficient - Lu, écrit, parlé
* Fluent -
Courant
* Bilingual - Bilingue
* Native language - Langue
maternelle
Computers - Informatique
Operating systems
Software programs
Interests, Pastimes, Leisure
Activities, Hobbies
- Centres d'intérêt, Passe-temps, Loisirs,
Activités personnelles/extra-professionnelles
Limit this section to three or four lines.
Consider the value of what you choose to include: list things that make you sound interesting, that set you apart from the rest of the crowd.
Be prepared to discuss these with the interviewer (e.g., "How often do you play chess? What's the last book you read?")