Business French – How To Write a CV in French

Find out some common phrases used for CVs in French, the sections of a CV and how to lay out a CV in French.

Watch the video as many times as you need, until you feel you can give the French translations as we go!

Now we can see what we’ve learned. Look at the English and see if you can provide the French for the following:

Part 1:

curriculum vitae (CV)	Show le curriculum vitae (le CV)
diploma, degree	Show le diplôme
hobbies	Show les loisirs
hobbies, interests	Show le centre d’intérêt
language	Show la langue

Part 2:

personal details	Show les informations personnelles
professional experience	Show l’expérience professionnelle
profile	Show le profil
skills	Show les compétences
training, education	Show la formation

What Are the Sections on a CV in French?

The five sections needed for a French CV, which will form your main headings, are:

Contact or Informations personnelles	Your address (French: adresse), telephone number (French: téléphone) and email address (French: e-mail) are the usual details given here. Optionally, you may include your professional social media profiles, such as LinkedIn.
Profil	A couple of short sentences that describe your background or what you have had experience in doing.
Expériences professionnelles	Professional experience. This is where you will list your job history, starting with the most recent and working backwards in time.
Formation	Education or training. A list of your accredited qualifications, both professional and academic
Compétences	Similar to the skills section on an English CV, this is usually a bullet point list of attributes you have demonstrated in your career or education, such as people management or time management; and/or skills such as equipment or software used.

You may also want to consider a section for interests, under the heading Centres d’intérêt, or a section to list your languages (Langues).

How Is a CV Laid Out in French?

Below is an example of where the sections are often found on a French CV. Note that, unlike an English CV, it is usual to include a profile picture and CVs are also more often ‘designed’ as shown: