If you are applying for a job in France, Belgium, Switzerland or Canada (Quebec), a French-style CV is what employers expect. It is short, clear and focused on what you can do. This guide explains the French CV format step by step and shows how to produce a PDF for free.
The ideal French CV is one page, and two pages at most for people with long careers. Recruiters read quickly, so use clear headings, short bullet points and plenty of white space. Use a simple font and save the file as a PDF so the layout never changes.
A photo is optional in France. It is not required and many CVs have none. If you do add one, choose a neutral, professional picture. The EuroTools Hub French CV Maker lets you add a photo if you want one, and leaves it out if you do not.
Everything runs in your browser. Your personal data and photo are not uploaded to any server.
Also see our guides to the German CV (Lebenslauf) and the Italian CV.
The profile line (accroche) is the first thing a French recruiter reads. Keep it to one or two lines and mention your job title, your experience and your goal. Here are three examples you can adapt:
For each job, write two to four bullet points that start with an action verb and show a result. For example: "Managed a portfolio of 15 B2B clients", "Reduced delivery times by 18%", "Trained 6 new team members".
Use the European CEFR scale (A1 to C2) or clear words such as "native", "fluent", "professional working proficiency" or "intermediate". If you have a certificate such as DELF, DALF, TOEIC, IELTS or TOEFL, add the score and the year. Avoid vague claims like "good level" without proof.
In France the CV usually comes with a lettre de motivation. It is one page, written in formal French, and explains why you want this job at this company. The CV lists facts; the letter explains your motivation. Send both as PDF files unless the job advert says otherwise.
Many CV sites ask you to sign up, add a watermark or send your data to a server. The EuroTools Hub French CV Maker runs in your browser. It does not upload your CV or photo, needs no account and adds no watermark, so you can create a clean PDF in a few minutes and download it straight away.
First job or internship: put education first, then projects, volunteering, part-time jobs and languages. Even a student French CV should show results, such as a class project you led or a society you organised. Keep it to one page.
Career change: start with a short profile that explains your new direction and list the transferable skills that matter for the new role: communication, project management, data analysis, languages. Then show the experience that supports them.
Experienced professionals: focus on the last 10 to 15 years, give more space to recent roles and summarise older ones in one line. For a French CV, the key elements are a short profile line (accroche) and no date of birth.
Save the final file as a PDF and keep it under 2 MB so it passes email and application portals. If it is too large, use Compress PDF. If you wrote the CV in a word processor, convert it with Word to PDF. To combine your CV, cover letter and certificates into one file, use Merge PDF.
Yes, one page is the standard. Two pages are acceptable only if you have many years of relevant experience.
No. A photo is optional in France. If you add one, use a professional, neutral picture.
Yes, if the company works in English or the advert is in English. For a French company, a CV in French is the safer choice.
It is a one- or two-line profile statement at the top that summarises who you are and what role you want.
Yes. It is free, needs no signup, adds no watermark and works in your browser.