According to service-public.fr, no French law says what a CV must contain, and an employer may not base a request on any of the 25 criteria French law recognises as discriminatory. So the rules that matter are not legal ones. They are conventions, and a French recruiter notices within a few lines whether a candidate knows them. A CV written in English and then translated keeps English habits, and those habits are what give it away.
What does a French CV look like?
One or two pages, with your identity and contact details at the top, then experience, education, skills and interests. The public service careers site says there is no fixed norm on length, but beyond two pages the reader starts to question your ability to summarise.
The usual order:
- État civil et coordonnées: name, phone, email, city. Age is optional
- Titre du CV: one line naming the job you want, Chef de projet digital, not a paragraph
- Expérience professionnelle: most recent first, with dates, employer, city and title
- Formation: degrees and where they were obtained
- Compétences et langues: tools, then languages with a level
- Centres d'intérêt: two or three lines, short and specific
A photo is common in France, but service-public.fr lists it as something you may add, not something you must. The same page notes that whatever an employer asks for must have a direct link with the job. Your health, a pregnancy, and your religious or political views are never part of the application.
How do you translate job titles and degrees?
Use the title a French recruiter would type into a search bar, not a word-for-word translation of yours. Recruiters search by the French term. The public service careers site also notes that some CVs are now sorted automatically by keyword, which makes the right title matter twice.
| Translated habit | Natural French |
|---|---|
| Manager de projet | Chef de projet |
| Manager des ventes | Responsable commercial |
| Assistant de bureau | Assistant administratif |
| Degré de bachelor | Licence, or the original name plus its level |
| Bon niveau d'anglais | Anglais courant |
Foreign degrees are the trickiest part. French readers think in Bac+ levels, the number of years of study after the baccalauréat. Keeping the original name of your degree and adding the level in brackets is honest and immediately readable: Master of Science in Finance (Bac+5).
Dates are simpler than people fear. Write months in French, mars 2021 à juin 2024, or keep the years only, 2021 à 2024. What looks translated is an English month name in an otherwise French CV.
What phrasing gives a translated CV away?
English CVs start each line with a past-tense action verb. French CVs prefer short noun phrases that name the task and its result. A column of J'ai géré, j'ai développé, j'ai augmenté is grammatically correct and instantly recognisable as English thinking.
Compare:
- Gestion d'une équipe de cinq personnes. Managed a team of five.
- Refonte du site client, livrée en six mois. Rebuilt the client website, delivered in six months.
- Mise en place d'un suivi hebdomadaire des ventes. Set up a weekly sales review.
- Négociation des contrats fournisseurs (40 comptes). Negotiated supplier contracts (40 accounts).
Nouns like gestion, mise en place, création, suivi and pilotage carry most French CVs. Infinitives work too, Piloter le lancement d'un produit, as long as you choose one form and keep it throughout.
The public service careers site gives one more piece of advice that applies well here: describe your missions, not every single task. A translated CV often lists ten small duties per job, because English CVs reward detail. French readers prefer three lines that show the scope of the role.
For languages, use the standard French terms: langue maternelle, bilingue, courant, intermédiaire, notions. If you have a recognised level, add it: Espagnol : intermédiaire (B1).
Do you still need a cover letter in France?
Usually, yes, and it should add to the CV rather than repeat it. The public service careers site describes the cover letter in five steps: a hook, your project, your understanding of the employer's need, how you see yourself in the role, and a request for an interview. Use the CV for facts and the letter for motivation.
Before you send either, have them read by someone who works in France, ideally in your sector. One reader who knows the market catches more than any checklist.
Conclusion
A French CV that does not look translated is mostly a matter of conventions: the right order, French job titles and degree levels, noun-led lines and standard language levels. Once those are in place, your experience can do the talking. If you have a CV you are not sure about, bring it to a lesson with Yann and go through it line by line, wording and register included, before you apply. The first lesson at frenchwithyann.com is a free trial.
Common questions
Do I need a photo on a French CV?
No. service-public.fr lists a photo as something you may add, not something you must. If you include one, use a plain, professional portrait.
Should I translate my job title word for word?
No. Use the title French recruiters actually search for, such as chef de projet or responsable commercial. If your English title has no clear equivalent, describe the role in one short line under it.
How long should a French CV be?
One page for most profiles, two at most. The public service careers site says there is no fixed rule, but beyond two pages a recruiter starts to doubt your ability to summarise.