How to Write a Great Spanish-Style CV or Resume

The nuts and bolts of writing a great CV for Spain. In this time of economic hardship you need every competitive edge. Get your CV/Resume right for job hunting in Spain.

If you’re looking for jobs in Spain, then consider the Spanish-style CV (currículum vitae) as your ticket of admission. Here are the essential steps to writing one.

First consider that unless stated otherwise, if the job ad is in English, you should send your CV in English, and if it’s in Spanish, then you should send your CV in Spanish. Also make sure that you’re using A-4 size paper; this is the standard in Spain.

And now you’re ready to start writing your CV. Call the first section in your CV Personal Details (Datos Personales in Spanish). This is where potential employers find basic information such as how to get hold of you and when you’re available. The most common headings are shown below. You don’t have to include all of them, but you definitely can.

Name (Nombre): List your full name.
Address (Dirección): List your address, including the country if you currently live outside of Spain.
Telephone (Teléfono): List your landline and/or mobile telephone numbers, including area and country codes if you currently live outside of Spain.
E-mail (E-mail): List your most professional-sounding e-mail address.
Date of birth (Fecha de nacimiento): List your date of birth. Remember that dates in Spain list the day first, then the month and the year.
Nationality (Nacionalidad): List your nationality.
DNI/NIE: If you are authorized to work in Spain, then list your NIE.
Marital Status (Estado Civil): List whether or not you’re married (simply put “married” or “single”), and if you have kids, how many.
Driving license (Carnet de conducir): If you have a Spanish driver’s license, specify what type you have.
Availability (Disponibilidad): Listing your availability is particularly important if you have restrictions on your time, such as only being available to work in the mornings, for example.

In this section you should also include a photo of you looking professional-like. Ideally you should use a passport-sized (headshot) photo in color with a white or neutral background.

Note that when job searching in Spain, inquiries about your age and marital status are permissible, and some job announcements will list the age range they want potential candidates to have. In addition, if you’re tempted to leave off the photo, don’t. It’s considered a basic feature of CVs in Spain.

The second section is Education (Formación Académica). Here is where you talk about your studies and educational achievements. You should list the educational title received, the institution, the city and country of the institution, and the year you started and received your degree or title. For example, Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA, August 1998–June 2003.

(If you have taken short courses, workshops, or certificate programs, you may want to list them under the separate heading of Additional Education [Formación Complementaria].)

The third section is Work History or Employment History (Experiencia Profesional). This is where you talk about your relevant work history and professional experience. Here you should list the dates you worked at each particular company, the position held, the name of the company, and the city and country you worked in. For example, July 2003–September 2006, Customer Service Manager, Microsoft, Madrid, Spain. Ideally you should expand on this to include your primary responsibilities and major achievements.

The fourth section is Languages (Idiomas). This is where you talk about your language skills and competencies. Here you should list your native language as well as any languages you have studied and what level you have in each one, including language certifications, if you have them. For example, English mother tongue, advanced level of Spanish, intermediate level of Italian and Japanese.

The next section is Computer Skills (Informática). Here you should list any computer skills you have, including familiarity with different software and processes. For example, advanced user of Office, InDesign, and Dreamweaver.

The last section is Additional Information (Otros Datos de Interés). This is an optional section where you can list anything that doesn’t fit neatly into the other categories above.

And last but not least, remember to have someone else look over your CV before you send it out, or preferably get your CV professionally proofread.

Last updated 22 01 2009

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