A good CV gives an employer a quick picture of who you are, what you have done and what you can offer. This is particularly important when you have international experience.

There is no single format that every employer expects. Requirements can vary between industries and employers, but a clear and straightforward CV is generally a good place for newbies to start.

For most roles, 1–2 pages is enough. Focus on experience and skills that are relevant to the position rather than trying to include everything you have ever done.

A typical CV can include:

• Name and contact details
• A short professional profile
• Relevant work experience
• Education and qualifications
• Key skills
• Language skills
• Relevant certifications or training
• Other relevant information, such as volunteer experience or professional memberships

You do not need to include every job, qualification or responsibility if it does not help demonstrate your suitability for the role.

International experience can be a strong asset, but employers may not immediately understand unfamiliar job titles, qualifications or organisations.

Make your experience easy to interpret.

For example, if your previous job title is not commonly used locally, you can add a short explanation of what the role involved. Similarly, if you have a qualification from another country, make the level and subject clear rather than assuming the employer will recognise the institution or terminology.

You can also briefly explain:

• what an unfamiliar company or organisation does
• the market or industry you worked in
• the scale of your responsibilities
• international or transferable skills
• qualifications that may not have a direct local equivalent

The aim isn't to explain your entire career history. Give the employer enough context to understand the value of your experience.

Language ability can be particularly important when applying for jobs in a new country.

List the languages you speak and give an honest indication of your level. For example:

• Swedish — conversational
• English — native
• German — intermediate

If a job advertisement specifically asks for Swedish, make your current level clear rather than simply writing “Swedish” in a list of languages.

If you are actively learning the language, you can mention that too.

A photo is not essential for most applications. Unless the employer specifically asks for one or it is common in your particular industry, leaving it out is generally fine.

Use the space to showcase your experience, skills and qualifications instead.

Europass provides a recognised CV format that can be useful, particularly if you are applying across European countries or are unfamiliar with CV conventions.

However, you do not need to use Europass. A simple, well-structured CV tailored to the role can work just as well.

A cover letter gives you an opportunity to add context that your CV cannot.

It should not repeat your CV word for word. Instead, use it to explain why you are interested in the particular role and what makes your experience relevant.

A useful structure is:

step 1

start with the role

Say which position you are applying for and why it interests you.

Avoid generic openings such as “I am writing to apply for the position...” if you can make the opening more specific.

step 2

connect your experience to the role

Choose two or three examples from your background that demonstrate skills the employer is looking for.

Focus on the connection between what you have done and what the employer needs.

step 3

explain your motivation

Show that you understand what the organisation does and why you would like to work there.

This doesn't need to be long. A specific reason is usually more effective than general statements about being “passionate” or “hard-working”.

step 4

finish clearly

Briefly reinforce your interest and invite the employer to discuss your application further.

keep it short

A cover letter does not need to be a detailed account of your career.

Aim for around half a page to one page, depending on the role and employer. Every paragraph should help answer 1 of 2 questions:

1. Why this role?
2. Why you?

If the answer could apply equally to dozens of employers, make it more specific.

Sending the same CV and cover letter to every employer is tempting, especially when you are applying for many jobs. But small changes can make your application much more relevant.

Before applying, look at:

• The skills and experience mentioned in the job advertisement
• The employer's priorities
• The language used to describe the role
• The responsibilities you would actually be taking on

Then adjust your CV and cover letter to highlight the parts of your background that match.

You don't need to rewrite everything. Often, changing your profile, prioritising different experience and adapting your cover letter is enough.

Not having previous local experience does not mean your international experience has no value.

Think about what is transferable to the role. This could include:

• Industry knowledge
• Project or team management
• Customer experience
• Technical skills
• International market knowledge
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Adaptability
• Working across cultures

If you have recently graduated, internships, university projects, volunteering and relevant part-time work can also demonstrate useful experience.

The goal is to help the employer see how your existing experience connects to the role — even if it was gained somewhere else.

A few issues can make an otherwise strong application harder to assess:

• Sending the same CV for every role
• Making the CV too long
• Listing responsibilities without showing impact
• Using unexplained job titles or qualifications
• Including irrelevant personal information
• Writing a generic cover letter
• Repeating the CV instead of adding context
• Making claims that are difficult to support
• Not checking spelling and formatting
• Making language ability unclear

Keep the focus on what the employer needs to know.