Europass CV: Template, Format, and Examples for 2024 (2024)

If you’re planning to work or study in the European Union, you may have heard that a Europass CV is the way to go. It’s true. It’s also true that using a Europass CV template will help you lay out your CV.

But do you know that you can do better? Your competition might already know it, so strap in and let’s find out how!

This guide will show you:

• A CV example better than 9 out of 10 Europass CVs out there.
• How to create a Europass CV online, and why you might want to try something else.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements in a Europass CV.
• How to describe your experience on a CV to get any job you want.

Want to save time and have your CV ready in 5 minutes? Try our CV builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ CV templates and create your CV here.

Create your CV now

Sample CV made with our builder—See more templates and create your CV here.

Would you like to learn more about writing a job-winning CV? Read our guides:

• 20+ Job Winning CV Tips and Advice
• Skills-Based CV Format
• How to Write a CV Personal Statement
• Differences Between a CV and a Resume

Now, here’s everything you need to know about the Europass CV:

1. What is a Europass CV?

The Europass CV format is one of the better-known CV formats in the European Union. You can create a Europass CV online using a CV creator currently supporting 29 languages. The Europass CV format is the European Commission’s attempt at creating a unified framework for job applicants.

It is indeed very common throughout the EU—this is both its greatest strength and one of its greatest weaknesses. Being common means that employers are very familiar with it. It also means that a Europass CV is absolutely not a good way to stand out from the crowd.

A Europass CV is much better than a badly written, badly formatted CV. But when applying for a job, you’re not interested in how you fare compared to the worst applicants or even the average applicant, you’re competing against the best.

Need some CV inspiration? Check here: CV Ideas That Both Employers And Applicants Love

2. Who is a Europass CV for?

A Europass CV is for anyone who wants to apply for a job (or entry into a study program) in the European Union or Europe more broadly. This includes both European citizens applying within their home countries or other European countries and people from outside the EU applying within the EU.

It is also an especially attractive proposition for anyone who’s unsure of what to include in their CV and how to lay everything out on the page. The problem is that the Europass template doesn’t give complete guidance for all the CV sections, and some of the guidance it does give misses the mark.

Make sure that your CV ticks all the boxes. Check here: CV Structure That’s Perfect

3. How to create a Europass CV

Creating a Europass CV is a relatively simple process. All you have to do is follow these steps:

1. Go to the Europass CV online creator.
2. Register on the site and create a profile if you want to be able to save your information for later use, as well as have access to all the available tools.
3. Fill in each section and click “save” when you’re done.

Here are some other tips you might find useful:

• If anything is unclear, try clicking on the blue “i” information icons.
• Click on the blue “+” icons to add more entries to a section.
• At a minimum, add an about me, work experience, education, and at least one skills section to your Europass CV.
• Aim to add two or three additional sections after these.

Once you’re done, choose one of the four templates. On the left of the screen, you can turn off the Europass CV logo (it’s recommended that you do). You can also select an accent color and set the text size. Choose the largest text size that doesn’t push your CV onto a second page.

Drop a CV section if you can’t fit your whole CV on a single page with the small text option selected. This is one of the major problems with the Europass CV template: there’s a lot of wasted space, meaning you can fit much less in. This is an issue because, in Europe, a one-page CV is preferred.

Learn more about making a great CV: 10+ Things That Make a CV Good

4. Europass CV: pros and cons

You’ve come across many of the pros and cons of a Europass CV already, but let’s put everything out there and weigh it up. On the plus side, the Europass CV creator tool is totally free to use. If you have absolutely no idea of what you’re doing, it’ll help you get a half-decent CV together fairly quickly.

Here you see a pro turning into a con already. It’s true that the Europass CV template is pretty decent. You’ll find a lot of scathing criticism about Europass CVs online, but let’s be honest, they're not that bad. The templates are better than what most people can cobble together on their own.

So what is the main problem with a Europass CV? It’s not that employers see so many of them that they all start to become a bit of a blur for them. It’s not that the templates waste a lot of space and look dated. The main problem is that they’re not as effective as some other options out there.

A “half-decent”, or “better than average” CV isn’t going to get you an interview. You’re not competing with the worst CVs out there, you’re competing with the best. The good news? You can do it, there’s nothing standing in your way. All it takes is the right know-how, and that can be learned.

Haven’t seen an excellent CV in a while? Check this guide: What Does a Good CV Look Like Now?

5. What’s better than a Europass CV?

There are two ways in which a Europass CV could be better: the content and the template. The content is entirely in your hands. The advice given throughout the Europass CV creator isn’t leading you toward the most effective CV possible.

First, let’s take a look at a professional CV sample that you can personalize:

Sample alternative for a Europass CV

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.

When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

1. Pick a template that stands out

As we’ve already seen, Europass CV templates are okay—but they’re far from the best. What you want is a template that enables you to fit a lot of information onto one page and is visually pleasing, as well as standing out in the crowd.

2. Use the right formatting

Get the format right by using one-inch margins, a readable CV font set to 11–12 points, and clear headings for each section. When listing information, stick to the reverse-chronological format: meaning most recent information goes first, followed by older entries.

Save your CV as a PDF and keep a .docx copy handy, you never know what the recruiter will prefer.

3. Write a strong CV profile

A CV profile is a short paragraph at the top of the page. Aim for 2–4 sentences and focus on catching the recruiter’s attention with your professional or academic achievements.

In fact, just use the following formula:

Adjective (e.g., driven, detail-oriented, creative) + Your job title and years of experience + An impressive professional achievement or two, quantified with numbers and made more impactful with action verbs + An offer to achieve similar success for your new employer

Weave in a few key skills, too, and you’ll end up with something like this:

Dedicated science teacher with 5+ years’ experience teaching chemistry, physics, and applied science. At Tudor’s College, maintained a database of 200+ teaching and learning resources and devised a laboratory program that improved student comprehension of core concepts by 17%. Seeking the opportunity to apply proven classroom management and organization skills in helping St Xavier’s College’s students to achieve their potential.

4. Describe your work experience and education

If you’re a seasoned professional, put the CV work experience section right under the profile. If you’re writing a fresher resume, start with your education and include any work experience below your schooling. Easy, right?

Just like in your profile, focus on outlining your achievements impactfully. Stick only to relevant information, and include the dates (of employment or attendance) and location with every entry.

5. Include skills section

After work and education, add a separate CV section for your key skills. If you went with one of our templates or another high-end option, you might be able to put these in a neat sidebar.

Include up to 10 of the skills most important to succeeding in the role for which you’re applying. Check the job ad for keywords, too—try to list skills that the employer is looking for, specifically. A blend of soft skills (e.g., communication, teamwork) and hard skills (e.g., technical knowledge needed for your job) is the best way to go.

6. Pick some additional sections

Show your personality and drive by including a couple of the following:

• Licences and certifications
• Foreign language skills
• Memberships in professional associations
• Projects
• Volunteer work
• Hobbies and interests (but only if they show your work-related skills in some way)

Just make sure only to include things that are relevant to your role and not too far in the past. A Microsoft Office 95 certification won’t be of interest to employers!

And before you send out your CV, make sure to write a cover letter that’s just as good at showing off your best skills.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here.Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key takeaways

Here’s how to make a Europass CV and why might not want to:

• Create a profile on the Europass website.
• Work through the creation wizard, clicking on the blue information icon when needed.
• Fill in your contact details and add about me, work experience, education and training, and skills sections. Add up to three more sections, including a languages section.
• Choose a template, and you’re done.

• Or try the Zety resume builder instead for a much more effective CV with more modern templates to choose from.

Have you got any more questions regarding the Europass CV?Let us know in the comments section, and check out what your fellow readers have to say.

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