Spain CV and resume guidance

A typical Spanish CV ("currículum vitae" or simply "CV") is one to two pages, in reverse chronological order, with clear sections for experience, education, languages and IT skills. It is usually sent with a short cover letter or a message in an online form.

Common elements:

• Datos personales: name, phone, email, city and often a LinkedIn link.
• Perfil profesional: a short summary, optional but increasingly common.
• Experiencia profesional: jobs with dates, company, place and achievements.
• Formación académica: degrees, with university and year.
• Formación complementaria: courses and certificates.
• Idiomas and Informática: language levels and software skills.

A photo is still fairly common in Spain, but it is optional, and many international and large employers do not expect one. Date of birth and marital status also appear on older templates and are increasingly left out. Use A4, keep the layout clean, and send a PDF unless the employer asks otherwise.

One page for students and early-career applicants, and up to two pages for experienced professionals. Spanish recruiters generally appreciate a CV they can scan quickly.

Guidelines:

• Under about five years of experience: one page.
• Longer careers: two pages, with older roles shortened.
• Academic and research posts: longer, with publications listed.

Cut generic duties and old short jobs first. Keep languages, recent achievements and qualifications. Do not shrink the font or margins to fit everything onto one page.

A photo is still fairly common on Spanish CVs, particularly for customer-facing roles such as hospitality, retail and sales, but it is optional. Many multinational companies and some public bodies prefer CVs without photos.

If you include one:

• Use a recent, professional head-and-shoulders photo with a neutral background.
• Avoid holiday or casual pictures.

If you leave it out, your CV is not incomplete; your experience and skills carry the application. Follow any instructions in the advert or online form. ResumeBuilder.ae does not support photos in the PDF, which keeps the text easy for applicant tracking systems to read.

No. Do not include your DNI (Spanish national identity number), NIE (foreigner identity number) or passport number on your CV. Older Spanish templates sometimes showed them, but a CV is shared widely, and an employer does not need these numbers to decide whether to interview you.

If you have an NIE and the right to work, you can say so in words instead:
Example: "Permiso de trabajo en vigor" (valid work permit) or "EU citizen"

The employer will ask for identity documents through a proper process if they offer you a job.

Use the language of the job advert. Spanish companies hiring for Spanish-speaking teams usually expect a CV in Spanish, while multinationals, tech companies and tourism businesses sometimes advertise and work in English.

Guidelines:

• Advert in Spanish: send a Spanish CV if your Spanish is good enough, or ask whether English is acceptable.
• Advert in English: send an English CV and state your Spanish level.
• Unsure: a Spanish CV with a strong languages section is the safer choice for most local employers.

Have any Spanish CV checked by a fluent speaker. A clear English CV is better than a Spanish one full of errors.

If you apply to a mix of local and international employers, keep two versions with the same content: one in Spanish and one in English. Make sure dates, job titles and qualifications match exactly, as recruiters sometimes see both. In either version, put the languages section where it is easy to find, because Spanish adverts frequently ask for specific language levels and recruiters look for them first.

Often, but not always. Many Spanish employers expect a short "carta de presentación" (cover letter) with email applications, while many online portals only ask for a CV or a few questions.

Practical rule:

• If the advert asks for one, write a short, tailored letter.
• If you apply by email, use the email body as a brief cover letter.
• If the online form has no field for it, do not force it in.

Keep it to three or four short paragraphs: the role, your most relevant experience, why this company, and your availability. ResumeBuilder.ae lets you write a matching cover letter in the builder.

Spanish CVs use short, standard headings. Common ones are:

• Datos personales (personal details)
• Perfil profesional (professional summary)
• Experiencia profesional or Experiencia laboral (work experience)
• Formación académica (education)
• Formación complementaria (courses and training)
• Idiomas (languages)
• Informática or Competencias digitales (IT skills)
• Otros datos de interés (other information, such as driving licence or availability)

Put "Formación académica" first if you are a recent graduate. ResumeBuilder.ae supports Spanish as a resume language (choose it on the Design tab); check the headings in the preview before you download.

For most private-sector jobs, you can apply and list your foreign degree as it is. Formal recognition (homologación or equivalencia) mainly matters for regulated professions, such as medicine, nursing, law, architecture or teaching, and for some public-sector jobs.

On your CV:

• Write the original degree title, university, country and year.
• If you have a recognition decision, add it: "Título homologado en España (2025)".
• If the process is in progress, say so honestly: "Homologación en trámite".

Do not claim recognition you do not have. For regulated professions, check the official Spanish information for your field before applying.

To help a Spanish recruiter understand an unrecognised degree, add the length of study and a plain description:
Example: "Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (four years), University of the Philippines, 2020"

Show your grades in your own system with the scale, such as "GPA 3.5 / 4.0", rather than converting them yourself. Experience and skills often matter more than formal equivalence for private employers.

Spanish grades run from 0 to 10, with words for each band: aprobado (pass), notable (good), sobresaliente (excellent) and matrícula de honor (highest distinction). Show your average with the scale, and only if it helps you.

Examples:

• "Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas, Universidad de Valencia, 2024 – Nota media: 8.2 / 10"
• On an English CV: "Average grade 8.2 / 10 (Spanish scale; 'notable')"

If your grades are average, you can leave them out. After a few years of work, employers care more about experience. Do not convert grades to another system yourself and present them as official.

List them under work experience with dates, the company, the department and two or three tasks or results. "Prácticas" (internships), whether curricular as part of your degree or extracurricular, are a common way into work in Spain and are valued by employers.

Example:
"02/2025 – 06/2025 Prácticas en Recursos Humanos, Ejemplo S.L., Madrid

• Coordiné la selección de 15 perfiles para el centro logístico
• Actualicé la base de datos de candidatos"

Note if the internship was part of your degree ("prácticas curriculares"). Keep titles honest: "Becario" or "Intern" is fine.

Use the CEFR levels (A1 to C2) and add an official certificate if you have one, such as a DELE or SIELE result. Spanish employers widely understand CEFR levels.

Example:
"Español: C1 (DELE C1, 2025)
Inglés: nativo
Francés: B2"

Tips:

• If Spanish is not your first language and you have no certificate, describe your level honestly with CEFR and context: "B2 – used daily at work for 2 years".
• If you are still learning, say so.
• For customer-facing jobs, mention where you used Spanish in practice.

State your level clearly with CEFR and add any recognised certificate. Spanish adverts often ask for "inglés alto" or "nivel B2/C1", and certificates such as Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL or similar are commonly listed.

Example:
"Inglés: C1 (Cambridge C1 Advanced, 2024)"

If you have no certificate:

• Give a CEFR level you can honestly support.
• Add evidence in your experience, such as "Atención a clientes internacionales en inglés".
• Expect part of the interview to be in English if the role needs it.

Native English speakers can simply write "Inglés: nativo".

Use month and year in one consistent format, newest first. Common styles are "09/2022 – 06/2025" or "sept. 2022 – jun. 2025". For a current job, write "09/2022 – actualidad" (present).

Example:
"03/2023 – actualidad Técnico de mantenimiento, Ejemplo S.A., Zaragoza"

Tips:

• Month names are not capitalised in Spanish (enero, junio).
• Do not mix numeric and written months.
• Use months for every entry so the timeline is clear.

Yes, if the job involves driving or the workplace is hard to reach without a car, such as industrial estates, rural areas or field sales. Spanish CVs often show "Carné de conducir B" and "vehículo propio" (own vehicle) in the personal details or "Otros datos".

Example: "Carné de conducir B. Vehículo propio."

If your licence is from outside Spain, give the country and category. Whether a foreign licence can be used or exchanged in Spain depends on official rules, so do not claim it is valid there unless you have checked. For city office roles, the line is optional.

A4. It is the standard paper size in Spain and the rest of Europe. A US Letter CV can print with odd margins or cut off a line.

Before sending:

• Switch to A4 and check page breaks.
• Keep margins around 2 cm and a readable font size.
• Export as PDF unless the employer asks for another format.

ResumeBuilder.ae lets you choose A4 or US Letter, so you can keep a version for each region.

Not usually. Listing referees on the CV is uncommon in Spain, although some employers ask for references or recommendation letters later in the process, especially for senior roles.

What to do:

• Leave referee details off the CV unless the advert asks.
• If you have a good recommendation letter ("carta de recomendación"), keep it ready to share.
• Ask your referees' permission before giving their details.

Skip "referencias disponibles a petición"; it is assumed and uses space.

Yes, a little. Your Spanish is fully understood, but some words and qualification names differ, and small changes can make your CV read naturally to a recruiter in Spain.

Adjustments to consider:

• Vocabulary: Spain often uses "ordenador" (computer), "móvil" (mobile phone) and "currículum" or "CV" rather than "hoja de vida".
• Degree names: keep your original title, such as "Licenciatura en Administración", and add the length of study.
• Company descriptions: add a short note on the size and sector of employers that Spanish recruiters may not know.
• Location and availability: state clearly where you are and when you could start.

Do not rewrite your whole style; clear, honest content matters most.

Also check your contact details. Use your phone number with its country code until you have a Spanish number, and switch the page size to A4 if your current CV uses US Letter. If your degree is from Latin America, read the official information on recognition only if your profession is regulated in Spain, and never describe a degree as recognised unless you have that decision.

Use the international format with +34 so recruiters inside and outside Spain can call you. Spanish numbers have nine digits and no leading zero.

Examples:

• Mobile: "+34 612 345 678"
• Landline in Madrid: "+34 91 123 4567"

If you do not yet have a Spanish number, use your current number with its country code. Many Spanish recruiters also use messaging apps, so make sure the number works for both calls and messages, and check your voicemail.

A short line is optional and fairly common, especially for students and graduates. Spanish recruiters sometimes ask about interests to get to know candidates.

Keep it specific:

• Weak: "Leer, viajar, deporte"
• Better: "Pádel (competiciones locales), voluntariado en banco de alimentos, fotografía"

Leave out anything that reveals religion or politics unless relevant to the job. Experienced professionals can drop the section if space is tight; it is the first thing to cut.

With a short, honest line and anything useful you did during the period. Gaps are common, and a brief explanation is usually better than leaving recruiters to guess.

Examples:

• "2024 – 2025 Excedencia por cuidado de familiar" (leave to care for a family member)
• "2023 Búsqueda activa de empleo y curso de Excel avanzado"
• "2022 Año sabático – voluntariado en Perú"

You do not need to give private details such as health information. List courses, freelance work or volunteering done during the gap; they show you kept developing.

Choose Spanish as the resume language on the Design tab, then write your content in Spanish. The builder screens can also be shown in Spanish from the language menu in the top bar.

Points to know:

• You write the content in Spanish yourself. The example summaries and bullet points are in English for now, so use them only as ideas.
• Spanish characters such as ñ and accented vowels are supported in the PDF.
• Choose A4 for jobs in Spain. Some employers in Latin America use US Letter, which the builder also offers.
• Use the name for the document that the advert uses: "currículum" or "CV" in Spain, while some Latin American countries say "hoja de vida".
• Photos are not supported in the PDF, and there is no date-of-birth field.

Creating and editing are free. Downloading the PDF costs US$1.00 per export, paid once, with no subscription.

Short courses, certificates and training that support your profile but are not full degrees. Spanish CVs commonly separate this from "formación académica" (degrees).

Example:
"2025 Curso de Google Analytics 4 (40 h), Ejemplo Academy, online
2024 Certificado de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales (60 h)
2023 Scrum Fundamentals, Scrum Study"

Tips:

• Include the number of hours if the course is substantial; Spanish employers often look at it.
• List only relevant or recent courses.
• Put language certificates in the "Idiomas" section instead.

Give the full official name of the cycle, its level, the school and the dates. FP (vocational training) is well understood by Spanish employers, and many technical, health and administrative jobs ask for it.

Example:
"2021 – 2023 Técnico Superior en Administración y Finanzas (FP Grado Superior), IES Ejemplo, Sevilla
Includes 3-month work placement (FCT) at Ejemplo Asesores"

On an English CV, add a brief description:
Example: "Higher vocational diploma in administration and finance (two years)"

List the work placement under experience as well if it is relevant to the job.

It is optional but useful, especially if you are changing careers, applying from abroad or have experience in several areas. A "perfil profesional" is a two- or three-line summary at the top.

Example:
"Ingeniera química con 6 años de experiencia en control de calidad en la industria alimentaria. Experta en ISO 22000 y auditorías de proveedores. Inglés C1."

Tips:

• Name your field, experience and key strengths.
• Avoid empty phrases such as "persona dinámica y proactiva".
• Tailor it to the role you are applying for.

In the application form or a sentence in your cover letter or email, never on the CV. Spanish online forms sometimes ask for "banda salarial" or "expectativas salariales" (salary expectations) as a required field.

Tips:

• Base your figure on your own research for the role, region and experience.
• Give a gross annual figure ("bruto anual") or a narrow range.

Example: "Mis expectativas salariales se sitúan en torno a [cantidad] brutos anuales."

If the advert does not ask, do not mention salary. Keep the CV itself free of pay details.