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CV Templates & Guidance

Free templates and tips for European university applications.

Unlike your SOP or motivation letter, your CV is a standard document — you write it once and submit the same one to every program. Pick a template below, fill it in, and you're done. No need to regenerate it per application.

Recommended Templates

Europass CV

Recommended
Open Template

The official European standard. Widely accepted across all 10 countries on Abroaducate. Free, multilingual, and recognised by every European university admissions office.

  • Accepted by German, French, Swedish, and all other EU universities
  • Available in 30+ languages — useful for non-English programs
  • Structured format means admissions staff can scan it quickly

Overleaf Academic CV (LaTeX)

STEM / PhD
Open Template

Clean, professional LaTeX templates used by STEM and research applicants. Ideal for PhD applications and research-heavy programs.

  • Free Overleaf account required
  • Best for STEM, engineering, and research roles
  • Looks highly professional with zero design effort

Harvard Office of Career Services

Humanities / Business
Open Template

Simple, clean Word-based CV and resume templates. Good starting point for humanities, social sciences, and business programs.

  • Free Word/PDF download, no account needed
  • Well-structured for non-STEM fields
  • Easy to customise in Microsoft Word or Google Docs

What to include in your CV

European universities expect a structured academic CV, not a one-page resume. Here's what every section should cover.

Personal Information

  • — Full name
  • — Email address
  • — Phone number
  • — LinkedIn or personal website (optional)
  • — Nationality

Education

  • — Degree, field of study, institution name
  • — Graduation year (or expected)
  • — GPA / grade (if strong — include the scale, e.g. 3.8/4.0)
  • — Thesis title (for Master's / PhD applicants)

Work & Research Experience

  • — Job title, employer, dates
  • — 2–3 bullet points per role — focus on impact, not just duties
  • — Research positions, lab work, fieldwork
  • — Internships and relevant part-time work

Skills & Languages

  • — Language proficiency (use CEFR levels: A1–C2)
  • — Technical skills relevant to your field
  • — Software tools (e.g. SPSS, R, AutoCAD, Python)
  • — IELTS / TOEFL score if strong

Additional Sections (if relevant)

  • — Publications or conference presentations
  • — Awards and scholarships received
  • — Volunteer work and community involvement
  • — Certifications and professional training

Tips by field

STEM & Engineering

  • —Lead with technical skills and tools
  • —Include research projects and lab experience
  • —List programming languages and software
  • —Publications and conference papers go near the top

Humanities & Social Sciences

  • —Emphasise writing, research, and analytical skills
  • —Include languages and cultural competencies
  • —Teaching experience is valued
  • —Conference presentations and publications matter

Business & Management

  • —Quantify achievements (%, revenue, team size)
  • —Leadership roles and project management
  • —Internships and industry experience
  • —Keep it to 1–2 pages maximum

Quick rules for European CVs

✓ Keep it to 2 pages maximum (1 page for Bachelor's applicants)
✓ Use reverse chronological order — most recent first
✓ Include a professional photo (expected in Germany, France, and most EU countries)
✓ State your nationality — relevant for scholarship eligibility checks
✗ Don't include an "Objective" section — it's outdated
✗ Don't use a US-style one-page resume format for academic applications
✗ Don't list references — "Available on request" is sufficient
✗ Don't use fancy graphics or columns — plain structured text scans better
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