CV format for the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, you apply with a CV. It runs to one or two pages, and a photo is optional. Personal details are kept light. Work experience comes before education.
At a glance
Format: Northern European CV
Shared with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
- Photo
- Optional
- The trend is toward leaving it off.
- Length
- 1 to 2 pages
- Personal details
- Kept light
- Age and exact address are often left off.
- Section order
- Experience first
- References
- Usually left off
- Local name
- CV
- Special fields
- None
- Paper
- A4
- 210 × 297 mm
These are each country’s usual conventions, not rules. Real practice varies by employer, industry and seniority, and it is changing with anti-discrimination law, screening software and remote hiring: photos are fading even where they were traditional, and multinationals usually expect none. Treat this as a starting point.
How it is written
Concise, and the trend is toward leaving out the photo and personal data.
- Concise and egalitarian.
- Informal but professional in tone.
- Personality and interests are welcome.
- Plain design.
- Age and exact address are often left off.
- The trend is toward dropping the photo and personal data, for anti-discrimination reasons.
What to leave out
The photo, if you like
It is optional, and the trend is toward leaving it off.
Your age and exact address
Both are often left off.
Questions
Do I need a photo on a CV in the Netherlands?
No, it is optional. The trend is toward leaving it off.
How long should a CV be in the Netherlands?
One or two pages.
Which personal details go on a CV in the Netherlands?
Very few: age and exact address are often left off.
Does education or work experience come first in the Netherlands?
Work experience comes first, then education.
Should I list references on a CV in the Netherlands?
Usually not.
Applying for a job in the Netherlands?
CVMake detects the job’s country from the posting and formats the CV for it.
Start my CV