Do you want to get a job in any European country? A Europass CV is a document with which you will be able to successfully apply for positions offered throughout the European Union. The standardized CV format, known in many countries, will allow you to present your candidacy to foreign employers in a transparent way. If you want to make sure that your CV meets European recruitment standards, you can use the Europass CV, but it is worth remembering that it is not necessary to look for a job abroad and also has its drawbacks.

In this article, we explain:

Europass CV

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Europass – what is it? We explain

Europass is an EU project that aims to enable people from different countries to present their competences and professional skills in a transparent way through a set of online tools.

The Europass documents consist of five components.

To fill in yourself:

  • Curriculum Vitae (Europass CV);
  • Language passport.

Issued by relevant institutions:

  • Diploma Supplement confirming vocational qualifications;
  • Diploma Supplement;
  • Europass – Mobility.

On the official Europass website, you can create a portfolio of documents with a common name and logo, which is supported by relevant information systems and disseminated throughout the European Union.

What are the characteristics of the Europass online CV?

The Europass CV is a uniform European Curriculum Vitae format, established by the Parliament and the European Council, which gives you the opportunity to present your candidacy in a clear and comprehensive way.

Europass CV Creator

The Europass CV is designed to provide job applicants from all EU countries with the opportunity to present their competences and qualifications in a transparent way. Another objective of Europass is to facilitate mobility for educational and professional purposes.

The Europass website offers the possibility to compose application documents in 31 languages, including Polish.

A Europass CV will support you in providing comprehensive information about your competences and qualifications when looking for a job or applying for admission to education systems abroad.

Europass CV template – what does it look like?

The Europass CV templates are very extensive, each section has been developed, both in terms of format and content. From the point of view of current recruitment trends, large spaces between columns and extensive descriptions of education, qualifications and experience are not necessary and may even harm your application. The Europass CV has a clear logo, so recruiters will immediately see that you have created it with the help of this system, but in the editor you can decide whether you want to keep it, put it only on the first page or delete it completely.

You can find a sample Europass CV on the official Europass website. If you want to see what it looks like in English, search for ‘Europass CV template‘, ‘Europass CV example‘ or ‘Europass CV english‘.

Europass CV – step by step

The Europass CV builder is very extensive. Extensive customization options are an advantage, but at the same time they make the editor’s operation problematic. Check out how to create a document step by step.

  • Select the language in which you want to write your CV, the date format and fill in your personal information. Mandatory items are marked with a red asterisk.
  • Add more columns, the order of which is arbitrary. We suggest the following: work experience, education and training, language skills, digital skills, managerial and leadership skills, organizational skills, communication and interpersonal skills, passions and interests.
  • Additional rubrics that you can use are: social and political activity, membership in networks and organizations, conferences and seminars, awards and distinctions, driving license, projects, publications, recommendations, creativity, volunteering.
  • Choose a template and color for your resume.
  • You can download your finished Europass CV , save it to the Europass Library or publish it on the EURES portal.
Europass

Europass CV – pros and cons

The Europass CV solution has strengths and weaknesses, get to know them to decide if the Europass CV creator is the right choice for you.

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Europass CV creator – disadvantages of the solution

By far the biggest downside of the Europass CV is its exaggerated length, and this can potentially harm your candidacy. This document usually has 3 A4 pages, which is a lot compared to standard, one-page resumes, which are the most popular in Poland and other European countries. What else is its disadvantage?

  • A poorly visible professional summary that merges with personal data.
  • Graphically complex columns, the elements of which are unnecessary from the recruiter’s point of view. Separating titles and subheadings with bars is counterproductive: instead of making it easier to read the resume, it distracts attention.
  • Very large spaces between lines of text are a huge difficulty, because they make the document very large.
  • The language section is definitely a weakness of the Europass CV. It presents a table divided into “understanding, speaking and writing”, and additionally into “listening, reading, independent expression and communication”, the level of each skill should be determined separately. This introduces chaos and makes it difficult for recruiters to get acquainted with the candidate’s profile, a much better solution is to clearly determine the knowledge of a foreign language.
  • Digital skills, organizational skills, communication and interpersonal skills are separate sections, which is not necessary and takes up a lot of space, one skills section is enough in a CV.
  • The title “passions and interests” is too long, “passions”, “interests” or “hobbies” would suffice, in fact, passions and interests are synonymous.
  • The title of the GDPR clause is also unnecessary, as a standard clause is placed in the footer at the bottom of the page, there is no need to place the title, and in the sample Europass CV it is given twice.
  • Each country has different standards for recruitment processes, but the Europass system does not suggest how to match CVs to them. In practice, this means that when you create a Europass CV for applying for positions abroad, you will have to verify for yourself what should be included in the CV and what should be avoided.
  • You have to enter the GDPR clause yourself, a much better solution would be a ready-made formula with the ability to edit it.
  • A universal resume format reduces your chances of standing out from other candidates.
Europass CV

Europass CV creator – advantages

The Europass project aims to level the playing field for EU people in recruitment processes, here are the advantages of a universal CV:

  • If you want to present your candidacy to foreign employers in detail, you can try the Europass CV, which will allow you to describe all the competences in great detail.
  • Creating a Europass CV is free, everyone can use the platform available in 31 languages.
  • You have several templates and colors to choose from.
  • When creating your Europass CV online, you can use practical tips in the creator and on the website.
  • You can change and customize the content so that elements of your resume coincide with the requirements of the job offer.
  • You can add your own column, name it and describe it.
  • Your CV is saved on your profile, you will be able to return to it and change the content at any time.

Europass CV – the most common mistakes

People who apply for employment abroad make several mistakes that have a negative impact on their candidacy:

  • Spelling mistakes such as “europas“, “europas cv“, “euro pass“, “euro pass cv“, “euro cv” will make the recruiter think that you do not pay attention to the correct spelling and details, and that you have not made every effort to ensure that your application is polished.
  • Sending a Europass CV to Polish companies can be seen as a mistake, as it is a document designed to facilitate development abroad, just like Europass Mobility.

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Europass Curriculum Vitae – summary

Despite initial assumptions about the popularization of a single, standard CV template in Europe, Europass CV is not very popular. On the Europass website, you can take the Digital Skills Test and read a lot of information and advice, but the CV itself is not tailored to modern recruitment trends. Another solution is our CV Creator, which also allows you to create CVs in other languages, choose templates, personalize and is completely in line with current recruitment trends.

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