european standard cv and cover letter

Create your Europass CV

The Europass CV builder makes it easy to create your CV online. You can use it to apply for a job, education or training opportunities as well as volunteering.

The best-known CV format in Europe

The Europass CV is one of the best-known CV formats in Europe. It is easy-to-use and familiar to employers and education institutions.

You will first have to create your Europass profile with information on your education, training, work experience and skills. After you complete your Europass profile, you can create as many CVs as you want with just a few clicks. Just select which information you want to include, pick your favourite design and Europass will do the rest. 

You can create, store and share CVs in 31 languages . You can download your Europass CV, store it in your Europass Library share it with employers, with  EURES  or other job boards.

How to create a good CV

Remember that your CV is your first opportunity to communicate your skills and experiences to a future employer. It is a snapshot of who you are, your skills, your educational background, work experiences and other achievements.

Present your experience clearly

Highlight examples of your skills and experiences matching the job you are applying for. Pay close attention to the details published in the vacancy notice.

Tailor your CV

Make sure you update the ‘About Me’ section to highlight why you are the best person for the job. Do not include a full detailed history. Focus on facts and main points that match the job you have in mind.

Make it readable

Make sure your CV is easy to read. Use clear and simple language.  Use strong verbs (e.g. ‘managed’, ‘developed’, ‘increased’).

Use reverse chronological order

Always list the most recent experience on the top followed by previous ones. In case of long gaps in working or learning, include an explanation.

Polish and fine-tune

Check for spelling and grammar mistakes, provide a professional e-mail address, and add a professional photograph of yourself.

Your Europass profile

Your Europass profile is the place to keep a record of all your skills, qualifications and experiences. If you keep your Europass profile up-to-date then you will always have all the information you need to create tailored CVs and job applications quickly.

Good luck with your applications!

Find support through EU services

Eures the european job mobility portal, working abroad in other eu countries, education and training in other eu countries, you may be interested to read.

Create your Europass Cover Letter

Develop your skills through volunteering

Managing your personal information in Europass

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Cover Letter

What is the Europass cover letter?   With the various templates of the Europass cover letter editor, you can draft a structured, attractive and professional cover letter. As with the Europass CV Editor, you can create the application letter online in 30 languages. It is very easy to structure the letter, as the most important elements are already predefined in the editor. There are no mandatory elements. You can adapt the letter to your own style and preferences.

Create your CV and cover letter online

Europass cover letter

The Europass cover letter is the most popular CV template in Western Europe, as it was designed by the European Union in order to promote accessibility and transparency across member nations. If you intend to apply for jobs in an EU nation, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the Europass cover letter. Here’s what you need to know.

What is a Europass cover letter?

The Europass cover letter template is a standardized CV and cover letter format. It helps you present your qualifications and skills in an easy-to-digest format. For employers, the Europass cover letter offers standardization, which promotes faster application processing and hiring. You can access the customizable document on the European Union’s official website ( 1).  

While a CV is technically the equivalent of a resume , the EU template lets you create a matching CV and cover letter , hence the term “Europass cover letter.” 

The document is best known for its timeline-style format, where your most recent work experience is listed at the top of the document, followed by your subsequent role, and so on, until you cover all relevant positions and education. The EU template has a line along the left border of the document, with bullet points marking the start of each job or educational experience. 

Overall, the Europass cover letter represents an excellent tool for making applying for jobs in the EU easier and more efficient. However, the layout of the template can lead to lengthy or bloated CVs and cover letters. Fortunately, you can use other resume templates to streamline your application.

Other products for jobseekers by Europass

The European Union has built on the success of the Europass cover letter and CV template by creating several other products for job seekers. Like the original resource, these tools are free to use and are designed to promote a more open and accessible hiring process across member nations. These products include: 

Europass profile

Before you can create a Europass cover letter, you’ll need to make an account on the platform first. Fortunately, this is quite easy — and free. When setting up your profile, make sure to include all relevant work, training, and educational experiences. Also, list any volunteer work, language proficiency, and digital skills.

You can always go back and edit this information later or add new work experience. Additionally, you can pull information from your profile to create cover letters and other Europass documents. 

“The Europass cover letter template is a standardized CV and cover letter format. It helps you present your qualifications and skills in an easy-to-digest format.”

Europass Mobility

Europass Mobility is a supporting document that provides more detail about your educational experiences. As with all Europass tools, this feature is totally free. 

If you have acquired a diverse education from multiple nations across Europe, this tool can be a great addition to your job application. Just make sure to avoid making your cover letter too long or bloated, as doing so can make reviewing your documents cumbersome for hiring teams. 

Europass Language Passport 

The Language Passport allows you to showcase your linguistic talents. If you are proficient in two or more languages, you can create this document and use it to bolster your application. 

This is especially important when applying for jobs where the native language is different from your own. After all, employers want to know that you can effectively communicate with team members if you earn the job. 

Europass Certificate Supplement

The Europass Certificate Supplement provides employers with insights about your certifications or specialty qualifications. This document is especially popular among tech professionals due to the wide range of add-on certifications available in the field. However, you can use it anytime you need to outline non-traditional educational experiences. 

Europass Diploma Supplement

The Europass Diploma Supplement provides a deep dive into your higher education. If you attended a prestigious university and were highly involved in extracurricular activities like clubs or sports teams, use the Europass Diploma Supplement. 

Should I use the Europass cover letter?

Overall, the Europass cover letter template can be a great tool when applying for jobs abroad. The various add-on tools provide even more value to your job-hunting process. However, the template itself can be a bit dated and rigid. While you can customize it with your personal experiences, many of the formatting aspects cannot be changed. 

If you aren’t sure if the Europass cover letter is a good fit for you, consider exploring other cover letter examples and resume articles from Jobseeker. Our growing library of resources can help you compare different options and decide the best way to showcase your skills and talents to European businesses.

Expert Tip:

Keep in mind that almost everyone applying for jobs in the EU uses the Europass cover letter template, which makes it difficult to stand out in competitive hiring processes. Using a more dynamic template can differentiate you from other job seekers and increase your odds of landing an interview.

The pros of a Europass cover letter

There are some undeniable benefits associated with using the Europass cover letter, including:

You enjoy access to complementary tools

If you use the EU’s free platform, you’ll have access to a range of complimentary tools, including Mobility, Language Passport, and Certificate Supplement. These add-ons allow you to go into greater detail about your abilities, work history, educational experience, and background. 

Conversely, generic CV templates can be a bit limiting. That’s where the Europass template shines. 

You benefit from standardization

If you have never applied for a job in Europe, using the Europass platform can make the entire process much easier. The standardized format takes the guesswork out of creating your cover letter and CV, as you can simply fill in the blanks. 

Standardization also makes life simpler for hiring teams, as they know what order your information will be presented and where to find key details. 

You have the opportunity to share a lot of information

If you have an extensive educational or professional background, the Europass cover letter can be expanded to suit your needs. You can add supplementary documents via the EU’s free tools and tell employers everything they need to know about who you are as a candidate. 

The cons of a Europass cover letter

Before you create a Europass profile and get to work on your standardized cover letter, it’s important to consider the potential drawbacks of these templates. Here are three of the biggest shortcomings: 

The U.K. doesn’t use the Europass

The United Kingdom doesn’t use the Europass cover letter. After Brexit, the U.K. made a concerted effort to differentiate itself from EU member nations. 

The transition away from Europass cover letters was a relatively small change compared to some other post-Brexit changes. But if you are seeking a job in the U.K., it’s important to know that employers don’t expect a Europass CV.

The good news is that you can still nail your U.K. job application with a little help from Jobseeker. Our resume examples and cover letter articles offer real-world insights into what your U.K. documents should look like and how to make them stand out. 

The template is restrictive

Perhaps the biggest shortcoming of the Europass cover letter is that it can be restrictive and rigid. You don’t have much freedom to change the overall layout of the document, only the information it contains. This can lead to your application blending in when it should be standing out. 

Your CV may be too long

Another downside to the Europass template is that it can yield a long, multi-page document that obscures important information. 

If you have a dynamic professional history and extensive educational background, you justifiably want to showcase it. But if you rely on Europass tools, your CV and cover letter could have a combined length of four pages or more. 

You need a concise and engaging way of putting your skills on display. That’s where Jobseeker can help! Our matching CV and cover letter templates offer conciseness and standardization while also making applications stand out. 

Stand out with Jobseeker 

When it comes to writing a great cover letter, Europass alternatives like Jobseeker’s resume and cover letter templates represent a better option. Check out our Europass CV , a modern and highly customizable alternative designed to help you stand out and land your dream job. 

Ready to get started? Connect with Jobseeker for personalized support.  

References: 

(1) Europass Cover Letter Editor: https://europa.eu/europass/eportfolio/screen/cover-letter-editor  

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