Build a CV that gets shortlisted
What employers across Europe’s essential industries look for in a CV, section by section — and the omissions that cost candidates a shortlist.
- Written for seven sectors
- Eight European destinations
- Six CV languages accepted
Section by section
A CV for site and seasonal work is judged on clarity, not presentation. Each section below has one job.
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Contact details
Name, phone and email at the top. Nothing else needs to come before them.
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Work history
Sector, employer, dates and what you actually did — the task, not the job title alone.
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Certificates and licences
Each one with the body that issued it, so it can be checked at screening.
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Languages
Every language you speak, with a level you could hold a conversation at.
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Availability
Your earliest start date and how long you can stay, stated as dates.
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Destinations
Which of the eight countries you would travel to, so you are matched to real briefs.
What gets a CV set aside
None of these are about how a CV looks. Each one makes a candidate impossible to match to a live brief.
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No sector named
A CV that never says which sector the experience is in cannot be matched to a brief that asks for it.
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No dates
Without a start date an employer cannot line you up against the date they need people on site.
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Missing documents
Certificates and licences a role requires are checked before shortlisting, not after.
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An overstated language level
Language is verified during screening, so a level you cannot demonstrate costs you the placement rather than winning it.
Questions about writing your CV
How long should my CV be?
Long enough to cover your work history, documents, languages and availability clearly. For site and seasonal roles that is usually short.
Does it need a photograph?
No. What is assessed is your experience, your documents, your languages and when you can travel.
Should I write it in the destination country’s language?
No. A CV submitted in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish or Arabic is read as it stands, so write in the one you are strongest in.
What if my experience is across several sectors?
List them all. Being matchable to more than one sector widens the briefs you can be put forward for.
Looking for work in Europe?
Send your CV once — it is considered for roles across every sector and destination we recruit for.