I have to admit that I really like this word. Here the Germans for once resist the temptation to steal a word from another language and make it German by pronouncing it wrong (see: Marketing, Project Manager, Download), and as a result the concept is that much easier to understand. English speakers should take note. After all, curriculum vitae has way too many syllables, and CV has too few. Plus, you may have guessed it was Latin, but did you know it is Latin for "course of life"? Well, Lebenslauf is German for "course of life." English for "course of life"? Resumé, naturally.
However, just when you think that you can add this word to your set of flashcards no problem comes the knowledge that a CV in Germany is not like the others. There are some major differences.
In some ways, a German CV keeps it simple. No fooling around with different templates on Microsoft Word or worrying whether the dates should go to the left or the right. Two columns, as many pages as necessary.
Don't congratulate yourself on being able to pass off your resumé as the product of any another German just yet. A CV in Germany also has a photo of a smiling you looking your most friendly, attractive, and ethnically identifiable. At first this seems a little unfair, but, if you think about it, you're going to be judged based on your appearance and potential effects that appearance will have on the company your are joining at some point in the application process, whether positively or negatively, no matter what the lawyer-approved policies circulating at your workplace liberally state. And, ultimately, letting somebody know that you favour hockey-themed neckties, do not own a suit jacket, or come from a persecuted ethnic minority early on in the game is really probably best for both parties involved.
The last thing that sets a German CV apart from your run-of-the-mill resumé is that you sign and date it at the bottom. Germans really have a love affair with legal documents; the more swearing and signing, the better. So you have to certify your resumé, hobbies and all, to be the whole truth and nothing but. To be honest, if you're going to lie about your work experience, you're probably prepared to swear it's the truth on your mother's grave as well.
