CV Length and Photo Norms for Engineers Applying in Germany
Two pages remain common for mid-career engineers in Germany, especially when project lists carry weight. A dense one-page CV can look incomplete to a plant HR team used to chronological detail. Lead with role and employer, then compress older student jobs.
Photos are still requested more often than in some other markets. If you include one, keep it current, neutral background, business-casual attire suited to engineering offices. Skip dramatic filters. If an international process explicitly asks for no photo, follow that instruction.
Dates in month-year format help German readers scan gaps. Unexplained multi-year blanks draw questions in interviews. A short line naming parental leave, study, or a sabbatical is usually enough; you do not need a paragraph.
Skills sections work best when they distinguish daily craft from tools you touched once. Recruiters who hire mechanical or electrical engineers notice when every software package claims 'expert' status.