The Irish CV: format, length and what to leave out

Irish CVs follow conventions closer to the UK than to continental Europe or the US, and recruiters here scan quickly. Getting the basics right matters more than clever design.

The format Irish employers expect

Two pages is the standard — one page can work for early-career candidates, three is acceptable only for long academic or senior technical careers. Lead with your name and contact details, a short professional summary of two or three lines, then work experience in reverse chronological order, then education, then skills. Use a clean, readable layout: many employers run CVs through applicant tracking software, so elaborate columns, graphics and tables can scramble what the system reads.

Leave these out

No photograph, no date of birth, no marital status, and no PPS number — Irish employers don't expect them, and equality legislation means most prefer not to receive them. A full postal address is unnecessary; town and county are enough. "References available on request" is assumed and just wastes a line.

Show results, not duties

The single biggest upgrade to most CVs is replacing duty statements with outcomes. "Responsible for social media" says little; "grew Instagram following from 2,000 to 15,000 in a year" gets interviews. Wherever possible, attach a number, a timeframe or a comparison to what you did.

Tailor for every application

Mirror the language of the job description in your summary and most recent role — both the software that screens CVs and the human who reads them respond to it. It takes ten minutes per application and measurably lifts response rates.

Ready to put it to work? Browse live jobs across Ireland or set up a job alert so new roles come to you.