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26,629 permits granted in 2026 so far
The Irish CV format, section by section
Keep this order. Irish recruiters scan in this sequence and skipping or reordering sections costs you the first screen.
1. Header and contact details
Full name, target job title, city and county, phone with international dialling code, professional email and LinkedIn URL. Add one line on work authorisation if you hold a permit or need sponsorship. Leave out your full home address, date of birth, nationality, marital status and PPS number.
2. Professional summary (3 to 4 lines)
Years of relevant experience, your domain, two concrete results and the role you are targeting. This is the only block most recruiters read in full, so write it as a pitch, not a personality description.
3. Core skills block
Six to eight grouped lines covering tools, methods and domains. This is where ATS keyword matching happens, so mirror the exact wording of the job advert wherever it is genuinely true of you. Drop skill rating bars.
4. Professional experience
Reverse chronological. Job title, company, city, dates, one short context line (team size, revenue, market), then three to five bullets. Each bullet: action, method, result. Numbers beat adjectives every time.
5. Education and qualifications
Degree, institution, classification (2:1, first class honours) and year. Professional qualifications such as ACCA, ACA, PMP, CIPD or AWS belong here, or in the header when they are central to the role.
6. Additional information
Languages with levels, work authorisation and notice period, plus volunteering, publications or memberships when they support the application. Keep it to four lines.
Irish CV format at a glance
The formatting rules that make the difference between a parsed CV and a rejected one.
| Element | Irish standard |
|---|---|
| Length | 2 A4 pages (1 page under 3 years of experience) |
| Order | Reverse chronological |
| File type | PDF to employers, .docx master for agencies |
| File name | Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf |
| Font | Calibri, Arial, Helvetica or Georgia, 10 to 11.5pt |
| Margins | 1.5cm to 2cm, single column |
| Photo | No |
| Personal details | No date of birth, nationality, marital status or PPS number |
| Dates | Month and year, consistent throughout |
| Referees | Not listed. "References available on request" is optional and usually omitted |
The same format works for the UK with minor wording changes: right to work status, degree classification and UK spelling.
What breaks an Irish CV
Every item here is something we see weekly on CVs that were not getting replies.
- ·Two column layouts, sidebars and text boxes, which applicant tracking systems read out of order or skip entirely.
- ·A US style one page resume with an objective statement instead of a results-led summary.
- ·A photo, date of birth or marital status, which Irish employers do not want and some legally strip.
- ·Duties written as job descriptions rather than outcomes with numbers.
- ·No mention of work authorisation, which leaves recruiters guessing and quietly rejecting.
- ·Generic wording that does not match the job advert, so the ATS keyword match never fires.
- ·A file named cv-final-v3.pdf, which reads as careless before the document is even opened.
Ireland CV format in PDF and Word
Both formats matter, and for different reasons.
Use it for direct applications and company careers sites. It preserves layout exactly, and every modern ATS parses text-based PDFs. Never export as an image.
Word (.docx)
Keep a master copy. Irish recruitment agencies routinely reformat CVs onto their own template, and a few older portals still parse .docx more reliably than PDF.
ATS check
Before sending, copy your CV text into a plain text file. If the order scrambles or sections vanish, the ATS sees the same mess. Our free analysis does this automatically.
Ireland CV format in PDF: export and test it in five minutes
1. Export properly
Word: File, Save as, PDF. Google Docs: File, Download, PDF document. Avoid Print to PDF on systems that rasterise the page, and never export from a design tool as an image.
2. Select the text
Open the PDF and drag across a paragraph. If nothing highlights, the file is a picture and no applicant tracking system can read a word of it.
3. Copy it into plain text
Paste the whole CV into a plain text editor. If sections disappear or the order scrambles, the original layout is fighting the parser, usually because of tables or columns.
4. Check the page breaks
Confirm it is still two pages, no orphan line on page three, and no section heading stranded at the bottom of a page.
5. Name it and send it
Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf. Attach it, and keep the .docx to hand for agencies who ask for an editable version.
Next steps
Three ATS-safe templates already built to the format on this page, no email required.
The editable Word files, with step by step instructions for editing them without breaking ATS parsing.
Worked examples for graduates, professionals and career changers, with the bullet phrasing recruiters respond to.
The same structure adapted for British employers: right to work, degree classification and UK spelling.
The four paragraph structure Irish recruiters expect, with a free Word and PDF template.
Upload your CV and get an instant score against the criteria Irish employers screen on.
The two hour method and the questions Irish employers actually ask once the CV works.
What to fix first when the applications go unanswered, in order.
One-to-one help with positioning, applications and interviews in the Dublin market.
What clients say about working with us
“Hugo is a friendly and dedicated professional who can help you with career coaching. He was very attentive to me, making calls to teach me strategies to get the perfect job and providing accurate and professional material.”
Luana Soares“I had an amazing experience with HULA Career! Their team provided outstanding support in improving my LinkedIn profile and CV, making them more professional and impactful. Their guidance was clear, personalized, and extremely helpful.”
Everton SouzaLinkedIn and CV review“I've been a client of HULA Career for a while now, and working with them has been one of the best decisions I've made for my professional growth. From the very beginning, they made me feel seen and heard.”
Alessandra Jesus“I had a very good experience with HULA! Hugo is an amazing professional who always goes beyond to provide the best service he can. I learned a lot from our sessions and would recommend 100% for anyone who needs help finding a new job.”
Barbara Boppre“HULA met my expectations perfectly. I was looking for guidance to create a standout resume, and they fully understood my needs. The team was extremely attentive and delivered excellent services.”
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Sue ValengoRelocating abroadWant a second opinion before you send it?
Run your CV through the free ATS analysis, or book a free consultation and we will tell you honestly how it reads to an Irish recruiter.
Written by
Hugo F
Career coach and co-founder of HULA. He works every week with international professionals hiring into Ireland, the UK and Portugal, and coaches them through CV, LinkedIn, applications and interviews. More about Hugo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard CV format in Ireland?+
Two A4 pages, reverse chronological, in this order: name and contact details, a three to four line professional summary, a core skills block, professional experience with measurable results, education and qualifications, then a short additional information section. No photo, no date of birth, no marital status, no PPS number. Non-EU candidates add one line stating work authorisation.
Should an Irish CV be a PDF or a Word document?+
Send a PDF when you apply by email or through a company careers site, because it preserves layout. Keep a Word (.docx) master copy, because many recruitment agencies in Ireland reformat CVs onto their own letterhead and some older application portals parse .docx more reliably. Never send a scanned image or a design file.
How long should an Irish CV be?+
Two pages for most professionals. One page is fine below three years of experience. Three pages only make sense for academic, contract-heavy or very senior careers, and even then page one has to carry the whole story.
Do Irish employers accept an American resume format?+
They accept it, but it puts you at a disadvantage. A one-page US resume usually strips the detail Irish recruiters look for, and the word resume itself signals you have not adapted to the market. Convert it to the two page Irish CV format before applying.
Should I include a photo on an Irish CV?+
No. Irish employers do not expect one, many strip photos for fairness reasons, and images regularly break applicant tracking system parsing. Keep your photo on LinkedIn.
What font and layout should an Irish CV use?+
A single column layout, a standard font such as Calibri, Arial, Helvetica or Georgia at 10 to 11.5pt, 1.5cm to 2cm margins, clear bold section headings and consistent date formatting on the right. Avoid sidebars, tables, text boxes, icons and skill rating bars, which are the most common causes of a mis-parsed CV.
Where do I mention my work permit or visa status?+
One line in the header or at the end of the summary, for example "Stamp 4 holder, no sponsorship required" or "Eligible for the Critical Skills Employment Permit". Saying it early removes the biggest silent rejection reason for international applications in Ireland.
Is a free Irish CV template safe to use?+
Only if it is a plain, single column document. Most free templates found online are designed for visual impact and break ATS parsing. Our Word and PDF templates are built to the Irish format described on this page and are free to download without an email.