CV in Spanish or French: translate and adapt it

A CV translated word for word stands out immediately, and not in a good way. Job titles, degrees, dates and even the expected length change from one country to another. Here is what to adapt, and how to get a faithful version in another language.

Translating word for word does not work

A British job title does not always have a direct equivalent: « account manager », « HSE officer » or « senior executive » translate according to the trade, not the dictionary. Degrees raise the same problem: « A levels », « BSc », « MSc » or « chartered » status need an equivalence, or a short explanation.

False friends are costly. « Eventually » is not « eventualmente », « to assist » is not « asistir », « a resume » is not « un resumen ». A recruiter who reads those mistakes concludes that your language level is the level of the translation.

What changes from one country to another

Photo, age and marital status: expected in some countries, absent and sometimes frowned upon in others. In Spain a photo is still common; in France it is optional.
The personal statement at the top of the CV: a British habit that is less expected in Spain and France, where the job title heading matters more.
Length: one page for a junior profile, two pages at most after that; endless CVs do not get read.
Dates: the format changes (month in letters, full year), and a gap in your track record is explained in one line.
Section headings: Experiencia, Formación, Competencias, Idiomas in Spanish; Expérience, Formation, Compétences, Langues in French. Standard headings, recognised by sorting software.

One language per job ad

A job ad in Spanish gets a reply in Spanish, CV and cover letter included. Sorting software compares the words of your CV with those of the ad: an English CV against a Spanish ad matches nothing. Keep one version per language, with the same structure, and send the one in the language of the ad.

Translation in Illuminagy CCO, as you see it

You start from your existing CV and translate it to create its version in another language: same structure, same sections, same layout. The translated version opens in the editor, you reread every field, fix the job titles and degrees that need an equivalence, then download the PDF. The original CV stays untouched.

The available languages are English, Spanish and French. Translation is part of the paid plans; the free trial runs in French.

Before sending a CV in another language

Every job title checked against job ads from the target country, not a dictionary.
Every degree with its equivalent or a short explanation.
Photo, age and marital status removed if the country does not expect them.
A clear job title heading at the top for a CV in Spanish or French.
The words of the ad used in the language of the ad.
A proofread by someone who speaks the language, if you can.

Frequently asked questions

Is machine translation enough for a CV?

For the general meaning, often. For job titles, degrees and the phrasing a recruiter expects, no: that is where false friends creep in. Translate, then reread every field.

Should degrees be translated?

Give the original title and its closest equivalent, or a short explanation (« BSc in engineering, three years at university »). A foreign recruiter does not know British acronyms.

Is a CV in French useful to apply in Morocco or Switzerland?

Yes. In Morocco most job ads are written in French, and in French speaking Switzerland a French CV is the norm, so the CV must follow.

The cover letter too?

Yes, in the same language as the CV and the ad. An English letter with a Spanish CV sends a mixed signal.

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