German CV for an Ausbildung: Format, Example and Tips (2026)

You're 17, 19 or maybe 34, and you want a trade, a technical job or an office role through Germany's famous apprenticeship system. You've never written a Lebenslauf. You have a school certificate, a summer job, perhaps a football team and not much else. Is that enough? Honestly, yes. An Ausbildung CV isn't judged on a long career, it's judged on whether it's clear, honest, correctly laid out and tailored to the company.

First, what you're applying for. The Federal Employment Agency describes an Ausbildung as dual vocational training: paid, practical learning at a company combined with theory at a vocational school. It lasts 2 to 3.5 years, ends with a final exam, and is aimed mainly at young people leaving school, though it also suits adults without work experience or who want to retrain. Because the sources here are German career portals and a few official pages, they don't always agree, and we point that out where they don't.

What goes on an Ausbildung CV

IHK Pfalz also gives a useful rule for adapting the order: if you have already studied, put that before school, and if you have work experience, add a work-experience section under personal data and shorten the school section. Leave out any section you have nothing to put in.

Dates, order and length

• Dates: month and year, for example 09/2023 – 07/2024 (AUBI-plus) or 06/2014 – 07/2015 (IHK Pfalz), the same format throughout. Our German CV date format guide covers current roles, gaps and expected graduation.
• Order: the sources disagree a little. IHK Pfalz and AUBI-plus put the most recent entry first, and IHK explains that it's quicker to scan. Ausbildung.de says neither order is required and that students often do well with oldest first. Newest first is the safer default.
• Layout: a table, dates on the left, details on the right, short bullet points (IHK Pfalz, AUBI-plus).
• Length: about one A4 page for an apprenticeship (IHK Pfalz). Make it in Germany says one page and no more than two, and Ausbildung.de says two at most, though students rarely need more than one.

No work experience? What to put instead

This is the question most applicants are quietly worried about. The sources are reassuring, and fairly specific:

• School internships and holiday jobs. AUBI-plus lists them with volunteering and relevant projects.
• A voluntary social year or volunteering. IHK Pfalz says practical experience, including an FSJ/FÖJ or the Bundesfreiwilligendienst, improves your chances of an apprenticeship place, and that volunteering shows teamwork and engagement.
• Interests that connect to the job. A team sport, a repair hobby or a school project can say something. Keep it to things you actually do.
• Short gaps. AUBI-plus says gaps of two to three months are acceptable if you can explain them, such as career orientation, a language trip or an internship search. IHK Pfalz says to state the reason for a gap briefly and keep everything accurate.

The Federal Employment Agency also advises doing an internship in the profession first, if you can, and applying to several companies at once with a tailored application for each.

Signature and date: required or not?

Another point where sources differ. IHK Pfalz says to sign the CV and make sure the date is current. AUBI-plus says the CV should be signed and dated and suggests signing on plain white paper, then scanning the signature into the document. Ausbildung.de calls signing customary but not mandatory, with place and date on the left and the signature on the right; for email applications, a typed name or scanned signature is acceptable. Our suggestion: add it. It costs nothing and no source tells you to leave it off for an Ausbildung.

Language: German, English, and your level

Make it in Germany says to check whether the employer wants German or accepts English. If your German is good, write the application in German and have a native speaker proofread it. It also warns not to use AI to make your language skills look better than they are, because the interview will reveal the gap. That matters here more than for most jobs: the Federal Employment Agency notes that vocational school lessons are in German and that German at about B1 level is generally required for a visa.

If you're writing in English or aren't sure, see our guide to the German CV in English.

Ausbildung CV template

Paste it into Word or Google Docs as a two-column table with no visible borders, dates on the left. Replace every [bracket] and delete empty sections.

And here is the same idea filled in for a made-up applicant:

(The applicant is fictional. A single month, like the internship, can be written as one date.)

If you're applying from abroad

The CV is only one part. If you're coming from outside Germany, the official pages add a few practical points. We're not lawyers, so check current rules with the German embassy or a Welcome Center before you act.

• Timing: deutschland.de says programmes usually start in August or September and places are often assigned a year in advance. Make it in Germany says applications often open 12 to 18 months before the start.
• How to find a place: the Federal Employment Agency says to apply directly to companies (there are over 300 trainable professions) and offers free advice. deutschland.de points to the Federal Employment Agency's job portal, the Chamber of Crafts' Lehrstellenradar for skilled trades, and the Chambers of Industry and Commerce for service-sector roles. Larger firms use online portals and smaller ones often accept an email application with a motivation letter and CV.
• School certificates: the Federal Employment Agency says school-leaving certificates must be officially recognised in Germany, which costs money.
• Visa and money: applicants from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland typically need a visa and must show they can cover living costs for the whole training period. deutschland.de cites at least €959 a month (a 2025 figure) with the training wage counting toward it. Confirm the current amount.
• German level: the Federal Employment Agency says about B1 is generally required for the visa, while deutschland.de says you may need proof of German but doesn't give a level. Ask the embassy.

The cover letter that goes with it

Make it in Germany's advice for Ausbildung cover letters: address a named contact if you can, state your interest in the position and the company in the opening, explain your motivation and relevant experience from jobs, internships or projects, and close by thanking the reader and asking for an interview. Tailor it to each position and proofread it. For more detail, see our cover letter guide.

Mistakes to avoid

• Leaving unfinished school blank. Write the expected completion date (IHK Pfalz).
• A long hobby list. Ausbildung.de says list only activities you actually do.
• An unprofessional email address. Ausbildung.de recommends a professional one.
• Overstating your German. Make it in Germany warns the interview will reveal the gap.
• Sending the same application everywhere. Make it in Germany and the Federal Employment Agency both say to tailor each one.
• Unexplained gaps. One honest line beats a silent hole (IHK Pfalz, AUBI-plus).

Related guides

See the German CV photo rules, the date format guide, and the resume format by country hub.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Federal Employment Agency: Undergoing vocational training in Germany
• Make it in Germany: Finding a training place
• deutschland.de: Dual vocational training in Germany, visa application
• IHK Pfalz: Tipps zum Lebenslauf
• Ausbildung.de: Tabellarischer Lebenslauf (commercial apprenticeship portal)
• AUBI-plus: Lebenslauf für die Ausbildung (commercial apprenticeship portal)