Writing a CV for Irish Employers: What's Different in Ireland

If you're used to CV conventions from another country, the Irish approach can feel surprisingly minimal. Irish employers and recruiters, from multinational tech firms in Dublin to manufacturing companies in Cork and Limerick, expect a specific format, and getting it wrong can quietly cost you interviews before a human even reads your experience.

How long should an Irish CV be?

Two pages maximum is the standard expectation for most roles in Ireland, including for experienced professionals. Graduates and early-career candidates should generally aim for one page. Recruiters in Ireland typically spend well under a minute on a first scan, so a CV padded to three or four pages, common in some other markets, is more likely to work against you than for you. Prioritise your most recent and most relevant 10 years of experience, and summarise older roles briefly.

Should I include a photo on my Irish CV?

No. Including a photo on your CV is not standard practice in Ireland and can actually raise equality and unconscious bias concerns for employers, some of whom will discard CVs with photos for this reason under their own equal opportunities policies. This differs from countries like Germany or parts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, where a photo is often expected. Similarly, Irish CVs typically omit date of birth, marital status, and a photo, focusing instead purely on skills, experience and qualifications.

Do I need to list referees on my CV?

The standard convention in Ireland is to write "References available on request" rather than listing referees' names and contact details directly on the CV. Employers will ask for references, typically two, usually a current or most recent manager and one other professional referee, later in the process, generally after a verbal or written job offer is close. Providing full referee contact details unprompted is unnecessary and, in some cases, seen as slightly premature.

What should I include at the top of my CV?

Lead with your name, phone number, email address, general location (town or city, e.g. "Dublin" or "Cork" is sufficient, a full home address is not necessary and is increasingly seen as outdated), and your LinkedIn profile URL. A LinkedIn URL is genuinely expected by Irish recruiters and hiring managers now, particularly in professional and corporate roles, so make sure your profile is up to date and consistent with your CV before you start applying. A short professional summary (2 to 3 sentences) beneath your contact details, tailored to the specific role, is increasingly standard and helps busy recruiters quickly place your fit.

What does an Irish cover letter need to do?

A tailored cover letter, even a brief one, is still expected for most professional roles in Ireland, particularly for public sector, semi-state, and larger corporate roles. It should be no longer than one page, explain specifically why you want that role at that company (not a generic template), and highlight two or three achievements directly relevant to the job description. Public sector and civil service roles in Ireland often require you to address specific "competencies" in your application, similar to how interviews are structured (see our guide to job interviews in Ireland), so read the job spec carefully for these cues.

Frequently Asked Questions