Country guides / Germany vs United States
German Lebenslauf vs US Resume: Key Differences (2026)
What is the difference between a German Lebenslauf and a US resume?
The biggest difference is personal data. A German Lebenslauf includes a professional photo, date of birth and nationality, and traditionally ends with a signature. A US resume must contain none of that; most American employers reject resumes with photos. US resumes also run one page and must mirror keywords from the job posting to pass ATS software.
Germany vs United States: side by side
| Rule | Germany (Lebenslauf) | United States (Resume) |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the document | Lebenslauf | Resume |
| Length | 1–2 pages, strictly tabular | 1 page (2 pages fine with 5+ yrs experience) |
| Photo | Expected: professional headshot, ~4.5×6 cm, top right | Never; most employers reject resumes with photos |
| Personal details | DOB, place of birth and nationality are customary | None. No date of birth, nationality or marital status |
| Dates | 03.2020 – heute (MM.YYYY) | Mar 2020 – Present |
| Language | German if the posting is German; English otherwise | US English (color, organization) |
| Signature | City, date + signature at the end is traditional | Same as general practice |
| ATS | Same as general practice | Critical: mirror keywords from the job posting |
The differences that actually get applications rejected
Photo and personal data. A Lebenslauf carries a professional headshot, roughly 4.5 by 6 cm at the top right, plus date of birth, place of birth and nationality. In the US this is disqualifying: anti-discrimination law leads employers to discard any resume that reveals protected characteristics, so most reject resumes with photos on sight. Strip everything personal except your name and contact details before applying to a US company.
Length and layout. A German Lebenslauf runs one to two pages in a strict tabular layout. A US resume is one page, with two acceptable only once you have five or more years of experience. American recruiters skim fast, and a long tabular document signals unfamiliarity with their market.
ATS keyword matching. Most US employers screen applications with applicant tracking software before a human reads them, so mirroring the exact keywords from the job posting is critical. The German tabular layout is built for human readers, and tables often parse badly in ATS. Use a simple single-column format for every US application.
Dates, language and signature. Germans write dates as 03.2020 and use heute for a current role; Americans write Mar 2020 to Present. Use US English spellings such as color and organization when applying stateside. The traditional German closing of city, date and handwritten signature has no place on a US resume and will look odd to American recruiters.
Convert between the two in one click
The free GlobeResume builder holds your content once and re-formats it per country: pick Germany for the Lebenslauf, switch to United States and the same details become a correct Resume. No signup, and everything stays in your browser.
Free, no sign-up. Switch countries any time; your content converts instantly.
Germany vs United States FAQ
- Should I include a photo when applying to a US company from Germany?
- No. Most US employers reject resumes with photos, because anti-discrimination law leads them to discard any application that reveals protected characteristics rather than risk a bias problem. Keep the headshot for German applications, where it is still expected.
- Is a photo legally required on a German Lebenslauf?
- No. Under Germany's AGG anti-discrimination law a photo is not legally required. In practice most German employers still expect one, and a Lebenslauf without a photo can come across as incomplete.
- Do I need to sign a US resume?
- No. The closing block of city, date and signature is a German tradition that does not exist on American resumes. Leave it off, along with your date of birth, nationality and marital status, since anything personal beyond name and contact details hurts a US application.
- How do I convert my resume between the two formats?
- Enter your details once in the free GlobeResume builder and switch the country setting to re-format them instantly as a German Lebenslauf or a US resume. There is no signup, and the builder is privacy-first, so your data stays with you. Paid tiers only remove the watermark.