What German IT recruiters actually scan in a Lebenslauf
The first thirty seconds of a developer CV in Germany rarely look like a Silicon Valley resume. Here is what gets read first.
German IT recruiters often open a Lebenslauf looking for a clean chronology, not a personal brand slogan. Dates, employers, and role titles sit higher than soft-skill paragraphs.
For developers and digital specialists, the skills block works best when it mirrors the stack named in the job ad—without listing every library you have ever touched. Breadth without proof reads as noise.
Photo norms still vary by company. Many German employers still expect a professional portrait; international product companies may not. Match the culture of the employer you are writing to.
Gaps of more than three months deserve a short, factual line. Silence invites speculation. A training period, parental leave, or freelance stretch can be named plainly.
Length matters less than density. Two pages are common for mid-career IT profiles; one page can work early in a career if every line earns its place.