When should you send a CV in Swedish?
- The job listing is written in Swedish
- The company uses Swedish as its working language
- The role requires daily communication in Swedish
- You are applying as a foreign national in Sweden and the listing is in Swedish
If the listing is in Swedish and you are unsure, go with Swedish. You risk nothing by applying in Swedish to a Swedish company.
CV vs. resume: what should you call it?
In Sweden the term "CV" is used for all job application documents. The US/Canada distinction between a "resume" (shorter, one page, for most roles) and a "CV" (longer, for academic and research roles) does not apply in Sweden or most of Europe. Always call it a CV in your application.
Terminology differences
| English | Swedish (CV for Swedish employers) |
|---|---|
| Personal Profile / Professional Summary | Personlig profil |
| Work Experience / Professional Experience | Arbetslivserfarenhet |
| Education | Utbildning |
| Skills | Färdigheter |
| Languages | Språk |
| Internship | Praktikplats |
| Certifications / Courses | Certifikat och kurser |
| Present / Ongoing | Pågående |
| Native | Modersmål |
| Fluent | Flytande |
| Basic / Elementary | Grundläggande |
Photos and personal details
Same rules as an English CV for international markets. No photo unless specifically requested. No date of birth, marital status, or national ID.
Many international templates and online advice include a photo by default. That is not the norm in Sweden. Swedish employers - especially the public sector and large corporations - actively prefer CVs without photos to reduce unconscious bias in the selection process.
Dates and address format
If writing in Swedish, dates are typically written as "jan 2023 - dec 2024" or spelled out "januari 2023 - december 2024". Avoid the US format MM/DD/YYYY, which is rarely used in Sweden.
You do not need to write your full address. City and country is enough.
Language quality matters
If the role requires Swedish and you send a CV with grammatical errors, that is a problem. Read through carefully, use a spell checker, and consider having a native Swedish speaker review it if you are not fully confident.
Beom CV supports Swedish-language CVs: The tool works for CV content in any language. Simply fill in your details in Swedish and download as PDF. The template, layout, and export work exactly the same way.
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