CV for the Czech Republic: language, format and documents

The short answer

Which language to apply in

EURES notes that most employers require an active knowledge of Czech and advises drafting the application accordingly. International companies, IT roles and shared-service centres often recruit in English; if the advert is in English, an English CV is expected. If you speak Czech, say at what level; if you do not, do not imply it.

What a Czech CV usually contains

• Personal details: name, contact details and address. EURES also lists date of birth and nationality among the usual details; include what you are comfortable sharing and never a birth number (rodné číslo).
• Work experience, reverse-chronological, with employer, dates and what you did.
• Education, languages with levels, and relevant licences or courses.
• A photo is common in Czech CVs and is not required.

For examples written for the Czech market, see the Czech CV examples (in Czech).

Applying from abroad

• Right to work: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have the same access to the Czech labour market as Czech nationals. Other nationals need a permit such as an Employee Card or an EU Blue Card before they start work.
• Selection procedures are fairly formal; EURES advises taking your CV and copies of all certificates to an interview.
• Qualifications: keep the original name of a degree or licence and add a short explanation.

Keep the diacritics intact

Czech names and places carry diacritics (Dvořák, Plzeň, Ústí). A PDF exported with the wrong font can replace them with question marks or scrambled characters, which makes a name impossible to search. Copy the text out of your final PDF and check the accented letters; the ATS checker flags damaged diacritics automatically.

Sources

EURES: Living and working conditions, Czechia. Conventions differ by sector and employer; the vacancy is always the final word.