How to write a CV for a European internship as a Turkish student

A Turkish-style CV and a European-style CV are not the same document. Many strong Turkish candidates get filtered out at the first screening because their CV looks unfamiliar — too long, full of personal details that European recruiters legally cannot use, photo on top, marital status, military service, parents' names. Recruiters in Amsterdam, Berlin or Stockholm see this and assume the candidate doesn't understand the market.

Fixing your CV is one of the highest-return things you can do before applying. It usually takes one focused afternoon.

Length: European intern CVs are 1 page. Turkish CVs are often 2-3 pages. One page forces you to cut everything that doesn't directly serve the application.

Photo: Do NOT include a photo for Germany, Netherlands, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Finland. Anti-discrimination law makes recruiters wary of CVs with photos. France, Belgium, Spain and Italy are more relaxed about it but still safer to omit.

Personal details: Include name, email, phone (with +90 country code), city/country, LinkedIn URL. Exclude: date of birth, age, gender, nationality, marital status, religion, military service status, parents' names, ID number.

Layout: Clean, single column, sans-serif font (Calibri, Arial, Helvetica), 10-11pt body. No graphics, no skill bars, no rating circles. Pure text.

1. Header: Name (large), one-line title (e.g., 'Mechanical Engineering Student | Bogazici University'), contact details, LinkedIn URL, GitHub or portfolio if relevant.

2. Professional Summary (2-3 lines): Who you are, what you're looking for, one standout strength. Skip the generic 'hardworking team player' clichés.

3. Education: University, degree, expected graduation year, GPA if above 3.0/4.0 or top 25% of class. Relevant coursework only if it directly supports the role.

4. Projects (this is the most important section for interns): 3-5 specific projects with the technologies used and concrete outcomes. Bullet points starting with action verbs.

5. Experience: Any internships, part-time work, research assistantships, teaching assistant roles. Bullet points with results, not duties.

6. Technical Skills: Programming languages, software, tools, certifications. Group logically — don't list 30 things you used once.

7. Languages: Turkish (native), English (level — IELTS/TOEFL score if you have it), any other languages with CEFR level (B2, C1).

8. Optional: leadership roles, hackathons, volunteer work, publications.

Specificity over scope. 'Built a Python web scraper that processed 50,000 product pages and reduced manual research time by 80%' beats 'Strong Python skills'.

Outcomes, not duties. 'Increased', 'reduced', 'designed', 'shipped', 'led' — verbs that signal you delivered something. Not 'responsible for' or 'helped with'.

Relevant signal. If you're applying for a software role, your retail part-time job in Istanbul matters less than your GitHub repo with 50 stars. Lead with what's relevant.

Clear English. Recruiters skim. If they have to re-read a sentence, they move on. Short sentences, active voice, no translated Turkish idioms.

Half a page. Maximum. Three short paragraphs.

Paragraph 1: Which role, where you saw it, why this specific company (one concrete reason — a product, a project, a value).

Paragraph 2: What makes you a strong fit. Two specific examples from your CV that match what the role asks for.

Paragraph 3: Practical details. When you can start, internship duration, visa note ('I am a Turkish national; the company would need to support a national visa for stays over 90 days').

Sign off with your full name. No 'Yours sincerely' epic — 'Best regards' is fine.

European recruiters check LinkedIn before responding. Make sure your LinkedIn matches your CV: same job titles, same dates, same project descriptions. Discrepancies look careless.

Profile photo on LinkedIn IS expected (even though not on the CV) — make it a clean headshot, neutral background, smile, professional clothing. Headline should match your CV one-liner. Custom URL (linkedin.com/in/your-name). English content. 'Open to work' setting on for internships.

Rebuild your CV from scratch in the European format. Have a fluent English speaker (a friend, your professor, or a paid editor) review it for tone and grammar. Apply to 10-15 target companies in one focused week with role-specific cover letters.

When you're ready to move from internship hunting to permanent roles in Europe, browse current openings on EuroTalent.