Irish CV format: how to write a CV for jobs in Ireland in 2026

An Irish CV looks a lot like a British one: two pages of A4, no photo, British spelling and your most recent job first. The differences are in the details. Irish employers read qualifications in Irish terms, such as Leaving Certificate points, NFQ levels and degree classes, and anyone who is not an Irish, UK, EU, EEA or Swiss citizen is expected to say what their permission to work allows.

This guide covers the layout recruiters in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and elsewhere expect in 2026, what each section should hold, what to leave off, and a full example CV you can use as a model.

The Irish CV layout at a glance

1. Header: your name, the job title you are targeting, an Irish mobile number (+353), email, town or county, and a LinkedIn profile.
2. Profile: three to five lines on who you are, what you are good at and the role you want next.
3. Work experience: most recent first, with job title, employer, town and dates, then three to five bullet points on results.
4. Education: degree, college and class of award, such as “BA (Hons), 2.1”, then the Leaving Certificate if you left school recently.
5. Skills: the software, languages and certificates the job ad asks for.
6. Optional: interests, volunteering and a line on references.

Two pages is the norm for experienced candidates. Many graduates and school leavers fit everything on one page, and there is no need to stretch it. Academic, medical and research CVs are the usual exceptions that run longer.

What to leave off an Irish CV

The Employment Equality Acts protect people from discrimination on nine grounds: gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community. Irish employers do not want information that touches on them, because it can expose them to a complaint. That means leaving off:

• A photo, unless you work in acting, modelling or a similar field.
• Your date of birth or age.
• Marital status, children and religion.
• Your PPS number, passport number and bank details. The employer asks for these once you are hired.
• Your full home address. Town or county is enough, and an Eircode is not needed.

Nationality is optional. Leave it off if you are an Irish, UK, EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and say nothing else about work rights. If you need a permit or hold a particular stamp, write that instead, because it answers the question the employer actually has.

How to show your permission to work

Irish, UK, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can work in Ireland without an employment permit. Everyone else should state their immigration permission in one short line, near the top of the CV or at the end of the profile. Examples:

• “Stamp 4: permission to work without an employment permit.”
• “Stamp 1G, Third Level Graduate Programme, valid until 2027.”
• “Critical Skills Employment Permit holder.”
• “Requires a General Employment Permit.”

If you hold a Stamp 2 student permission, say so and give your availability, since students can only work limited hours during term. Recruiters screen on this line before they read the rest, so it is better to be clear than to leave them guessing.

Writing your qualifications the Irish way

Irish employers read education in a particular shorthand, and using it saves them work.

• Degrees: give the class of award, such as “BSc (Hons) Computer Science, 1.1” or “BA (Hons), 2.1”. Leave the class off if it does not help you.
• Other awards: add the NFQ level where it helps, such as “QQI Level 6 Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education”. Level 8 is an honours bachelor's degree.
• Leaving Certificate: school leavers and recent graduates can give their points total or key subjects with grades, such as “Mathematics (Higher Level), H2”. Drop it once you have a degree and a few years of work.
• Qualifications from abroad: add the Irish equivalent if you have a recognition statement from NARIC Ireland, for example “Recognised by NARIC Ireland as NFQ Level 8”.

Writing work experience that gets read

Recruiters spend seconds on a first read, so each bullet should say what you achieved, not only what your job description said. Start with a verb, add a number where you honestly can, and cut anything older than about ten years to a single line.

• Weak: “Responsible for social media.”
• Better: “Planned and ran social media for three product launches, growing Instagram followers from 4,000 to 11,000 in a year.”

Use British spelling throughout: organised, programme, licence, colour. A CV in American spelling is not a disaster, but consistent Irish and British spelling reads as local.

Details that often help in Ireland

• Irish language: list it with an honest level if you speak it. It is an asset in some public service roles and needed to teach in most primary schools.
• Driving licence: write “Full clean driving licence (Category B)” if the job involves travel, since public transport outside the cities is limited.
• Garda vetting: roles working with children or vulnerable adults need it, but the employer arranges it through the National Vetting Bureau, so you do not need it before you apply.
• Interests and volunteering: a short line is common on Irish CVs, such as GAA coaching, a local choir or TidyTowns. Keep it to things you would enjoy talking about at interview.
• References: “References available on request” is still common but optional. Keep two referees ready, ideally recent managers.

Example Irish CV

Here is the text of a complete CV for a marketing executive in Cork, set out in the order described above. The name and details are invented.

Aoife Brennan, Marketing Executive

Cork · +353 87 555 0142 · aoife.brennan@mail.com · linkedin.com/in/aoifebrennan

Profile: Marketing executive with five years in consumer brands and tourism, focused on email, social and paid search. I plan campaigns from brief to report and I am comfortable owning a budget. Looking for a senior executive or marketing manager role in Cork or remote. Available on one month's notice.

Experience

• Marketing Executive, Harbourline Foods, Cork, 2023 to present. Planned and ran six product launches across email, social and in-store, with a €180,000 annual budget. Grew the email list from 22,000 to 41,000 subscribers and raised open rates from 24% to 33%. Cut paid search cost per sale by 18% by rebuilding campaigns around product groups.
• Marketing Assistant, Wild Atlantic Stays, Galway, 2021 to 2023. Ran social media for 14 guesthouses, growing Instagram followers from 4,000 to 11,000. Wrote and scheduled the weekly newsletter and seasonal offers.
• Sales Assistant (part-time), Brown Thomas, Cork, 2018 to 2021. Served customers in cosmetics while studying, and trained four new seasonal staff.

Education

• BComm (Hons), University College Cork, 2017 to 2021. Second Class Honours, Grade 1 (2.1).
• Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing, Digital Marketing Institute, 2022.

Skills and languages

• Mailchimp, HubSpot, Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, Google Analytics 4, Canva.
• English (native), Irish (conversational), French (intermediate).
• Full clean driving licence (Category B).

Interests: coaching an under-12 camogie team, sea swimming. References available on request.

Notice what is not there: no photo, date of birth, address or PPS number, and no nationality line, because as an Irish citizen she needs no permit. The profile ends with her notice period, which is the first practical thing an Irish recruiter asks.

Cover letters and public service jobs

Most private sector employers in Ireland still expect a short cover letter or a covering email with the CV, even when the ad does not ask for one. Keep it to three paragraphs: the role you are applying for, two or three reasons you fit, and your availability.

Many public service jobs advertised on publicjobs.ie follow their own process, often an application form or a CV in a set format with competency-based examples. Read the candidate information booklet for each competition and follow it exactly, since a standard CV may not be accepted.