How to write a CV in Denmark: Guide for Internationals
How to write a CV in Denmark can be tricky; at some point, something shifted for me in my own career journey, and I still think about it when I work with clients today.
I had been applying for roles the same way most people do: leading with my skills, my experience, my background. A solid CV by most standards. And yet the results were not what I hoped for. It was only when I shifted my focus from what I had done to what I could do for this specific company in this specific role that things started to change. That single shift affected everything: how I wrote my applications, how I showed up in interviews, and eventually, how I built my business around helping other people do the same.
I see the same pattern with nearly every international professional I work with. The CV they arrive with is not bad. It is just not built for Denmark. And once they understand the difference, the results tend to follow.
This guide walks you through exactly what makes a Danish CV different and what to do about it.
Watch this article in video form here
Why your home-country CV is not working here
Denmark has its own distinct job market culture, and the CV conventions that work in the US, UK, India, or Germany do not automatically translate. Danish employers are looking for something that goes beyond a list of qualifications. They want to see that you have taken the time to understand the role and the company, and that you are applying because you genuinely want this job, not just any job.
That is not a small distinction. It shapes everything from how long your CV should be to what you put at the very top of the page.
“Diana helped me with navigating the Danish job market, not only through the right techniques with CV creation and interview strategy, but also through motivation and addressing concerns and helping to overcome the self-limiting thoughts that we all have while looking for a new role in a tough and competitive job market.” — Amr Hamed, career consulting client
Let’s go through it section by section.
How long should a Danish CV be?
Two pages. That is the current standard.
One-page CVs often leave out relevant detail. Three-page CVs often include material that could have been cut. Two pages give you enough space to show your full professional picture while respecting the reality that a recruiter may spend as little as 20 seconds scanning your document before deciding whether to read further.
Every word earns its place.
One column or two?
Most CV templates you will find online use a two-column layout. For Denmark, a single-column format is worth considering; it gives you more control over the reading order. When everything flows top to bottom, you can be deliberate about what a recruiter sees first, second, and third. With two columns, you lose that control.
This is not a hard rule, but it is a practical one.
Should you include a photo on a Danish CV?
Yes, unless the job advertisement specifically asks you not to.
In Denmark, a professional photo on your CV is still standard practice and genuinely valued. The reason is cultural: Danish hiring culture places significant weight on personal fit, team dynamics, and the sense that someone has taken care with their application. A photo humanises your document and creates a small but real point of connection.
It should be a recent, well-lit, and appropriately professional photo, not a holiday snapshot, not a LinkedIn headshot from 2012.
That said, it can be a photo you have a friend take on a smartphone. You do not have to spend money on a photographer.
LinkedIn: Not optional in Denmark
Denmark has approximately 3 million people in its active workforce and over 3.1 million active LinkedIn profiles. That number tells you something important about how the market operates.
Your LinkedIn profile should be live, complete, and linked directly in your CV alongside your contact details. If your profile is sparse or out of date, it can undermine an otherwise strong application. If you do not have one yet, creating it is one of the highest-leverage things you can do before you start applying.
The profile text: Your most important CV section
This is the element I see missing most often on international CVs, and it may be the single most valuable change you can make.
At the top of your CV, below your contact details and photo, you need a short profile text. This is not a generic summary of who you are. It is a brief, targeted statement that answers one question: why are you a strong match for this specific role at this specific company?
Think of it as the teaser for your cover letter. The CV shows what you have done; the profile text signals why it is relevant here and now. Danish employers want to see that you have done your research and that you are not sending a copy-paste document to fifty companies. The profile text is where you demonstrate that.
A strong profile text might read: I have 5 years of experience in supply chain operations, with a focus on cross-functional project delivery. I am drawn to [Company Name] because of your work in sustainable logistics, an area I have been actively developing expertise in, and I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to your procurement team.
It does not need to be long. It needs to be specific and genuine.
Skills, Education, and Languages
Skills: Include both hard and soft skills, but be selective. Order them by relevance to the specific role, not by how proud you are of them or how long they took to acquire.
Education: If your degree is recent, it is worth including relevant coursework or your thesis topic. If it is more than ten to fifteen years ago, a brief mention is usually sufficient.
Languages: This is one area where the order matters in a distinctly Danish way. Lead with Danish, then English, then your native language, even if your Danish is at a beginner level. Listing Danish first shows commitment to integrating into the market. A note that you are actively learning Danish is always received positively. Only include languages you can actually use in a professional context, even partially, as with a language you are currently learning.
Volunteer work and personal projects
Danish hiring culture values the whole person, not just the professional one. Volunteer work, independent projects, books written, fundraising initiatives – these count, and they belong on your CV if they are relevant or demonstrate meaningful skills.
More broadly, Danish workplaces are strongly team-oriented and trust-based. Employers are not just hiring a set of skills; they are hiring someone who will work well with other people. Any material that helps them see you as a person, rather than just a candidate, serves you.
Employment gaps
Many internationals have gaps in their employment history, often because of the relocation itself, family responsibilities, or time taken to settle in a new country. Do not leave these unexplained.
A brief, neutral note is far better than silence. Something like: 2022–2023: Relocated to Denmark to support partner’s career transition; focused on language study and integration. This is not oversharing. It is showing context, and it prevents a recruiter’s mind from filling the blank with something less flattering.
The one exception: if the reason for the gap involves something personal and sensitive, such as illness, for example, there is no obligation to disclose it. Simply focus on what you were doing or learning during that time, if anything.
The “About me” section
At the very end of your CV, include three to four lines about who you are as a person. Not a bullet list. A short, genuine paragraph.
What do you enjoy outside of work? What drew you to Denmark? What do you find interesting about the culture or the way of life here?
This section exists because Danish employers genuinely want to imagine you as part of the team, not just as a list of credentials on a page. It also helps you stand out from candidates who submit purely functional documents.
One important note: write what is actually true about you. This is not a section for strategic positioning. It is an invitation to be a little human.
A word on ATS in Denmark
Applicant tracking systems exist in the Danish market, but they tend to function differently from those in larger markets like the US or UK. Danish companies are generally smaller, hiring volumes are lower, and human eyes still do most of the work, often within seconds.
The more practical version of ATS to be aware of in Denmark is the screening questions that appear when you upload your CV. These are typically two or three straightforward questions — do you hold a driving licence, do you have experience with a specific system, and a wrong answer at that stage will generate a fast rejection. If you receive a rejection within hours of applying, that is almost certainly why.
Beyond those gatekeeping questions, the focus should be on writing a CV that resonates with a human being who is skimming quickly. Keywords matter, but context and relevance matter more.
Ready to get your CV right?
If you have read this far, you are taking your job search seriously, and that matters. The Danish market rewards people who put genuine effort into their applications.
If you would like support getting your CV to the standard that the Danish market expects, there are a few ways to work together:
- 1:1 CV review session: a focused, collaborative session where we go through your CV in detail and I explain the reasoning behind every suggestion.
- 12-Week Premium Program: deeper support over three months, including mindset coaching and ongoing accountability.
- Elite Program: a 6-month programme with 10 x 1:1 sessions throughout.
- Career Corner Community: A monthly membership giving you access to a community of internationals navigating the same journey, plus regular events and resources.
A discovery call is the best place to start. We will talk through where you are, what you need, and whether working together makes sense.
“Diana is one of those rare career coaches who does not just give advice — she truly understands the Danish job market from the inside out and knows how to guide people through it with clarity, warmth, and deep practical insight. From mindset to strategy, from tiny adjustments to big direction changes, she brings real experience, care, and a very grounded understanding of what it takes to navigate the Danish market.” — Gul Qasim, career consulting client
Want to go deeper?
The CV is one piece of the puzzle. For a full picture of how the Danish job search process works, including networking, applications, and the hidden job market, read: The Job Search Process in Denmark From A to Z
Diana Lund Nordstrøm is a Success Strategist and Career Consultant with nine years of experience helping professionals find their footing in the Danish job market. She is the founder of Elevate Denmark and host of the YouTube channel Career Consultant Diana.