French or English? Choosing the language of your CV for France
Follow the language of the job ad. A job posted in French expects a French CV and cover letter; a job posted in English — common in French tech, research and international companies — accepts an English application. Never mix languages inside one document.
The rule, and the exceptions
The job ad is the signal: companies write it in the language they expect candidates to work in. Applying in English to a French-language ad suggests you cannot operate in French — a real problem for most French roles.
Exceptions where English is safe: startups that publish in English, international groups whose working language is English, research and academia, and roles explicitly tagged « English-speaking ». In doubt, check the company careers page language.
If your French is intermediate, do not machine-translate an English CV into French. A CV with subtle register mistakes reads worse than an honest English CV plus a line stating your actual CEFR French level. French recruiters respect « Français : B1 (en progression) » far more than fake fluency.
The bilingual strategy that works
Prepare two clean PDFs: « prenom-nom-cv-fr.pdf » and « firstname-lastname-cv-en.pdf ». Send the one matching the ad; bring both to interviews. Recruiters in international French companies often forward CVs internally across language lines.
Keep the content parallel but not identical: the French version follows French conventions (one page, Bac+X, CEFR levels), the English version follows the target reader's conventions. CVScore's translation feature converts between the two while keeping each market's codes — it is a rewrite, not a word-for-word translation.
Frequently asked questions
The ad is bilingual — which language do I pick?
Pick the language you are strongest in among those the ad uses, and state your level in the other. A bilingual ad means the team operates in both.
Should my email to the recruiter match the CV language?
Yes — the whole application (email, CV, letter) stays in one language, the language of the ad.
Do I need certified translations of my diplomas at CV stage?
No. State the French equivalent (Bac+3, Bac+5) on the CV; certified translations and ENIC-NARIC attestations come later, at contract or visa stage if requested.