The Irish CV closely tracks the UK model — two pages, a personal statement up top, no photo or date of birth under the Employment Equality Acts — but Ireland's job market has its own texture. Dublin hosts the EMEA headquarters of much of US tech and pharma, so many "Irish" applications are screened by American ATS systems with European legal norms layered on top. That means parser-clean formatting and keyword matching matter as much as in the US, while the personal details stay continental-European minimal.
Quick facts: the Ireland CV
| Length | 2 pages |
|---|---|
| Photo | Never |
| Personal details | None — Equality Acts |
| Tone | Professional, personable |
| Language | English (Irish spelling) |
| ATS screening | Common at multinationals |
The rules Ireland recruiters expect
- Two pages is standard
- No photo, date of birth, or marital status (Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015)
- Personal statement (3–4 lines) at the top
- Reverse chronological, mixing responsibilities with achievements
- "References available on request" is acceptable
- Irish/British English spelling
- State right-to-work/visa status if you are a non-EEA candidate
- ATS-clean single column for multinational employers
Mistakes that get Ireland applications rejected
US-only resume habits
One cramped page with no personal statement underuses the Irish format's space for narrative.
Adding a photo
Equality legislation makes Irish HR remove photos; including one signals unfamiliarity.
Ignoring the multinational ATS layer
Dublin tech and pharma run Workday/Greenhouse. Keyword match and clean parsing decide the first cut.
Vague right-to-work status
Non-EEA candidates should state their permission type (Stamp 4, Critical Skills, etc.) to pre-answer the screening question.
Skip the manual reformatting. Upload your current CV, pick Ireland, and AlterCV rewrites it in the exact local format — rules above included — with a live ATS score.
Applying to other countries too?
Every market has different rules — that's the whole point of AlterCV. Related guides: United Kingdom CV format · United States resume format · Netherlands CV format — or browse all 15 country formats.