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How to write a CV to look for work in Spain: step-by-step guide for migrants

Ubuntu Canarias · Employment

Looking for work in a new country can be complicated. Sometimes we don't fully understand how the labour market works, what information should appear on a CV, or how to present professional experience gained in another country. A CV is one of the first documents a company sees from us. It doesn't need to tell your whole life story. Its purpose is to explain, clearly and in order, what you know how to do, what experience you have, and which position you're prepared for. This guide explains how to write your CV step by step.

At the end of this guide there is a link to download a CV example.

1. Before you start: gather all your information

Don't start writing the CV straight away. First gather the information you'll need: personal and contact details, work experience, education and training, courses, languages, computer skills, licences or professional certificates, other job-related skills, and professional references if you have them. If you've worked in another country, include that experience. You don't need to have worked in Spain for a professional experience to have value. For example: "2021–2024 — Kitchen assistant, Family restaurant — Morocco." It's better to explain real experience from another country than to leave a big gap in your CV.

2. Choose the position you're looking for

This step is very important. A CV shouldn't be exactly the same for every job offer. Before writing it, think: what type of job am I looking for? For example: cleaning, hospitality, customer service, construction, care work, administration, warehouse and logistics, agriculture, maintenance, or retail. If you're looking for a job as a waiter/waitress, your CV should especially highlight your hospitality experience, customer service, languages and other related skills. If you're looking for a cleaning job, your experience in cleaning, organisation, and handling products and machinery will matter more. The goal is for the company to quickly identify which position you could fit.

3. Add your contact details

At the top of the CV, include the details needed so people can reach you: full name, phone number, email address and location. You can also add LinkedIn if you have a professional profile, a driving licence if it's relevant to the job, and your availability to work or to travel if it's important. You don't need to put your full address: it's usually enough to state "Las Palmas de Gran Canaria" or "Telde, Gran Canaria", without street, number or floor. You're also not required to state your nationality: it shouldn't take up an important place in the CV unless there's a specific reason related to the job.

4. Write a short professional profile

After your details, you can include a short professional profile section. It should quickly answer three questions: what experience do I have?, what do I know how to do?, what job am I looking for? For example: "Professional with experience in hotel and home cleaning, used to working in a team and keeping spaces clean and tidy. Looking for a job opportunity in the cleaning sector, available to start immediately." You don't need to write a long text: 3 to 5 lines is usually enough.

5. Add your work experience

This is one of the most important parts of the CV. List your most recent experience first, then earlier ones. For each job you can state the position, the company and city/country, and the start and end dates. Then briefly explain what you did: customer service, table preparation and service, till and cash handling, coordinated work with the team... Don't write only "Waitress — 2021-2024". It's better to explain what tasks you carried out and what you know how to do.

6. What if I worked without a contract?

This is a situation that can affect some migrants. If you genuinely did a job and can explain the tasks you carried out, that doesn't mean you should automatically delete that experience from your CV. You can describe the professional experience honestly, for example: "Elderly care — Private household, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 2023–2024", explaining the tasks carried out. A CV is not a document for inventing contracts or officially certifying an employment relationship. So you shouldn't present as an employment contract something that wasn't one. But you can explain the skills and experience you genuinely gained.

7. What if I have work experience in another country?

Include it. A Spanish company needs to know what professional experience you have, regardless of where you gained it. For example: "Electrician — Company X, Casablanca, Morocco, 2018–2023", adding the main tasks carried out. If you have professional certificates, qualifications or documentation proving that training, mention it.

8. What if my qualification is from abroad?

If you have studies completed outside Spain, clearly state what you studied and where. For example: "Technician in Administration — Institute X, Morocco, 2017–2019". If the qualification has been officially recognised ("homologado") in Spain, you can state that. If the recognition process is underway, you can say "Recognition in progress", but only if you have genuinely started that process. Don't write "recognised qualification" if it isn't yet.

9. Add your education and training

After your work experience, you can include your studies and training: courses, vocational training, secondary school... You don't need to include absolutely every course you've done. Prioritise those related to the position you want to access.

10. State your languages

For many migrants, languages can be an important professional strength. Don't just write "Languages: Arabic, French, Spanish". Explain your level where possible, for example: "Arabic: native language. French: B2 level. Spanish: B1 level. English: A2 level." If you don't know your exact level, don't invent a classification: you can also simply explain what you can do in each language, such as "Spanish: oral and written communication for work". Speaking several languages can be a very useful professional skill in customer service, tourism, retail, hospitality, mediation, care work, or companies working with international clients.

11. Add your skills

Here you can explain other job-related abilities: teamwork, customer service, organisation, problem-solving, cash handling, order preparation, tool handling, cleaning and disinfection, cooking, caring for people, computer use, Microsoft Office, driving licence... But avoid filling this section with words you can't demonstrate. It's better to write "Customer service and cash handling" than a huge list of generic adjectives. Skills should relate to the position.

12. Do I need to include a photo?

There's no general obligation to include a photo on a CV. You can use one if you think it's appropriate for the position, but a photo doesn't replace a good professional presentation. If you decide to include one: use a recent photo, well lit, with a simple background and a professional look. Avoid holiday photos, party photos, or photos cropped from group pictures.

13. Do I need to state my immigration status?

You don't need to turn your CV into an explanation of your immigration situation. The CV should focus mainly on your professional profile. If you have work authorisation and it's relevant to an application, you can state it clearly, for example: "Valid work permit". It's not advisable to include unnecessary personal information about your immigration situation in the CV.

14. How long should my CV be?

As a general rule: 1 or 2 pages. If you have little experience, one page may be enough. If you have an extensive career, two pages can be reasonable. What matters isn't filling pages, but making sure the person reading your CV can quickly find what job you're looking for, what experience you have, what training you have, what languages you speak, and how to contact you.

15. Check your CV before sending it

Before sending your CV, check: have I entered my phone number correctly?, does my email address work?, have I checked for spelling mistakes?, are the dates of my experience correct?, have I explained my main duties?, have I included relevant training?, have I stated my languages?, is the CV adapted to the position?, is it easy to read?, does the file have a professional name?

16. Save your CV with a proper name

Avoid names like "CVnew.pdf", "finalcv.pdf", "CVgood2.pdf" or "Document1.pdf". It's better to use the format "CV_Name_Surname.pdf", for example: "CV_Mohamed_ElAmrani.pdf". This makes it much easier for a company to identify your document.

17. Always send your CV as a PDF

If the company doesn't specify another format, PDF is usually a good choice. Before sending it, open the file and check that it displays correctly, that the text hasn't shifted, that the photo appears properly (if included), that no pages are missing, and that the details are correct.

18. One last piece of advice: don't invent things

Don't invent qualifications, courses, languages, experience, companies, duties or professional levels. But don't hide experience just because you gained it in another country either: your professional experience has value even if it was gained outside Spain. The goal of a CV isn't to prove you have a perfect career path. It's to clearly explain what you know how to do and what you can bring to the position you're applying for.

Your CV should answer one simple question

When a company finishes reading your CV, they should be able to quickly answer: who is this person, what do they know how to do, and which position could they fit? If your CV manages to answer those three questions clearly, you're already taking an important step in your job search.

At Ubuntu Canarias

Through Talento Sin Fronteras, we can guide you in preparing and improving your CV for your job search. If you're a migrant and need support preparing your CV, you can contact Ubuntu Canarias through our support channels.