How to Write a Swedish-Style CV: A 2025 Guide to Landing an Interview

Landing in Sweden is an experience. Maybe it was the impossibly crisp air on a winter morning, the magic of a midsummer celebration that never seems to end, or the simple, profound joy of fika—that sacred coffee and cake break—that made you decide, "This is it. This is home." But after the initial honeymoon phase with the cinnamon buns and stunning archipelago, the practical reality sets in: finding a job. And that journey starts with a single, crucial document: your CV.

If you’re anything like I was, you probably have a perfectly good CV ready to go—one that has served you well in your home country. But here's a piece of friendly advice from one expat to another: applying for a job in Sweden with a non-Swedish CV is like trying to unlock a door with the wrong key. It might look right, but it just won’t work.

The Swedish approach to job applications is a unique blend of understated confidence, factual precision, and a deep-seated cultural preference for the concept of lagom—just the right amount. It’s not about flashy designs or bold self-promotion. It's about clearly and concisely showing why you are the right person for the team.

So, let's grab a coffee, get comfortable, and break down exactly how to craft a Swedish-style CV in 2025 that will get you past the initial screening and into that interview room.

The Swedish Mindset: Understanding Lagom and Its Impact on Your CV

Before we even touch on formatting, you need to understand the cultural context. The Swedish workplace culture is built on flat hierarchies, collaboration, and consensus. Individual superstars are less celebrated than effective team players. This philosophy is directly reflected in their CV expectations.

Lagom is the key. It means "not too little, not too much." When applied to your CV, this translates to:

• Factual and Humble: Present your achievements without excessive bragging or superlatives. "Successfully managed a team of five to increase sales by 15%" is great. "I am an unparalleled sales guru who single-handedly revolutionized the department" is not.
• Concise and to the Point: Swedish recruiters are busy. They appreciate a CV that is easy to scan and gets straight to the relevant information. Aim for one page, and only extend to two if you have extensive, highly relevant experience.
• Professional and Clean: The focus should be on the content, not on a flashy design. A clean, simple, and professional layout is always the best choice.

Think of your CV as the first step in showing you understand and can thrive in a Swedish work environment. It’s a document that says, "I am competent, professional, and I will be a great colleague."

The Anatomy of a Winning Swedish CV (2025 Edition)

Let’s dissect a Swedish CV, section by section. While there's no single legally mandated format, a consensus has formed over the years among Swedish recruiters and HR professionals.

1. Contact Information (Kontaktuppgifter)

This section should be clean and simple, right at the top of the page.

• Include:

  • Full Name (in a slightly larger font)
  • Phone Number (with the international code, e.g., +46 70 123 45 67)
  • Professional Email Address
  • Link to your LinkedIn Profile (crucial in 2025, as most recruiters will check it)
  • Your general location (e.g., "Stockholm, Sweden")

• What to Leave Out:

  • Date of Birth/Age: This is a major difference from many other countries. Including your age can be seen as unprofessional and can lead to accusations of age discrimination.
  • Marital Status/Number of Children: This is private information and completely irrelevant to your ability to do the job.
  • Religion or Nationality: Also irrelevant and should not be included.

2. The Photo Debate: To Include or Not to Include?

This is a hot topic. Traditionally, photos were a no-go on Swedish CVs to prevent bias. However, with the rise of LinkedIn, where a photo is standard, the culture is shifting.

The 2025 Verdict: A photo is now generally acceptable but not mandatory. If you choose to include one, it must be a professional-looking headshot. You should be smiling and appear friendly and approachable. No party pictures or holiday snaps. If you're applying to a large corporation or a public sector job, they may use blind-recruitment software that removes photos and names, so it might not be seen anyway. When in doubt, it's safer to leave it off.

3. Professional Summary (Sammanfattning or Profil)

This is your elevator pitch. In 3-4 lines, summarize who you are, what you offer, and what you're looking for. It should be tailored specifically to the job you're applying for.

• Good Example (for a Marketing Role): "A results-driven marketing professional with 5+ years of experience in the SaaS industry, specializing in digital content strategy and lead generation. Proven ability to increase user engagement through data-backed campaigns. Seeking to leverage my skills in a dynamic marketing team to contribute to [Company Name]'s growth."

4. Work Experience (Arbetslivserfarenhet)

This is the heart of your CV. List your experience in reverse chronological order (most recent job first).

• Format for each entry:
  • Job Title
  • Company Name, City
  • Dates of Employment (Month/Year – Month/Year)
• Use 3-5 bullet points for each role to describe your responsibilities and, more importantly, your accomplishments.
• Start each bullet point with a strong action verb (e.g., Managed, Developed, Implemented, Coordinated, Increased).
• Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Numbers speak louder than words.

Instead of: "Responsible for social media." Try: "Managed and grew the company's LinkedIn presence by 40% over 12 months, resulting in a 15% increase in inbound leads."

5. Education (Utbildning)

Also in reverse chronological order.

• Format:
  • Name of Degree/Certificate (e.g., Master of Science in Computer Engineering)
  • University Name, City
  • Years of Study (Year – Year)
• Expat Pro-Tip: If you have a foreign degree, it can be a huge advantage to have it assessed by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR). Mentioning that your degree is "equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen as assessed by UHR" adds instant credibility.

6. Skills (Färdigheter / Kompetenser)

This section is crucial for a quick overview of your capabilities. Break it down into clear sub-sections.

7. Optional Sections

• Volunteer Work (Ideellt engagemang): This is highly valued in Sweden. It shows community involvement and dedication. If you have it, include it.
• References (Referenser): The standard practice is to not list your references directly on the CV. Simply write: "Referenser lämnas på begäran" (References are provided upon request). Prepare a separate document with the contact details of 2-3 professional references.

Swedish CV Dos and Don'ts: A Quick Cheatsheet

Beyond the CV: The Crucial Personligt Brev (Cover Letter)

In many countries, the cover letter is an afterthought. In Sweden, the personligt brev is just as important as your CV, if not more so. This is where you inject personality and motivation. While your CV states the what (your skills and experience), your cover letter explains the why—why you want this specific job at this specific company.

A good Swedish cover letter should:

1. Be personal and authentic: Avoid generic templates. Write in your own voice.
2. Show you've done your research: Mention something specific about the company—their values, a recent project, or their market position—that attracts you to them.
3. Connect your experience to their needs: Don't just repeat your CV. Explain how your past accomplishments make you the perfect person to solve their problems or help them achieve their goals.
4. Be concise: Keep it to about half a page or three-quarters of a page.

Final Takeaway: Your CV is Your Fika Invitation

Crafting a Swedish-style CV is your first real test of cultural adaptation. It requires you to set aside what you might know from your home country and embrace the Swedish values of clarity, humility, and purpose.

Think of it this way: your CV isn’t just a list of jobs. It’s an invitation to a potential employer to have a conversation—to invite you for a fika and get to know you better. By presenting a clean, factual, and thoughtfully tailored document, you're showing them that you're not just a qualified candidate, but someone who understands the local culture and is ready to contribute to the team from day one.

It might feel a bit strange at first to be so understated, but trust the process. A well-crafted, lagom CV paired with a compelling personligt brev is the most powerful combination for unlocking your career in Sweden.

Lycka till! (Good luck!)