Use our online editor to create the perfect portuguese resume

Impress portuguese employers and recruiters with our professional templates

4.60 based on 11010 reviews on Sitejabber

Table of content:

In the following guide, you’ll be given a crash course on how to write a resume in Portuguese and tailor it for the destination you are interested in.

Our online resume and cover letter builder can help you. It’s easy to select a template to complete that will meet local expectations in Portugal or Brazil.

Writing a Resume in Portuguese

In the Portuguese-speaking world, resumes are known as Curriculum Vitae or CVs. This comes with some formatting adjustments, but as you might expect, the biggest difference is the language.

Some multinational companies based in Brazil or Portugal use English as a working language and accept English resumes. This is not always the norm, however, and to get the best results, you should be prepared to create a version of your document in Portuguese.

Before you get started, be sure to follow these important Portuguese job search and resume writing tips as you write your Portuguese CV:

• Start  with your name as the title header. Don’t title it with Curriculum Vitae.
• Most hiring managers in Portugal or Brazil prefer a standard chronological resume over a creative resume.
• Do your research before you apply for a job. Get a good idea of the culture, values, and working practices of the organization. This can offer clues as to what information you should include.
• Keep your Portuguese language resume to the point. Cut out any extra information that doesn’t apply to the role you’re targeting.
• Avoid spelling and grammar errors.
• Ask a Portuguese-speaking friend or colleague to review your document.

View fullscreen

Brazilian and Portuguese resumes

Despite the shared language, there are several differences you should be aware of depending on the country you’re applying in. Consider the following Portugal and Brazilian Portuguese resume comparison.

Aspect	Portugal	Brazil
Document name	Curriculum vitae or CV	Currículo or Currículo Profissional
Length	1 to 2 pages	2 pages or longer
Personal information	Nationality is common, date of birth optional	Date of birth common, marital status optional
Tone and style	Formal	Personal, expressive, narrative
Bullet points	Minimal description, measurable outcomes	More descriptive, includes context
Skills	Technical skills prioritized; languages should include CEFR levels	Soft and hard skills expected; languages described as Básico, Intermediário, Avançado, Fluente

Recruiters in Portugal want to see resumes that are conservative, outcome-driven, and aligned with the EU standard.

Your Brazilian resume can be more expressive, relationship-aware, personality-forward, and rich in context.

Also, when applying for a Brazilian job, take extra care to be honest and accurate on your application documents. Lying or even exaggerating your skills could be prosecuted as a criminal offense.

Portuguese Resume: Layout and Sections

Portuguese resumes are often two pages in length or even more in Brazil. It’s best to start with a strong introduction in the form of a resume objective or objetivo profissional. In Portugal, focus on evidence of past accomplishment, and in Brazil, your intention or goals.

Top tips for formatting a Portuguese resume:

• The length of the CV should be no more than 3 letter pages (8.5” x 11”)
• Keep the text size consistent throughout the document
• Mark each section clearly with larger-size headers and subheaders
• Create your document as a PDF so it’s easier to submit online

Contact information (Informação pessoal)

This section is known as informação pessoal or personal information. Unlike in the US, it is quite common in countries like Brazil to include your date of birth (data de nascimento) or your marital status (estado civil). 

The details you should seek to include at a minimum are:

• Your name
• An email address
• A telephone number
• Your date of birth

Photo (Foto)

In the U.S., 88% of recruiters will reject your document if you include a photo. However, in Portuguese-speaking countries, profile photos are normally expected by employers.

If you decide to add a profile photo, choose a professional picture showing your head and shoulders. Your face and features should be clearly visible, and, where possible, aim for a neutral background. 

The size of the photo you affix should be passport-sized (2” x 2”) and placed in the top-right corner of the page.

Work experience (Experiência)

In your work experience section, you will need to give a good and scannable impression of your work history, tailored to the position you’re aiming for and presented in reverse-chronological order. 

When you present your previous positions on the page, set out each entry in the following format:

• The name of the company and the dates of employment
• Your job title in the organization
• The key duties that you undertook in your role at the company

Here’s an sample resume in Portuguese section:

Example

Experiência profissional

Engenheiro de Software
TechNova Solutions, Lisboa | 2021–Presente

• Desenvolvimento e manutenção de aplicações backend em Java e Spring Boot.
• Implementação de APIs REST para integração com sistemas internos.
• Otimização de consultas SQL, reduzindo o tempo de resposta em 30%.
• Colaboração com equipas de frontend e QA em ambiente ágil (Scrum).
• Participação em revisões de código e melhoria contínua da qualidade.

Skills (Habilidades)

Your skills section is a great opportunity to give the recruiter a broad overview of your abilities. This should be presented as a bullet-point list and include both your hard and soft skills. 

Make sure these abilities are well supported with examples of how you used them in the work experience section.

Consider an example of how to write your resume skills section in Portuguese:

Example

Competências técnicas

• Linguagens de programação: Python, Java, JavaScript
• Desenvolvimento backend: Spring Boot, Node.js
• Desenvolvimento frontend: React, HTML5, CSS3
• Bases de dados: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB
• APIs REST e integração de serviços
• Controlo de versões: Git (GitHub, GitLab)
• Metodologias ágeis: Scrum, Kanban
• Cloud computing: AWS (EC2, S3), Docker

In Brazil, you might also add:

Example

Habilidades comportamentais

• Trabalho em equipe e colaboração multidisciplinar
• Comunicação clara com áreas técnicas e não técnicas
• Proatividade e autonomia na resolução de problemas
• Capacidade de adaptação a novos desafios
• Organização e atenção aos detalhes

Education (Educação)

The education section will look different depending on which country you’re applying in. Portugal and Brazil have separate education systems with different names for the key qualifications. This can be seen in the table below.

Brazilian Qualification	Portuguese Qualification	US Qualification
Certificado de Ensiño Médio	Diploma de Ensino Secundário	High School Diploma
Bacharel/Bacharelado	Licenciado/Licenciatura	Bachelors Degree
Mestrado/Mestre	Mestrado/Mestre	Masters Degree
Doutorado	Doutorado	Doctorate

When detailing information about degrees that you’ve earned, always include the subject you majored in and your GPA. Additionally, take advantage of this section to detail any professional training or additional certifications.

Languages (Idiomas)

The language section of your Portuguese resume is an essential feature if you’re a native speaker of another language. Always indicate your fluency in Portuguese.

As a foreign language speaker, you should also indicate your level in the other languages you speak. This can be done using the following adjectives. In Portugal, include your CEFR level (A1-C2).

Portuguese	English
Fluente	Fluent
Bom	Good
Moderado	Moderate
Básico	Basic
Intermediário	Intermediate
Avançado	Advanced

Accurately describing your language proficiency is crucial if you’re targeting a position where you will need to communicate with other speakers of these languages.

Using Portuguese Resume Examples

The best way to understand how a Portuguese resume should appear is to use real examples as a basis.

Using a professionally prepared template as your starting point will help you gain familiarity with the expected format, expressions, and keywords you can use to your advantage in your job search. As you’ll see with the sample below, getting this right isn’t too difficult.

Resume in Portuguese

Copy to clipboard

Copied!

João Pereira

🏠 Lisboa, Portugal
📞 +351 912 345 678 | 📧 joao.pereira@email.pt

Data de nascimento: 14 de maio de 1994
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joaopereira
GitHub: github.com/joaopereiraNacionalidade: Portuguesa

Perfil profissional

Software Engineer com mais de 4 anos de experiência no desenvolvimento de aplicações web escaláveis. Forte atuação em backend com Java e Spring Boot, integração de APIs REST e otimização de bases de dados. Experiência em ambientes ágeis e equipas multidisciplinares, com foco em qualidade, desempenho e boas práticas de engenharia.

Experiência profissional

Engenheiro de Software
TechNova Solutions, Lisboa | 2021–Presente

• Desenvolvimento e manutenção de aplicações backend em Java e Spring Boot
• Implementação de APIs REST para integração com sistemas internos e externos
• Otimização de consultas SQL, reduzindo o tempo médio de resposta em 30%
• Colaboração com equipas de frontend e QA em metodologia ágil (Scrum)
• Participação em revisões de código e melhoria contínua da qualidade do software

Desenvolvedor de Software Júnior
InovaTech Digital, Porto | 2019–2021

• Apoio ao desenvolvimento de funcionalidades web em JavaScript e React
• Manutenção de aplicações existentes e correção de bugs
• Integração com bases de dados relacionais (MySQL)
• Suporte à documentação técnica e testes funcionais

Formação académica

Mestrado em Engenharia Informática

Universidade do Porto | 2017–2019

Classificação final: 17/20

Licenciatura em Engenharia Informática
Universidade de Coimbra | 2014–2017
Classificação final: 16/20

Competências técnicas

• Linguagens de programação: Java, Python, JavaScript
• Backend: Spring Boot, Node.js
• Frontend: React, HTML5, CSS3
• Bases de dados: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB
• APIs REST e microserviços
• Controlo de versões: Git (GitHub, GitLab)
• Metodologias ágeis: Scrum, Kanban
• Cloud e containers: AWS (EC2, S3), Docker

Idiomas

• Português: Nativo
• Inglês: C1 – Avançado
• Espanhol: B1 – Intermédio

Take advantage of Resume Coach’s Portuguese resume template to make the process of creating your curriculum a little bit simpler. Our online tools allow users to create resumes in multiple languages.

FAQs

What is a standard resume in Portugal like?

It’s concise, formal, and typically one to two pages long. It follows a reverse chronological format, prioritizing work experience and education. Personal details such as nationality and date of birth may be included.

The tone is reserved and professional, with an emphasis on technical skills and measurable results rather than personal traits.

What’s the Brazilian resume format?

It’s often slightly longer and more descriptive than its Portuguese counterpart. It commonly includes personal details like city, state, and date of birth.

The format is still chronological, but the writing style is warmer and more contextual, highlighting responsibilities, collaboration, and soft skills alongside technical qualifications and professional experience.

How do I write a cover letter in Portuguese?

It should be formal, structured, and tailored to the role. Use polite, professional language, addressing the recruiter respectfully and avoiding an informal tone.

Clearly state the position you are applying for, summarize relevant experience, and explain your interest in the company. Keep it concise and aligned with cultural expectations in Portugal or Brazil.

After creating your resume online, you can use our AI-powered cover letter builder to make this task easier.

Should I make a Europass or a normal resume?

A Europass CV is useful when applying to EU institutions, public sector roles, or programs that explicitly request it.

However, for most private companies in Portugal, a standard, well-formatted resume is preferred. A normal resume allows more flexibility in layout and content, helping you tailor your application to the role and present your experience more effectively.

You should not use a Europass CV for Brazil.