Turkish CV format: how to write a CV for a job in Türkiye
A Turkish CV, or özgeçmiş, runs one to three pages depending on experience, lists the newest items first and usually ends with two or three references. Language levels come with exam scores, and men add military status where the ad asks.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First, find out which channel will read it
In Türkiye the same person may need three different things called a CV. A private company wants a file. The public employment agency İŞKUR wants an online form, with a file as an optional extra. Public-sector employers and the national internship programme want no CV at all and read your e-Devlet records instead. Decide which one you are writing before you open a template.
| Where you apply | What it takes | Language |
|---|---|---|
| A company's careers page or an email to HR | A PDF CV, usually with a cover letter | The language of the ad |
| İŞKUR (iskur.gov.tr) | An online form with compulsory education and occupation fields; a Word or PDF CV can be attached | Turkish |
| Kariyer Kapısı, for public-sector posts | No CV upload; data comes from e-Devlet or is declared | Turkish; most posts require Turkish citizenship |
| National Internship Programme (students) | No CV; documented achievements are scored | Turkish |
If you are not a Turkish citizen, only the first row is usually open to you, and the employer will need to file a work permit. The work permit guide covers that file; this page covers the CV.
How a Turkish CV is put together
There is no official national CV standard. The most detailed guidance we found comes from university career centres. TED University's career centre booklet, read on 13 October 2026, is a good example of what Turkish HR staff were taught to expect, and its advice lines up with what İŞKUR's own form asks for.
Sections and their order
TED University lists the main headings as name and contact details, job and career objective, education, work experience, foreign languages, hobbies and activities outside work, and personal details. It recommends putting the name and contact block at the top, centred, with no label in front of it, and putting education first if you are a recent graduate. After that, work experience becomes the most important section.
Length follows experience
| Experience | Length (TED University) |
|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 1 to 2 pages |
| 5 to 10 years | 2 to 3 pages |
| Over 10 years | 3 pages, stressing the most recent roles that fit the job |
References are normal
Unlike a US résumé, a Turkish CV often names referees. TED University suggests two or three, each with their title, organisation, role and email address. Ask each person first. Public-sector applications are the exception: the Kariyer Kapısı FAQ says the platform has no stage where references can be added.
Language levels come with a score
TED University asks for a level per skill rather than a vague 'good', and says to explain what levels like C1 or A2 mean. Turkish public systems go further and read exam scores: İŞKUR pulls KPSS, EKPSS and YDS results from the exam centre, and the internship programme takes YDS and YÖKDİL results from e-Devlet while asking for proof of IELTS or TOEFL. A line such as 'English C1 (IELTS Academic 7.0, 2026)' answers both habits.
Leave these off
- Why you left your last job, and your salary expectation (TED University).
- The first person: write 'Increased monthly sales 20% above the team average', not 'I achieved the highest sales'.
- Internal abbreviations a stranger would not know, such as course codes or club acronyms.
- Your managers' names, unless the person is well known in the sector.
- An informal photo. TED University says a formal photo or none at all.
Sample Turkish CV, section by section
A made-up accountant with four years of experience applying to a company in İzmir. Turkish headings are in brackets so you can mirror them in a Turkish version.
| Section (Turkish heading) | Example line | Why it is written this way |
|---|---|---|
| Name and contact (no heading) | Selin Aydın · Bornova / İzmir · +90 532 000 00 00 · selin.aydin@example.com · linkedin.com/in/selinaydin | District and city are enough; the personal details guide covers what else to add |
| Objective (Kariyer Hedefi) | Accountant with four years in manufacturing, moving into cost accounting | One line, tied to the job in the ad |
| Experience (İş Deneyimi) | Accountant, Örnek Tekstil A.Ş., İzmir · Mar 2022 to present · Cut month-end close from 8 to 5 working days | Newest first, month and year, a result where you have one |
| Education (Eğitim) | BA Business Administration, Dokuz Eylül University, 2021 · GPA 3.12/4.00 | GPA on the 4-point scale it was given in |
| Languages (Yabancı Dil) | English B2 (YDS 2024: 78.75) · German A2 | Level plus the exam Turkish employers recognise |
| Skills (Beceriler) | Logo Tiger, SAP FI, Excel (pivot tables, Power Query), e-Fatura | Software named exactly as in the ad |
| Certificates (Sertifikalar) | SMMM internship (staj) ongoing since 2023 | Professional exams and licences in progress count |
| Personal details (Kişisel Bilgiler) | Driving licence: B (2019) | Only what the job needs |
| References (Referanslar) | Murat Kaya, Finance Manager, Örnek Tekstil A.Ş., murat.kaya@example.com | Two or three people who agreed to be named |
Write dates the same way throughout. A Turkish version would say 'Mart 2022 - devam ediyor'; an English one 'Mar 2022 to present'. Mixing month formats is one of the things CV parsers trip on.
What the sources say, read 13 October 2026
- TED University career centre booklet: chronological order, the seven main headings, length by years of experience, two or three references with title and email, no reason for leaving or salary, formal photo or none.
- İŞKUR: education and occupation are compulsory in the online CV, exam results are fetched from the exam centre, a Word or PDF CV and a JPG or GIF photo can be uploaded.
- Kariyer Kapısı FAQ: no stage for references; public bodies keep the KPSS, YDS and other requirements their own rules set.
- National Internship Programme document guide 2026: YDS and YÖKDİL come from e-Devlet, other test scores need a certificate whose score matches the declared one.
- Personal data law No. 6698, Article 4: personal data must be processed for a specific purpose and kept limited and proportionate, which is the legal reason to keep the personal block short.
If you are a foreigner applying in Türkiye
Most of the format above still applies, but three rules change what you can apply for and what your CV has to show.
Posts and permits
- Civil service posts are closed to you: Article 48 of the Civil Servants Law makes Turkish citizenship the first general condition.
- Some professions are reserved by law for Turkish citizens, including pharmacist, dentist, lawyer, notary and tour guide; the Ministry of Labour publishes the full list.
- Your employer files the work permit, and the file needs your diploma with a Turkish translation certified by a sworn translator. Write your degree on the CV exactly as it appears on that diploma.
A right-to-work line
A right-to-work line near the top saves HR a question: say that you will need a work permit filed by the employer, or that you already hold one and until when. Immigration rules change; check the Ministry's pages before you apply.
Next steps
- Hiring as a foreigner: the work permit guide pairs each permit document with the CV line it must match.
- Degree from abroad: the degree recognition guide shows how to state equivalence.
- Language levels: the CEFR guide explains the levels Turkish employers ask you to spell out.
- CitedCV writes CVs in Turkish or English from facts you confirm. With the Türkiye region selected it puts education before experience, treats references and military status as expected lines and keeps the photo optional.
Questions people ask
What is the CV format in Turkey?
Reverse chronological, one to three pages depending on experience, with contact details, an objective, education, experience, languages, skills, personal details and usually two or three references. Recent graduates put education first.
How long should a CV be in Turkey?
One to two pages with under five years of experience, two to three pages with five to ten years, and three pages beyond that, according to TED University's career centre.
Do Turkish CVs have a photo?
Often, but it is optional. TED University says use a formal photo or none, and İŞKUR's online CV has an optional photo field. Leave it off when applying to companies that ask for no photo.
Should I put references on a Turkish CV?
Yes, for most private employers. Name two or three people with title, organisation, role and email after asking them. Public-sector applications through Kariyer Kapısı have no reference stage.
Should my CV for a job in Turkey be in Turkish or English?
Use the language of the job ad. Public-sector and İŞKUR applications are in Turkish. Multinationals that advertise in English read English CVs.
How do I write language skills on a Turkish CV?
Give a level for each skill or a CEFR level, and add an exam score if you have one, for example YDS, YÖKDİL, IELTS or TOEFL. Avoid vague words like good or fluent.
Can foreigners apply for government jobs in Turkey?
Generally no. Article 48 of the Civil Servants Law makes Turkish citizenship the first general condition, and public-sector worker hiring through İŞKUR asks for it too.
Do I write military service on a CV for Turkey?
Turkish men usually do, as one line, when the ad asks or when deferral matters to the start date. Foreign applicants and women leave it off.
Sources
- TED University Career Centre, Özgeçmiş (CV) hazırlama bookletcareer.tedu.edu.tr/sites/default/files/docs/staj_kitapcik_0-1_1.pdf
- İŞKUR FAQ, How do I fill in the CV section?www.iskur.gov.tr/sikca-sorulan-sorular/is-arayan/ozgecmis-duzenleme-bolumunu-nasil-doldurabilirim/
- İŞKUR FAQ, Can I upload my own CV?www.iskur.gov.tr/sikca-sorulan-sorular/is-arayan/sistemin-olusturdugu-bilgilerle-olusan-ozgecmis-haricinde-kendi-hazirladigim-ozgecmisi-de-sisteme-yukleyebilir-miyim/
- Kariyer Kapısı, Frequently asked questionskariyerkapisi.gov.tr/sss
- İŞKUR, National Internship Programme document control guide 2026uspapi.iskur.gov.tr/general/getsources/belgekontrolkilavuzu.pdf
- Civil Servants Law No. 657, Article 48www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.657.pdf
- ÇSGB International Labour Force, Work permit documentswww.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/en/calisma-izni/documents/
- ÇSGB, Professions reserved for Turkish citizenswww.csgb.gov.tr/uigm/calisma-izni/turk-vatandaslarina-hasredilen-meslekler/
- Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.6698.pdf