6 September 2026
CV tips for tech, fintech and payments roles in Europe
What recruiters check in the first 30 seconds, and how to make your experience easy to match to a role.
A recruiter usually spends less than a minute on a first read of a CV. Your goal is to make the match with the role obvious in that time.
Put the essentials at the top
Name, city and country, phone, email, LinkedIn, and the languages you speak with your level. If you have a work permit for the EU, say so clearly. It changes which roles you can be put forward for.
Show results, not duties
"Responsible for payments" tells a recruiter very little. "Launched 4 new payment methods and cut failed deposits by 18%" tells them what you can do. Use numbers wherever you honestly can.
Name the tools and systems
Recruiters search for specific platforms, payment providers, programming languages and CRM tools. List the ones you have used in real projects, next to the job where you used them.
Keep it to two pages
Your last eight to ten years matter most. Older roles can be one line each.
Save it as a PDF
A PDF keeps your layout the same on every screen. Name the file with your name and the role, for example "Elena-Petrova-Head-of-Compliance.pdf".
One CV, small changes per application
You don't need a new CV for each job. Adjust the summary at the top and move the most relevant results up.
When you're ready, send your CV to us. It's free, and we only share it with an employer after you agree.