CV in Polish for foreigners: what to include for manual work

A CV in Polish for a foreigner applying for manual work should answer three questions: from when and in what system you can work, what qualifications you have, and whether you can reach the shift. A recruiter reviews many applications at once and looks for these three pieces of information first.

What must be in a Polish CV for a foreigner doing manual work

Place this information at the top of the first page, below your name:

Availability. The date from which you can start, and the work system you accept. Example: "Available immediately, three-shift system, including weekends".
Qualifications and documents. A forklift license issued by UDT (Office of Technical Inspection), a driving license category, a sanitary-epidemiological certificate (formerly the sanepid booklet), if you have one. These items decide whether you get a position with higher requirements.
Place of residence and commute. The town where you live, and whether you have your own car.
Contact details. A phone number you answer, including from unknown numbers, and an email address you check.

If you hold a Polish residence document or another basis for work in Poland, add its type in one sentence, without the document number.

How to describe your work experience

Instead of "warehouse work", write what you did and on what equipment. For each job, give the period (month and year), the company name, the country, and a few specific tasks.

Instead of	Write
Warehouse work	Order picking with a handheld scanner
Operator	Operating a forklift, unloading pallets
Production work	Packing on the line, quality control of products
Helper	Preparing material for the welder

Enter experience from your home country and other EU countries the same way as Polish experience. You can briefly explain a gap in employment in one sentence, for example "relocation to Poland" or "studies".

How to describe your Polish language skills

State your level honestly and describe what you can do: "Polish: basic, I understand a supervisor's instructions". This is better information than "Polish: good", because the level gets checked in the first phone call. Add other languages: Russian, Ukrainian or English.

Do not send a CV translated automatically without checking it. A job title translated literally can mean a different profession in Polish, and the recruiter will not guess this. Ask someone who knows Polish to read at least the headings and job titles.

What not to include in a CV

a photo and marital status: they do not affect the assessment for manual work;
passport number, residence card number or PESEL;
a long description of interests;
a cover letter for production and warehouse jobs, unless the listing explicitly requires one.

File format and consent to data processing

Keep the CV to one page, in a simple layout, without tables or graphics. Save it as a PDF and name the file with your first and last name, for example "Olena_Kowalenko_CV.pdf", not "cv1_final".

At the end, add a consent clause for the processing of personal data for recruitment purposes. Some companies will not keep your CV for future offers without it.

CV without experience in Poland

Lack of experience does not close the door to most production and warehouse positions. Write clearly that you are looking for your first job in Poland and are ready to be trained. List everything that shows reliability: casual or seasonal jobs, courses, a driving license, qualifications gained in your home country. Short, honestly described experience raises fewer questions than an empty field.

After you send your CV, a recruiter will call. The most common questions and how to answer them are covered in the article about preparing for a job interview, and ready-made phrases are in the guide job interview in Polish. You can send your CV to Amer through the CV application form.

Frequently asked questions

Does the CV have to be in Polish?

For manual work in Poland, it is best to, because the recruiter reads it in Polish. A CV in English will be accepted by some companies, but qualification and job title names in Polish make it easier to match you to the offer.

Do I need to attach copies of documents to the CV?

No. You show copies of qualifications, your driving license and your residence document at the interview or when signing the contract. In the CV, the name of the qualification and its category are enough.

Should I state the expected rate?

It is not necessary. The rate is usually given in the job listing, and you can ask about details at the interview.

Can I send a CV made on my phone?

Yes, if you save it as a PDF and check that the text is legible. A photo of a printed CV makes it harder for the recruiter to read the data.

This text describes the general rules. What you are entitled to depends on your type of contract: an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie). Your own contract and payslip are what count.