About this template
The France Compact template is a dense French CV in Garamond, with tight line spacing and reduced margins to fit a packed career path onto a single A4. Civil status block on one line, sections separated by thin rules. Reserved for mid- and late-career French profiles who refuse to spill onto a second page.
Who is it for?
It fits mid- and late-career French profiles (10+ years experience) who refuse to spill onto a second page. Senior Manager / Principal consultants (BCG, McKinsey, Bain), CFOs, partner-level lawyers, senior project engineers who want to list every mission while keeping recruiter reading time under thirty seconds. Suits speculative applications and follow-ups where the second page is never read.
How to use it
Civil status fits on one line (« 38 years old, married, two children — Paris 75008 »). Job title as subtitle to the name. Compress by grouping: multiple missions at the same employer under a single dated header. On experience, two quantified bullets maximum per mission, using the « Achievement : Result » convention. Top-rank French diplomas (HEC, Polytechnique, Sciences Po, ENS, Mines, Ponts) are cited in recognised acronyms. Avoid bullets longer than one line — the tight leading makes long sentences tiring.
Frequently asked questions
How many years of experience can fit on one page?
Fifteen to twenty years for a classic path (4-6 successive employers). Twenty to twenty-five years for a stable path (2-3 employers). Beyond that, density becomes unreadable — switch to Minimal Microtype which pushes typographic compression further or accept two pages with France standard.
How to compress a consulting career with ten missions?
List missions under the Firm header as dated sub-bullets: « McKinsey & Company — Paris (2018–2024) ». Under the header, six to ten missions one line each in format: « 2023 — Digital transformation of a French Top 5 insurer ». Detail of the three flagship missions can occupy two extra quantified bullets.
Suitable for a partner-level lawyer?
Very well. Paris firms (Cleary Gottlieb, Bredin Prat, Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier) appreciate a dense CV readable in thirty seconds. Indicate bar admission, year called, specialisation (M&A, litigation, tax) and relevant rankings (Chambers Global, Legal 500 Europe, IFLR1000).
