Photos are contextual
Some sectors still expect a professional headshot on the Lebenslauf; others have moved away. When in doubt, check recent employee LinkedIn photos at the company and any explicit note in the ad. A poorly cropped holiday photo is worse than no photo.
Length is a signal
Two pages are common for mid-career Lebensläufe in Germany. Crushing fifteen years into one English-style page can look incomplete. Padding early student jobs to fill space looks worse. Cut ruthlessly at the bottom of page two, not by shrinking font to 8pt.
Anlagen without the archive
List certificates and Zeugnisse you can produce. Do not attach every transcript from a decade ago unless requested. Name files clearly: Lebenslauf_Nachname.pdf, Anschreiben_Nachname_Firma.pdf.
How we use this in consulting
During adaptation packages we decide photo, length, and attachment lists together with the vacancy — not as universal dogma. Rules exist to reduce friction, not to decorate documents.