Every country has its own résumé/CV style. Passport Career offers members detailed and updated information about these different CV styles in our Country Portfolios. Our Country Portfolios will help you identify the general format and required information for each country. This article will provide a few initial tips to help you get started on crafting a résumé/CV for your destination country.
When seeking a second opinion, be sure to speak only with mentors and contacts who are familiar with your destination country’s résumé/CV style and to conduct online research to identify new buzz words and key phrases used in both your destination country and your field of interest. Start a draft of your résumé/CV with all of your experience and skills. This will provide you with a starting point when you customize your résumé/CV to highlight your skills and experience for each application.
Remember to pay attention to the tone used in your résumé/CV when presenting your skills and experience. This is where cultural nuances come into play. For some countries, such as the US, you will want to focus on relevant achievements, accomplishments and results of your work. For other countries, such as Germany, you will want to include a comprehensive listing of your experience and focus on duties and responsibilities, except in some cases when you would focus on achievements, such as higher-level positions.
Following are five tips to create a strong, country-specific résumé/CV:
1. Crowd-source for feedback.
Ask for opinions on your list of strengths and weaknesses and on your brainstormed résumé/CV. You might ask a trusted friend or mentor, an old colleague, or a family member for their input. They may be able to offer insight on your skills, experience, or on what employers are looking for.
2. Think of your résumé/CV as a “living document”.
As a job seeker, you know that your résumé/CV should be as up to date and relevant as possible. Before submitting a résumé/CV for a job or internship posting, be sure to review it for industry-specific vocabulary, relevant skills, and positions that demonstrate how you are the best fit for the open position. One excellent way to do this is to visit the organization or company website and see what vocabulary is used in staff biographies and in the mission statement. Both are often found on the About Us page.
3. Beta test your résumé/CV.
With the expansive use of online applications and email applications, it is important that potential employers see your résumé/CV in its intended state with correct formatting. When possible, save the file as a PDF to preserve its original formatting. However, some applications require a plain text or Word document submission. In these situations, email the document to yourself and close family or friends to see how it opens in different email services and with different software programs (Microsoft Word versus Apple Pages for example).
4. Research the best practices for the country you wish to work in.
This tip may seem repetitive, but we can’t stress enough how important this is! Many employers are overwhelmed with applications and use software to sort through the initial applications. If your résumé/CV and cover letter are not formatted to the normal specifications of the country in which you are applying, the system could eliminate your application before an HR professional even has a chance to see it.
5. Review your résumé/CV throughout your career.
Common advice when moving abroad is to keep a diary to record all of your best memories so you can revisit them years later. Your résumé/CV is no different. Keep updating your draft as you gain new responsibilities or new skills so you don’t forget anything. You might be surprised by how qualified of a candidate you really are!
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WRITING A COUNTRY-SPECIFIC RÉSUMÉ/CV?
Passport Career provides detailed, country-specific career information and extensive resources about finding a job, internship, or alternative career opportunity. If your organization, embassy, university/college, library or other institution would like access to our Country Portfolios (15,000+ pages of expert content for 75+ countries and 250+ cities) to share with your students, employees, spouses/partners, and others managing a national or international career transition, please email info@passportcareer.com regarding a free, live, online demo and details on how to obtain a license to access Passport Career.
Amazing one. I love it