In this article, we will discuss how to prepare a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for a foreign employer or an international company located in Ukraine.
The structure of a CV in English
FULL NAME Unit Number, Street, City, Country, Post code |
PROFILE [or OBJECTIVE]
|
EDUCATION Jan. 2002 - Jun. 2007 |
WORK EXPERIENCE Aug. 2009 - Present
Jul. 2007 - Jul. 2009
|
OTHER SKILLS, EDUCATION, ABILITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
|
What not to do in a CV in English
1) "Seeking a position that will utilize my skills in"
Using such a template in a resume, we automatically fall into 78% of standard resumes and lose our advantage.
2) No photos
Not all countries accept placing your photo on a resume, which potentially means it goes to the trash. Self-respecting companies simply cannot afford to choose based on appearance, skin color, or nationality.
3) Incorrect Contact Information
This is a typical mistake when writing a resume in English: don't be surprised if you don't get a call, check if you have forgotten to include your contact information.
4) "References provided upon request"
This is a popular addition when writing a resume in English. But it is better to write a list of people who can provide a recommendation and their contact information.
5) "Responsible for"
Companies often want to know what you have achieved. To let them know what they can expect from you, write prepared, promoted, improved, provided, developed, reduced, etc.
6) "I"
You should not use the pronoun "I" in your English resume, as this is a business form where it is inappropriate. Instead of "I promoted", write "Promoted".
7) Also, there's, also's
"Also" is more acceptable for colloquial speech, as well as abbreviations such as "there's", "also's".
8) Personal info
Date of birth, marital status, health, hobbies, etc. are not required today for the same reason of political correctness.
9) Past vs. Perfect tense
Presenting information in a resume in the present tense is always more aggressive than in the past tense. If you are writing about a job that you are still employed at, then use the present tense.
What you should write when preparing a resume in English
1) The Objective section should not contain information about what you want from the company, but what it can gain by hiring you.
2) Use the following words and phrases
Skills in |
Ability to |
Knowledge of |
Welding steel, aluminum, stainless steel Hand and power tools Physical dexterity and ability to lift over 100 pounds |
Diagnose problems and determine appropriate action Work in high-stress situations Perform basic mathematics Read blueprints and work orders Write materials requests, records |
Mechanical systems, fabrications, and welding Welding theory and principles Welding tools and welding codes Safety procedures |
3) Attract the employer's attention with numbers. Instead of "earned eleven million dollars," write "earned $11 million."
4) To write not only about your responsibilities, but also about the result of your work, use the action verbs below:
accelerate |
conceive |
distribute |
expedite |
maintain |
perform |
protest |
represent |
streamline |
advise |
conduct |
edit |
formulate |
manage |
pinpoint |
prove |
research |
structure |
analyze |
control |
deliver |
generate |
motivate |
plan |
provide |
revamp |
study |
approve |
coordinate |
demonstrate |
implement |
obtain |
prepare |
purchase |
review |
supervise |
arrange |
create |
design |
improve |
operate |
present |
receive |
resive |
support |
assemble |
delegate |
Eliminate |
Increase |
order |
process |
recommend |
schedule |
teach |
assist |
detect |
establish |
influence |
organize |
produce |
record |
select |
test |
build |
develop |
evaluate |
install |
originate |
program |
reduce |
sell |
train |
collect |
direct |
examine |
instruct |
oversee |
promote |
reinforce |
setup |
write |
complete |
discover |
expand |
lead |
participate |
propose |
reorganize |
solve |
|
5) For each profession, you should adjust your resume, as there is no universal form of writing for all vacancies.
6) A cover letter is an important component. It increases the weight of the resume several times.
Resume formatting in English
- Follow the business formatting.
- Always type your CV.
- Use bold and italics to emphasize certain words.
- Choose two fonts and decide which words will be emphasized and how. Serif and sans-serif fonts are the best combination.
Sans Serif Fonts |
Serif Fonts |
Arial |
Times New Roman |
Gautami |
Garamond |
Estrangelo Edessa |
Palatino |
Tahoma |
Courier |
- Most readers start reading the text from the top left quadrant, so place the most important information on the page at the top or top left.
- You also need to balance the text/white space ratio. To do this, divide the resume into 4 equal parts.
- Use tables, columns, and boxes to make the information easier to read.
The 20-second rule
The 20-second test is designed to allow anyone to read your CV for 20 seconds. After that, ask them what they remember. Get the opinions of several people and take their criticisms into account.
Differences
Each country has its own requirements for CV writing. The table below shows the country-specific components that employers want to see in an English resume.
Country |
Photo |
Age |
Work experience |
Graduation |
Austria |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Belgium |
|
+ |
+ |
|
Cyprus |
|
+ |
+ |
|
Czech Republic |
+ |
+ |
|
+ |
Denmark |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Estonia |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Finland |
|
+ |
+ |
|
France |
|
+ |
+ |
+ |
Germany |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Greece |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Hungary |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Ireland |
|
+ |
+ |
+ |
Italv |
|
+ |
+ |
|
Latvia |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Lithuania |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
Luxembourg |
|
+ |
+ |
|
Malta |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Netherlands |
|
+ |
+ |
|
Poland |
|
+ |
|
+ |
Portugal |
|
+ |
+ |
+ |
Slovakia |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Slovenia |
+ |
+ |
|
|
Spain |
|
+ |
+ |
|
Sweden |
|
|
+ |
+ |
United Kingdom |
|
|
+ |
+ |
USA |
|
|
+ |
+ |
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