How To Adapt Your CV For A Foreign job Market
Applying for a new job abroad is more than just translating your CV into another language and relocating. Employers from different countries have different ways the expect you to write your CV, the length, structure, qualifications, personal achievements, language and even how you show your achievements. Your CV working well in your home country doesn’t mean it will work well in every other country so you may need to make some adjustments. Adapting your CV makes it easy for foreign employers to understand and assess your CV.
1. Research the CV expectations of the targeted country: There is no CV format people from different countries may choose to write theirs differently from others. Before you change anything about your CV check what employers in the country you are going to want to see in a CV. Focus on the length, section orders, personal information, use of photographs and if CV OS resume is the term that is used. The goal is not to copy the format of another country, it is to make your CV look similar to the other ones in the market.
2. Remove personal information that is not expected : Some countries include information like age, date of birth, marital status, gender, nationality and photograph. However in some countries this type of information is unnecessary. Add only information that is relevant and is usually expected in the country you are going to, some employers may not need to know any of your personal information.
3. Make your qualifications easy to understand : Some foreign employers may not understand qualifications, institutions, job titles, or some of your professional certification. Try to make your employer understand by presenting them clearly. You can put down your qualifications and include explanation to make it easy to understand. If you have some qualifications you could include an internationally recognized equivalent to make it easier to understand.
4. Adapt Your job titles : different countries have different job titles. Some job titles abroad may be different from the ones in your country. Don’t change your job title so much that it starts to look incorrect but make what you are going to do clear. If the job title the country you are applying to is different from the one in your country, you can retain your title but give them a very accurate description. This can help recruiters understand you as an applicant and your employment history.
5. Focus on achievements rather than duties: most employers still want to know your achievements, not just your duties and what you can do. Most peopkw just write what they can do but are never able to fulfill those claims. Your employer needs evident that you can actually do your job.
6. Use internationally recognized language : Avoid using expressions, terminologies and abbreviations that are locally used because most recruiters may not understand. Use straight forward language and remain professional. This is very important for people in professions like education, healthcare, law, finance and administration but it varies in different countries.
7. Adapt Your CV to the job description: don’t make one international CV and send it to every international employers. Read each job description to find out what the employer needs and emphasizes on. Make sure everything that makes you relevant is very visible. This is more suitable when using applicant tracking systems because these systems scan for keyword related to the the job description.
8. Explain your right to work: Something that most international employers are concerned about is whether you are permitted to work in their country. If you have already been given the authority to work in their country state it clearly in your CV. If you need the employer to sponsor you follow the instructions about sponsorship or migration status.
9. Present international experience clearly: Make it easy to recognize if you have worked abroad, volunteered, interned or collaborated internationally. International experience can show your employer that you can, communicate across different cultures, work with diverse teams and adapt to an unfamiliar environment. Do not just add this information to impress the employer attach it to your professional ability.
10. Check whether you need a CV or a resume : the terms CV or resume are not used everywhere. In some countries the word CV is generally used for a professional application document while the word resume is used in some. This helps you to avoid sending the wrong type of documents.
When making your CV for an international employer try to remove uncertainty. Don’t make the employer research information on your countries professional terminologies or information. The best international CV is culturally appropriate, easy to understand and meet the employer’s expectations.
