CVs – looking for work abroad
The norms for CV writing can vary quite considerably from country to country. In many countries a CV isn’t even called a CV, it may be called a resume.
Ireland
Irish CVs have traditionally been much longer than UK CVs. However, this is starting to change with ore employers preferring the maximum of two pages.
As Ireland is a bilingual country, language skills are of above average interest to Irish employers. Make sure that you detail the languages you speak in full – including the level.
The interests and activities section is particularly popular in Ireland, so you are consequently entitled to elaborate on this section more than you would do in the UK.
A final key difference is the way you handle referees. You can list on a separate sheet the details of at least two referees – either one professional an one personal. Stating ‘References are available on request’ is permissible nonetheless.
France and Belgium
The French use the same term ‘CV’.
French CVs tend to include a lot of detail, such as date of birth, nationality, marital status and details of children. There’s no need to include details of your referees, but you can simply state ‘References disponibles sur demande’.
French CVsare, nevertheless, briefer than UK CVs. It is common to have a one-page CV. Two pages is an absolute maximum.
There is no need to include a Professional profile, the Objective section is particularly important in France – and they don’t just want to know your current objectives, they’ll be interested in your career objectives for the next five years.
Including a photograph is popular in France and it should be a high quality passport size. You should write your contact details and your name on the back of the photo.
On a final note you should always write your surname in BLOCK CAPITALS, because that’s how they do things in France.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland
A German CV isn’t a CV or a resume. It’s a ‘Lebenslauf’.
Your date of birth, place of birth and nationality are all required details. Marital status is popular, but not obligatory.
A photograph is also generally required
Unless there’s a direct relevance to your work, don’t include an interest and activities section.
Applying to work for a German organisation can be quite a bureaucratic process! You are likely to be required to provide photocopies of the following documents, if available:
- certificates for all formal qualifications gained
- certificates or diplomas for all further training undertaken
- work/residence permit
- driving licence
It used to be accepted practice to bind all these documents together in a folder. However, a simple staple will now suffice if there aren’t many pages.
Whilst you may have to submit a lot of accompanying paperwork, the CV itself should be kept reasonably brief – two pages maximum. It should still be very comprehensive and should include full details of all qualifications, including grades.
Italy
Comprehensive personal details are expected – date of birth, place of birth, nationality, marital status and details of children. However, as in German-speaking countries, unless there’s direct relevance to your work you shouldn’t include an interests and activities section.
Apart from that, styles vary widely – although it is recommended you generally follow the UK format and keep your CV down to two pages maximum.
One interesting point is that Italy has very strict privacy laws and it is essential to grant the reader permission to make appropriate use of the CV. You should add the statement, ‘Autorizzo il trattamento dei dati personali contenuti nel mio curriculum vitae in base art. 13 del D. Lgs. 196/2003’ to the bottom of your CV, which means, ‘I agree to the use of personal information contained within my CV under Article 13 of Legislative Decree 196/2003’ . You must also sign this.
Spain
As in Italy, comprehensive personal details are expected – right down to your passport or ID card number. It is also very popular to include a photograph.
You can include a section on Interests and activities.
The USA
A CV is known as a resume on the USA.
The most important difference is the style. Your resume should be written in a more aggressive style than a UK CV. You really have to sell yourself. The objective section is critical; you need to pitch hard and fast. Try to think like an American!
The functional approach is also very popular, focusing on your key skills and experience – your key selling points. Details such as interests and activities are irrelevant.
Anti-discrimination legislation is just as stringent in the USA as in the UK. You should therefore exclude all the same personal details you’d exclude in the UK. You should also never include a photograph, unless specifically required.
A resume preferably only covers a single page, although two pages are acceptable.
Always use the American spelling!
Canada
Canada is a country of two languages – English and French. In the English-speaking regions, you should adopt the American resume style of CV. In the French-speaking regions, you should use the French CV style. However, it is worth noting that most Canadians use the term ‘resume’ to describe the finished document, regardless of the mother language.
Australia and New Zealand
Down Under, they also prefer the term ‘resume’. However, Australian and New Zealand resumes are longer than American ones – typically two to three pages.
They follow broadly the same format as UK CVs except, as they are longer, you will be expected to be more comprehensive.
Details of referees are also commonly included and should be listed at the bottom of your second or third pages. It is unlikely, however, to be held against you if you prefer to say, ‘References are available on request’.
South Africa
The terms ‘resume’ and ‘CV’ are used interchangeably in South Africa – but both have the same meaning.
Whilst it is acceptable for your CV to run to several pages, it should still be concise and you should try to keep it to two pages if possible.
The style does not differ greatly from the UK, but you will be expected to provide your date of birth, place of birth, nationality and marital status.
Next week I’ll be looking at how you adapt your CV for every application
