France should be very different from one that you’re circulating in Singapore, says David Edwards, director of the Business Career Centre at Queen’s University. A resumé is a North American style document; it’s meant to be short (no more than two pages) and usually uses bullet points and short, snappy sentences. Resumés are typically accepted in countries that have North American influence, according to Edwards, like Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.


A curriculum vitae (CV) is longer than the traditional North American resumé— usually three to five pages. It tends to be more descriptive in nature and may even be written in paragraph form. A CV will usually include published papers as well as any testing and scores that you may have completed. This is the format used widely in continental Europe, according to Edwards.


To ensure you’re sending out the right document, always speak to the human resources department or the company recruiter beforehand to find out what style document (resumé or CV) they prefer to receive and the desired length.


Edwards also recommends organizing


your resumé in chronological order, even though it has become acceptable in some North American industries to organize resumés in order of the skills you’ve obtained. According to him, skills-based resumé structures can create confusion for the reader, and can be seen as an attempt to camouflage gaps in employment. If you have a gap in employment worth mentioning, Edwards suggests addressing it in your cover letter rather than in your resumé.


The Cultural Factor


In addition to which format to use, you’ll also need to consider what information is pertinent to include, according to Margaret Malewski, author of GenXpat: The Young Professional’s Guide To Making a Successful Life Abroad. In cultures like the United States and Britain, for example, employers tend to emphasize a candidate’s CONTINUED P. 10


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experience and transferable skills. They tend to look for examples of how an individual has made an impact— like the execution of a project or the achievement of a sales goal.


“When looking at recent graduates, employers will favour those who have worked to put themselves through school, or at least have some work experience gained during their college years,” Malewski explains. “Work experience at Starbucks, in this context, is an advantage, not a stigma. It is perceived as a sign of being a self-starter, a person who can manage multiple priorities and who is independent.”


Malewski contrasts this with continental Europe, where it is a matter of pride to parents that their


children do not have to pay for school. “There is a very definite pecking order of universities, and the name of the school one has attended matters a great deal,” says Malewski. “Therefore, continental resumés are much more likely to simply be lists of impressive schools one has attended, degrees one has obtained, and managerial positions one has held, since these matter more than what one has actually done in those places.”


Malewski recommends that you keep these social attitudes in mind when gearing your resumé for a particular country. If you are a North American applying to a continental European or an Asian job, for example, Malewski says it is important to play up your formal qualifications like


Top Tips for International Resumé Writing


If you don’t have time to research the particular country and company you’re ap- plying to, you’re better to err on the side of a shorter, resumé-style document. According to David Edwards, even though some regions are accustomed to look- ing at CVs or longer-style documents, many would be comfortable with a resumé style. You can put always put a note stating that if they want a more thorough document, to please request it.


If you’re going to be in the country, mail your resumé from there. Philip Shea says this will show that you’re serious about being there and that you’re familiar with the country—all likely to increase your chances of getting noticed.


Do not include references, says Margaret Malewski. If a potential employer is in- terested, he will ask. It is sufficient to put a note at the bottom of the document stating, “References available upon request.”


Always put your education above work experience. According to David Edwards, this will help frame your experience, and the reader will have less questions as he reads through your document.


Most people create one resumé for everyone. David Edwards suggests creating


a four or five-page master document—then cutting and pasting into a shorter document for each job you are applying for.


In environments where jobs are mostly given to family members and friends, sending a resumé will not be terribly effective. In these cases, Margaret Malewski says networking and befriending potential employers will go much further than a formal job application.


Always include a ‘Memberships and Interests’ section at the end of the document. David Edwards says this is the only place that gives the company insight as to who you are outside the workplace. He suggests listing affiliations where you played a leadership or senior role, or an affiliation that is relevant but isn’t listed in another part of the resumé. The interests section, in particular, gives the interviewer the opportunity to break the ice during an interview.


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