Resume for a first-year student in English. What kind of resumes do foreign employers like? Do I need to include a photograph, date of birth and other personal information in my resume?

If you want to get a job in a foreign company, you need, first of all, to learn how to write a resume correctly in compliance with international norms and standards. Typically, employers require applicants to submit applications for English language. Find out the best way to do this.

What to include in a resume in English?

Like an ordinary resume in Russian, an application form in English consists of several main standard blocks, namely:

  • 1.Heading. In this section you need to introduce yourself, tell about your date of birth and place of residence, and provide contact information.
  • 2.Objective. Tell us what vacancy you are applying for.
  • 3.Work Experience. Tell us in detail about each place in your labor activity with a list of functional responsibilities.
  • 4.Education. Tell us about your education. If available, list courses and other additional education.
  • 5.Honors. List if available.
  • 6.Publications. If your work has been published in newspapers and magazines, be sure to indicate this. Mention the type of publication, name of the newspaper or magazine, date of publication, and other relevant information.
  • 7. Professional skills (SpecialSkills). List all the skills that you think would be useful in the position in question.
  • 8.Personal Information. If you wish, tell us about your hobbies, family, and personal qualities.
  • 9.References. If available, provide references from previous employers or from your place of study. You can also note at the end of the application that you can provide recommendations upon request (References are available upon request).

It would be a good idea to include a photograph with your resume. In applications in English, it is customary to attach the applicant’s photo in the upper corner on the first sheet.

If you wish, you can exclude certain items from your resume at your discretion. Also, the list of sections may vary depending on the specific vacancy. Please clarify this point individually.

The first time a potential employer of a foreign company meets you is through your resume. Write perfect resume To interest an employer at first sight and get an invitation to an interview is not easy, but it is quite possible.

The task becomes very complicated if you need to create resume in English .

Be a Person. Not a Resume.

Be a person, not some resume.

~ Sharad Vivek Sagar

In this article we will look at the rules for writing a resume in English, the requirements for its design and structure. We will also give sample resume in English with translation and basic phrases that will help you write an original resume.

What is a RESUME?

In the modern business world, it is not easy to find a job that would bring both moral and material pleasure. A resume is your first step towards your cherished dream.

In business and business English, there are 2 types of resumes that you need to know about:

  • Resume- this is small information about your education, work experience and professional skills, as well as abilities.
  • CV ( Curriculum Vitae) – a more complete certificate, including detailed information about your education, work experience and professional skills, as well as abilities, containing information about awards and achievements.

In our country they are used as synonyms to define the concept "resume in English". Recently, the boundary between these concepts has completely blurred, and the terms CV and resume can be regarded as identical.

Rules for writing Curriculum Vitae (summary in English)

Let's take a closer look at the rules for writing a resume. Our advice is aimed at making your resume as successful and attractive as possible to employers so that you can get the position of your dreams.

The basic rules for writing a resume in English are as follows:

  • Write your resume yourself. No one can tell you better than you yourself.
  • If possible, tailor your CV to each company and position. Pay special attention to the points Objective(Russian: Goals) and Profile(Russian Profile).
  • Try to make your resume as short and concise as possible. Remember that recruiters only look at a resume for a few seconds. Remove old and irrelevant experience from your resume. If your resume longer than one page, make sure the information on the first page will make the recruiter look at the second page.
  • Always leave only relevant contacts. Make sure you have written your email address correctly.
  • Be accurate and truthful. Remember that any information can be verified. Don't list skills you don't have.
  • Check your summary for errors, because even a trivial typo can create the impression of you as an inattentive person.

Basic requirements for writing a resume in English

15 tips to make your resume stand out from others.

Volume of resume. Requirements for font and size.

Try to fit your 1 page resume, but if you have extensive work experience or several educations, then the maximum you can take is 2 pages

Use standard font ( Arial, Garamond, Times New Roman or Verdana). Body text font size – 11-12pt, for headings use 14-16 pt .

Be sure to use bold, italics, and colored text in your resume. Make your first and last name and Objective stand out with a larger font 18-20pt

Paragraphs in a resume.

Structure your resume text to make it readable. Use bullet points when listing skills and work experience.

Top, bottom and left margins no less 2 cm, right - 1.5 cm; Aligning body text to the width or left.

Document Format for Resume

To send your resume to in electronic format use PDF format. Compose your resume in English in Microsoft Office Word and format it correctly.

After that, export your CV to PDF format. To do this, click "File" - "Save As" and select PDF format.

This way you will be sure that your resume will not be formatted and will get to the employer in the form in which you sent it.

Resume structure in English

General recommendations for resume structure in English

Header

Instead of a title, the name of the applicant is most often written - this helps to reduce the length of the resume. Although you can write Resume or CV .

Personal information

Be sure to include these points with personal information about yourself in your resume in English:

  • Name- if you used your name in the title, then do not repeat yourself
  • Date of birth- it is better to write the name of the month in letters, because Some countries have a different format for writing the date.
  • Address- the address is usually written in this order: house number and street name, apartment number, city, postal code, country.
  • Mobile phone- be sure to indicate in international format, because They may call you from another country.
  • Email address (E-mail)- do not forget to check it several times, otherwise the employment specialist will not be able to contact you.

You can also include marital status information (Marital status), nationality (Nationality), but these points are not required, because The employer must evaluate, first of all, your professional skills.

An example in English of how to write about yourself

Objective

In this paragraph you need to indicate the position for which you are applying. If you know the job code, be sure to write it.

Examples of indicating the goals of obtaining a position in English

Quick reference (Profile)

Briefly tell us who you are, what your skills are and what you expect from the position.

Try to attract the attention of a potential employer with the help of a few lines, indicating exactly those of your skills that are most needed for this position.

Examples of how to attract attention to your candidacy in English

Education

Enter information about your education starting from your most recent place of education in reverse chronological order. Be sure to indicate periods of study in colleges, universities, dates of receipt of diplomas, academic degrees.

Mention seminars, trainings, advanced training courses, if they are relevant to the desired position.

Examples of how to correctly indicate the place of education:

Work experience

Specify periods of work, position, company name. Describe your role in your current position in one sentence: highlight the skills used and developed, your tasks, responsibilities and results (try to use more specifics and numbers).

Examples of how to write about work experience in English

Company name, position Example
Company Name 1, 2012-present
Moscow, Russia
Financial analyst
Preparing business plans
Planning investment activities and budget
Analyzing data sets collected through all departments
Company Name 2, 2007-2011
Krasnodar, Russia
Assistant manager
Providing main office with office supplies
Analyzing large data sets collected through all departments
Preparing financial forecasts
Preparing reports for the board of management

I would like to note if your experience greatly outweighs education, place experience first and education second. This way, the recruiter will look at your track record first, and you will be in a better position.

Skills

Be sure to edit your resume to best reflect skills and qualities in English mentioned in the job description.

Not only will this help your resume match the keywords required by the applicant tracking system, it will also help your stand out among the resumes of other candidates .

What to write about in the “Skills and Qualities” paragraph:

  • Language skills- language proficiency. List all the languages ​​you speak or are learning. In this case, to describe the degree of language proficiency, you can use the standard gradation: Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency.

You can use the following words:

  • Computer literacy- computer literacy (in this paragraph, list the names of programs that you can work with).
  • Driving license- driver's license (if you have one, be sure to mention this and indicate the category).

Examples of skills that can be added:

Interests & Extra information

You should be careful with this point, because... this information creates an impression of your personality.

The main mistake is to tell a potential employer about all your hobbies in 10 pages. Briefly mention 2-3 of your hobbies, write about your achievements in this field, if any.

Think about what interests and hobbies you have that can show the employer that you are better suited for the position than other candidates.

Examples of how you can talk about your hobbies in your resume:

Do not include the names or phone numbers of people who can provide you with references if you are posting your resume online or with an employment agency. Instead use the phrase available upon request(Russian. Available upon request)

On a note:

When you apply for a specific position, it is advisable to provide contact information for several people who can recommend you.

Of course, these people should be aware that they may call and ask about you, and you should be sure that they will give you a positive reference.

John Smith, CEO, DCT Publishing, Ltd. +34- 020-7654 3210, [email protected]

Resume template in English with translation

A photo is optional on your resume. If you add one, make sure the photo is professional (neutral background, business clothes, you are looking directly into the camera, etc.)

Sample of an ideal resume (CV) in English

Sara Anne Green
Address (home): 47 Gerrard Street
Manchester, M20 4LZ
Telephone: 0121 423170
Email: [email protected]
A well-organized and outgoing Business Economics student progressed in June 2007 with good communication and analytical skills, looking to develop a career as an economist within an international business environment. Fluent Spanish speaker experienced in the use of spreadsheets, databases, and similar business software.
Education and qualifications: September 2004 - June 2007
BA (Hons) in Business Economics
City University, Bristol
September 1996-June 2003
Manchester School
4 A Levels: Economics (A), Information and Communication
Technology (A), English (A), Spanish (B)
9 GCSEs (including A* grades in Economics,
Spanish, English, Mathematics, ICT, and German)
Work experience: July-September 2006
Administrative Assistant
MKL Smith & Co (Accountants), Manchester
Duties included:
using spreadsheets to sort and chart financial information
assisting PA with routine admin tasks July-September 2005
English Language Teaching Assistant
EFL International, Seville, Spain
Duties included: assisting teachers in preparing lessons
administering student database
liaising with local companies to organize student activities
July 2003-August 2004
Various jobs (including voluntary and hotel work) and travel in Spain and Latin America, gaining a valuable insight into the culture and spoken language of those countries.
Skills: Advanced Certificate in MS Word, MS Excel, and MS Access (evening course, September-July 2006)
Full driving license
Interests & extra information: Netball, travel, swimming
References: Dr Thomas Clark
Senior Lecturer in Business and Management
Department of Business Organization and Strategy
City University
Bristol BS1 2ER
Ms Susan Hunter
Senior Partner
MKL Smith & Co (Accountants)
231 Parker Street
Manchester M20 6QR

Sample of an ideal resume (CV) translation into Russian

Sarah Ann Green
Address (home): 47 Gerrard Street, Manchester M20 4LZ
Telephone number: 0121 423170
Email: [email protected]
I graduated from the university in June 2007 with a degree in Business Economics. I am well organized and sociable, with analytical skills. I strive for a career as an international economist. I speak Spanish fluently. I work with documentation and other commercial software.
Education and qualifications: September 2004 - June 2007
Bachelor's degree (full higher education) by Business
Economics
City University of Bristol
September 1996 - June 2003
school city of Manchester
4 ratings high level: Economics (A), Information and Communication Technologies (A), English (A), Spanish (B)
High school diploma (including highest scores in economics, Spanish, English and German languages, mathematics and ict
Experience: July-September 2006
Administrative Assistant
Secretary-assistant
MKL Smith & Co (Accountants), Manchester
Job responsibilities:
working with financial tables and diagrams
assistance with daily tasks related to administrative work
July 2003-August 2004
Various jobs (including work and hotel work).
Traveling through Spain and Latin America to gain valuable experience in understanding the cultures and spoken language of these countries.
Skills: Certificate in Advanced Level with MS Word, MS Excel and MS Access (evening courses, September-July 2006)
Rights without restrictions
Interests and additional information: Netball, travel, swimming
Recommendations: Dr. Thomas Clark
Senior Lecturer in Business and Management
Faculty of Business Organizations and Strategies
City University
Bristol BS1 2ER
Miss Susan Hunter
Head of the company
MKL Smith & Co (Accountants)
231 Parker Street
Manchester M20 6QR

Website constructors for writing resumes in English

Nowadays, absolutely everything can be done using computer programs, even create a resume thanks to ready-made templates. By using custom resume templates you will be able to create a resume (CV) and cover letter that will set you apart from other candidates and will delight HR managers with its structure.

Easy to use resume builder in English will allow you to structure your experience and highlight its advantages, and then save it in a PDF format convenient for everyone.

Try using ready-made template to create a resume in English on one of the special sites, for example:

Video on how to write a resume in English

Follow the advice collected in this article, and we also recommend that you watch a video on how to correctly write a resume in English:

How To Write a Good CV (How to write a good CV)

How to make CV / Resume (How to create a CV / resume) in English

Let's sum it up

To increase your chances of getting a “lucky ticket” to an interview, consider drawing up resume in English with complete seriousness and responsibility, do not forget to attach to it.

In order to feel confident in the business world, we recommend that you study at our school.

In contact with

When applying for a job in an international company, you must provide resume in English(resume or cv). It is subject to the same requirements as a resume in Russian or Ukrainian. Therefore, if you already have a resume in your native language, you only need to correctly translate it into English, while adjusting it to the qualification requirements of the desired position.

How to write a resume in English

As in a resume in Russian, there are: chronological, functional and combined. To write a resume in English, you need to break all the information into parts.

A resume usually consists of the following blocks:

  1. Heading(First Name, Surname, Date of birth, Address, Phone (Cellular phone, Home phone), E-mail) - document header. This section of the resume includes: first name, last name, date of birth, residential address, contact numbers (mobile, home), email address of the applicant.
  2. Objective- target. This block usually indicates the position for which the applicant is applying or the area in which he plans to develop.
  3. Work Experience(Dates, Position, Title of company, City, Major Duties, Special Projects, Accomplishments). This section describes the applicant’s work experience (period of work, position, company name, city, main responsibilities, projects, achievements).
  4. Education(Dates, Title of educational institution, Major, Degree). This section contains information about the applicant’s education (period of study, title educational institution, specialization, title/academic degree). You can also mention here additional education: trainings, courses.
  5. Honors(Title, Awarding Organization, Date(s)) - awards (name of the award, organization that awarded, date) - indicated whenever possible.
  6. Publications(Title and Type (Note, Article, etc.), Title of Publication (Journal, Book, etc.), Publisher, Date Published) - publications in a newspaper, magazine (topic of publication, type - note, article, etc. , in which magazine or newspaper it was published, date of publication) - indicated as far as possible.
  7. Special Skills(fluency in a foreign language, knowledge of a particular computer application) - professional skills (PC knowledge, foreign languages).
  8. Personal Information- personal information. In this block you can indicate your hobbies, marital status, personal qualities, etc.
  9. References- recommendations. If it is possible to provide references from a previous place of work or study, you can indicate at the end of the resume: “References are available upon request.”

You can place a photo of the applicant in the upper corner of your resume in English.

The Internet is full of information on how to write a resume in English, as well as tips on what to do and not do when writing it. But we will share with you not just another instruction, but tips from native English speakers who work at our school.

Resume or CV

Isn’t that how CV is translated into English? Actually, no. CV, or Curriculum Vitae(translated from Latin - this is the path of life), and resumes are very different in volume. For a resume, the polite maximum is a couple of pages, and for a CV, as much as your imagination and life experience allows.

Remember the assignments from your literature teacher for the summer - read, for example, “War and Peace” in its entirety, all four volumes. Do you understand now how much volume this is?

Now think about a collection of short summaries that has helped you out many times in such situations. Remember how little (compared to the original) there was to read? So, a CV is the entire “War and Peace”, only dedicated to you, and a summary is a resume that is also about you, but straight to the point and without additional details other than those that are important to a potential employer.

Always clarify whether you need to send a CV in English or a resume, do not tire the recruiter in vain, he still has at least twenty, or even more, to read and not forget what and how + you need to make a decision!

Resume structure in English with examples

Here we will focus on the key points, from the point of view of our native speakers, that will be universal for any resume.

Formatting a resume

  • Choose simple and clear fonts.
  • Highlight key points in bold or underline.
  • Use all elements to format text: paragraphs, indents, lists, alignment.

Don't overdo it with colors. The most important thing is that the information on your resume is easy to read and that the layout encourages reading rather than distracting from it.

Contacts

As experience and statistics show, resumes containing a photograph are more often considered. It is better to place it in the upper right corner and it should be good quality. To the left of the photo, enter your personal information.

The contacts section, where we indicate the first name, last name, and patronymic. If you have a foreign passport, then it is best to take the information from it. Contact (electronic and physical) addresses (the address is usually written in this order: house number and street name, apartment number, city, postal code, country.) You also need to indicate the telephone number and all other ways to contact you. Don't forget about your marital status: married (married), single (single), divorced (divorced). And the last thing is your date of birth, Date of birth (it’s better to write the month as a word, since different countries have different formats for writing dates).
Here is an example of the beginning of a resume in English:

Name: Bill Gates
Address: 1835, 73rd Ave, Medina, Washington, US
Phone: 709-3100
Marital status: Married
Nationality: American
Date of Birth: 28 October 1955
Email: [email protected]

Professional profile (Specialist card)

This is kind of a cool teaser or spoiler, where the very best Interesting Facts about you related to the position for which you are applying. And, since this is information only about yourself, then “I” and “am” and “have” are omitted everywhere in the resume, so as not to be full of your ego everywhere (I’m a specialist, I have 5 years of experience, etc.). d.).

In Western companies, it has long been customary to do this so that the HR manager opens your resume and immediately finds something for which it is worth contacting you or, in general, hiring you hand and foot. Here is a simple example of a resume in English:

4+ years of professional experience in sales management.- More than four years of experience in sales management.
Excellent managing skills and ability to work to tight deadlines.- Excellent management skills and ability to work under tight deadlines.

Also in this section you can indicate the position for which you are applying and the purpose of your resume.

Sales manager.- Sales Manager.
A general office position with a focus on wholesaling.- Job title office employee with specialization in wholesale trade.
To obtain employment in the field of client support that will allow me to use my ability to communicate with people and take advantage of my knowledge of English.- Obtain a position in customer support, which will allow me to use my people skills and knowledge of the English language.
I am looking for a position as a sales manager for a distributive company.- I am looking for a position as a sales manager in a distribution company.

Skills

Skills. It’s already difficult to elaborate anything here, we just take those that are perfect for the position and list them:

Knowledge of Oracle, SAGE and all Microsoft Office Apps.- Knowledge of Oracle, SAGE and all Microsoft Office applications.
Excellent communication skills and ability to present complex information in an easy to understand format.- Excellent communication skills and the ability to convey complex information accessible.

Experience

Experience. We write about all our merits, orders and real achievements in reverse order - from the most recent to earlier periods of work. Be sure to include information about the name of the company, position, period of work and achievements in the position for that period.

If you worked in a small and not particularly well-known company, try to provide links to more famous and large partners with whom you had the opportunity to deal. Let's take a closer look:

LANGFORD PARTNERSHIP, Sacramento- company name and city
Financial Analyst- financial analyst
September 2011 - Present- period of work from September 2011 to the present
Created financial reports and supported all areas of responsibility within a 5 person finance team.- Created financial reports and supported all areas of responsibility in a team of 5 finance specialists.
Process journal entries and perform accounting corrections to ensure accurate records.- Process journal entries and make adjustments to official records to ensure accuracy of records.

If you do not have official work experience, you can indicate in this section industrial practice, internship, part-time work, freelancing, participation in any projects, etc.

You may have already noticed that past accomplishments and accomplishments are described using the past tense, while current responsibilities are described using the present tense. And, again, the “I” is missing everywhere.

These verbs will help you describe your responsibilities.

  • analyzed - analyzed
  • managed - managed
  • arranged - arranged
  • organized - organized
  • assessed / evaluated - assessed
  • performed - carried out
  • assisted - helped
  • planned - planned
  • budgeted - created a budget
  • promoted - promoted
  • calculated - counted, calculated
  • recommended - recommended
  • controlled / monitored - controlled
  • represented - represented
  • coordinated - coordinated
  • researched - researched
  • created - created
  • sold - sold
  • designed - designed
  • solved - solved
  • developed - developed, developed
  • supervised - controlled, supervised
  • distributed - distributed, distributed
  • tested - checked
  • examined - checked, studied
  • trained - trained
  • implemented - implemented, embodied

Education

Education. Everything is simple here - we list the name of the university, faculty, specialty and date of graduation, as well as all the certificates and courses that you have completed:

GROVER COLLEGE, Alamosa- names of the university and city
MBA with Accounting Concentration- Master's degree in accounting
June 2008- period of obtaining a degree

It is important to list the educational institutions attended in reverse chronological order - from university to school.

Names of educational institutions:

boarding school- boarding school, boarding school (closed educational institution)
college- college, school
institute- institute
private/independent school- private school
teacher training college- pedagogical college
technical college- technical College
university- university
vocational college- vocational school

Names of academic degrees:

undergraduate- student
bachelor's degree student- bachelor
master's degree student- master
postgraduate- graduate student
doctoral candidate- doctoral student

Other skills

Another skills. Despite the name, this section is also worth paying attention to and adding here everything that is not entirely related to the work that is interesting to us, but something that is worth mentioning, and, of course, it is highly advisable to write English level language in the resume.

By the way, the standard options are: elementary - basic, intermediate - average, upper-intermediate - above average. We believe that we speak confidently and fluently - fluent.

If you passed international language exams, record the result. For example: English (IELTS 7.5 - advanced).

Great experience in Adobe Crea
tive Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), intermediate level of English.- Extensive experience in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop), knowledge of English at an intermediate level.

When writing this section, you can use the following phrases:

ability to conduct business in 2 languages- ability to conduct business in two languages
easily solve technical problems- I can easily solve technical problems
excellent written and verbal communication skills- excellent written and oral communication skills
in-depth knowledge of... / understanding of…- deep knowledge of... / understanding...
keep alert to… / keep abreast of…- I keep up with new developments in the field...
keep up-to-date with changes in the industry- I follow changes in my professional field
speaking in public- ability to speak in front of an audience
well-developed skills in...- developed skills in the field...

Additional information

Here you can enter the following information. It won't be superfluous:

Valid international passport.- You have a valid passport.
International driver's license.- You have an international driver's license.
Available for relocation.- You agree to the move.

Cover letter

The cover letter is not exactly a section of the resume, but what the recruiter will see first, because he or she will first open the letter to which you attached your resume, and only then the resume itself.

The letter should be formatted in a business style. We begin the letter with the address: Dear Mr. Edison, for example. It’s better to find an HR profile on social networks and contact him or her by name - this will 100% be a plus for karma!

Next, we introduce ourselves and explain why we are interested in the vacancy. To explain why only we are suitable for this position, we paint our skills and achievements with all the colors. For example, My security plugin for Windows browsers made them work faster. - The security plugin of my creation speeds up the work of all browsers!

At the end of the letter, we thank you for your attention - thanks for your attention, and that in general we will be happy to answer any questions, or even come for an interview - feel free to contact me for more details. We politely end the letter with the standard phrase “Regards”, i.e. “With respect” / “With respect”, not “See you later, alligator.”

Resume template in English

Dear Mr. Edison, I am highly interested in your position at findajob.com.- Dear Mr. Edison, I am highly interested in your vacancy, which I found on findjob.com.
In my last job I managed a $350,000 budget, with a reduction of costs totaling 15% over two years.- In my last job, I managed a $350,000 budget, reducing costs by total amount by 15% in two years.
Thank you for your time. Please contact me for any relevant information.- Thank you for your time. Please contact us if you require any additional information.
Regards, Andrew Wilson.- WITH Best wishes, Andrew Wilson.

Please note that in a cover letter we can already write I am, I have. And, if you have recently reached some heights or have just completed an English course, you can say this using the Present Perfect - I have just finished an Intermediate English course. - I just finished an intermediate level English course.

Mistakes when writing a resume

Let's talk about typical mistakes when writing a resume.

  • Volume more than 2 pages.
  • Poor visual design and all text without paragraphs.
  • The absence of a professional profile (spoiler about yourself and how cool our experience and skills are) - this is how you will force the recruiter to read all two pages of your resume.
  • Insufficient contact information. This way your resume immediately ends up at the end of the list and there is even a risk that it will simply be missed.
  • Insufficient information about previous employment. This looks suspicious and immediately reduces your chances of getting the desired position.
  • Indication of short periods of operation in the “Experience” section. They may put off a potential employer (except for project-based work, in which case be sure to mention that it was a short-term project).
  • Irrelevant experience - don’t write about how you worked in construction in the summer if you want to become a senior financial analyst.
  • The use of I am and I have are all in the same “Experience” section. As our speakers explained, this is bad form and a waste of symbols.
  • Certificates and skills that don't exist. Everything is easy to check, and if you indicated your level of knowledge of English in your resume, for example, like a native, but in reality - with a dictionary, and even then I’m embarrassed, you will definitely find yourself in an awkward situation. It is better to take an interview preparation course, which includes writing a resume in English, or a business course. By the way, we have just such courses and cool teachers who can easily prepare you and help you write a resume. So feel free to sign up for a free introductory lesson at EnglishDom.
  • Lack of cover letter. Use every opportunity to draw attention to your candidacy, including a cover letter.
  • EnglishDom #inspiring to learn

Are you applying for a job in an international or technology company? Or maybe you are going to work in another country? Wonderful! All of these are certainly steep steps up career ladder, and in personal development as well.
A resume in English is a pass into this new life. So let's try to turn it into an offer you can't refuse.

From this article you will learn:

  • What does a classic English resume look like?
  • Features, tips and mistakes when compiling each section
  • Examples of key phrases and established expressions

In short, here it is 5 tips for writing a resume in English

1. Contacts: install international instant messengers for communication: WhatsApp, Fb messenger or Skype.
2. Summary: write it according to the elevator speech principle.
3. Education: use accepted abbreviations: BS, MA - to indicate academic degree, GPA - to indicate grade point average.
4. Skills: do not forget to separately mention Hard and Soft skills
5. Style: use bright tone for USA, modest tone for Europe

5 mistakes when writing a resume in English

1. Do not attach photos for US and UK
2. Don't use cliche phrases: experienced hard-worker, out-of-the-box thinker
3. Don't write obvious skills: Proficient in Microsoft Word, Windows user - this is like writing ability.
4. Do not exceed the length of your resume: for the USA – 1 page, for Europe – 2 pages.
5. Do not forget that every word in the title, positions, degrees, universities is written with a capital letter.

Now let’s go in more detail through the sections of the resume:

1. Personal Details and Contacts

Personal Details: First, the name is indicated (that is why it is “First name”), and only then the surname (“Last name”), in that order. Write as they are written in your passport. There is no need to write a middle name

Contacts. Install international instant messengers for communication: WhatsApp, Fb messenger or Skype. (We chat – if the employer is from China)

In addition to your email and phone number, you can leave a link to social network: LinkedIn for the USA, Europe (except Germany, Xing is popular there). Still, a good recruiter will look at your profile to see how your views fit with those of the company. So why not be prepared for this in advance?

There is no need to add your entire address, just the city.
Here is an example of filling out contact information:

Tip 1: If you are sending your resume toAmericanor Englishcompany, it is better to do without a photo, inEuropeanHR companies expect a photo in the CV.

What is advisable to mention

phone number (where the necessary messengers are installed)
links to social networks

What will be superfluous

Surname
Date of Birth
marital status (the recruiter may be prohibited by law from being interested in this data)

2. Summary

In the Summary, in three sentences, the candidate describes the most strengths your experience to interest the recruiter for further reading.

This is a short self-presentation, like an “elevator pitch” - which can literally be voiced during an elevator ride.

Example CV Summary:

What to mention

Tell us about your specialty and mention your main skills

Three invaluable tips for your resume: Be concise. Be bright. Be effective.
William Vanderbloemen
Forbes writer

3. Work experience

If you have at least a year of work experience, this section should be placed immediately after the Summary: this will be the main thing that interests the recruiter. Tell us about your professional experience starting with your last job and list all places in descending order (from last to very first).

According to the structure of writing, the so-called bullet points will be most familiar to a recruiter. Only non-native speakers often make punctuation errors here. Please note that if each bullet point is a complete sentence, you need to start with a capital letter and add a period. If it's a phrase rather than a full sentence, you can start with a capital letter or a regular letter and leave out any punctuation at the end.

For example:
Our department managed to complete 10 projects in two months .

10 projects completed in two months

Just don't mix different types of bullet points (full sentence and phrase).

Start each paragraph of achievements in a similar way, preferably with an active verb in Past Simple(completed, achieved, created, etc.). For example: released 20 applications in App Store and Google Market.

When listing your responsibilities, use gerund(verb with –ing ending). For example: communication with clients(communication with customers) preparing press-releases and articles on business subject(preparation of press releases and articles on business topics).

If you use noun phrases in your resume template, e.g. marketing activities do not use more than 3 nouns in a row.

Marketing activities in travel industry for East-Europe region

East-Europe travel industry marketing activities

Tip 2: To properly translate your position, try searching for a job with similar responsibilities on an international website (monster.com or indeed.com) and see what it is called there.

4.Education

For irrelevant or missing work experience, the education section should come first.

When writing the name of the educational institution, do not use abbreviations. Instead of KNU Shevchenko - Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Different countries may have different education systems, and not every employer will understand the difference between academic degrees. The following are the most common spellings in English.

In the American version of the description of education, you can most often find an indication of the field of study along with the degree.

For exact sciences:
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Master of Science (M.S.)
Doctor of Science (S.D.)

For humanities:
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

Tip 3: You can look at the spelling of your university, specialty and degree on the English version of the site or from former graduates in their LinkedIn profile.

If you would like to indicate your grade point average, write as follows: GPA 4.5 (5), where GPA is grade point average, 4.5 is your result, and 5 is the maximum score. To refer to graduation with honors, it is better to use the generally accepted Latin term - “cum laude”.

In the USA, distinctions are of great importance and are determined very precisely based on the position in the graduation ranking, for example, summa cum laude (with the highest distinction), top 5% of class.

An example of an education section resume might look like this:

Tip 4: Capital letters. Each word in the title, degrees, universities/colleges, positions is capitalized.

For example: Master of Law, Customer Sales Representative at Microsoft

5.Skills

6. Certificates and About

Optional sections are Certificates/Courses and About.

The first one demonstrates your Professional Development, and the second reveals you as a person.

In the About section, avoid the so-called. buzzwords – boring and standard phrases like Hard worker, thinking outside the box, Excellent communicator. They are the first thing that appears in template resumes from Google. Be more specific: I created/achieved A,B,C… or I managed/directed team and implemented 1,2,3.

Preferably

Created/ achieved A,B,C
Managed/directed team and implemented 1,2,3
Succeeded A, B, C

Undesirable

hard worker
thinking outside the box
excellent communicator

And regarding hobbies: your yoga or skiing will not affect your ability to lead a project. Your employer will be much more interested in what tasks you prefer to do and what you strive for. Better use this section to answer this question in three sentences.


7. References

In Western companies, the candidate is expected to provide References (contacts of people who can leave feedback about your work). That's why at the end of the resume they write References: Available upon request.(Check in advance with your recommenders which communication channel (tel/email) will be more convenient for them).

Advice: Resume format – PDF. Why not standard docx.? In PDF format yourresume samplewill look exactly the way you wrote it, and in docx. sentences and paragraphs may shift between versions text editor. (Besides, it is not necessary that the recruiter has Word installed).

Advice: Resume volume forUSAshould not exceed 1 page, conciseness plays a big role, but at the same time you must clearly communicate your main skills in order to be noticed. ForEuropeon the contrary, the volume of the resume can be 2 or even 3 pages and have a neutral tone of writing.

Bonus: useful resources

And in conclusion, we add a couple of links to sites useful for your resume:

Thesaurus – Check your resume for repetitions and find similar words

Business Insider – overused words or words to avoid on your resume in English

Grammarly – check it out ready-made resume for mistakes

We hope these tips will serve you well. In general, you can apply them directly on our website, at. It already contains all the correct structure and names + hints are given.

We sincerely wish you easy interviews and a job you love!

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