European resumes - Writing a Resume Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com (2024)

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- If you thought a CV in the United States was confusing, you're really going to have some fun comparing and contrasting that to a CV in Europe but we'll get through it together. Let's start with the obvious point that Europe is a region and not a country. Therefore, each country in that region will have its own nuances and style that is unique to them. I will, however, be using the term Europe or European in an intentionally generic way in order to simplify the concepts. Adding to the confusion is the fact that in most European countries, the curriculum vitae, or CV, is the accepted form for applying for a job. In essence, it is to European countries what a resume is to the United States and in Europe, it may be referred to as a resume even though the two documents are quite different. But with more and more global travel and multinational companies, they US resume is occasionally accepted in place of a CV. Let's take it from the top. The major differences between a European CV and a resume are in its length. A US resume is not usually longer than two pages. A US CV can be upwards of 10 pages but a European CV is usually two to three pages. There's actually a European standard CV created by the EU administration called the Europass CV. It's available in the exercise files and when you open it, you'll immediately see the differences. CVs, as with most documents in Europe, are printed on A4-size paper. It's a standard in Europe and you will need to format your resume appropriately when submitted online so that when it is printed, the margins won't shift and your work will appear as you intended it. The European CV will include personal information that will not be expected to appear on a resume in the US. Photos, marital status, age, hobbies and nationality are standard in many countries, though it is becoming increasingly optional. Education is another area of difference. While high school information is not included on a US resume, a European CV will likely include some secondary school information even if a college degree or other advanced degree is also included. Military training is also expected, depending upon the country you're applying in and should be included when applicable. What stands out the most is the detail expected when it comes to skills. Starting with language skills. You can expect this to be an area where detail is needed due to the number of languages spoken in Europe. Having a good idea of just how proficient a person is in each language is very important. But some of the other areas, such as managerial skills, communication skills and job-related skills are specifically called out in a way that we are not used to in the United States. You'll need to do more specific research for the countries to learn the specific expectations that you will need to meet. One example of customization for a specific country is within the UK, references play a large part in being hired, so when listing prior employers, include not only the geographic location but the complete address, along with the phone number. In the US, this information is usually saved for the job application or as part of providing references and do your research. The internet has made everyone closer and brought information to our fingertips that previously would have been hard to obtain. So you can see, applying for a job in another part of the world isn't nearly as difficult as you first imagined.