International Professionals: Get Your C.V. Translated into a Compelling Resume

In North America, a resume is the most widely used document in a job search process.  It is a crucial document that will determine, in almost all cases, whether or not you will be selected for the job interview.  Thus, it must effectively showcase your career experience, qualifications and accomplishments in a manner that impress potential employers.  The CV (curriculum vitae) on the other hand is a more comprehensive document (10+ pages in length depending on career level) that is designed to introduce you to employers in academics, advanced research, senior  administration and teaching.

For international professionals who are seeking career opportunities in Canada or the U.S., it is essential to translate/convert your CV into a North American resume format that is compelling.  Resumes are usually two to three pages in length and contain only information that is relevant to your target positions, profession or career areas of interest.  Your resume should provide a brief synopsis of your career success, core competence and soft skills, followed by your professional experience, accomplishments and qualifications.  While many international job seekers include personal information on their CVs such as date of birth, marital status and ethnicity; this information should be left out entirely on your resume.  Including personal information on your resume could lead to age discrimination and you being screened-out of the hiring process.

From CV to resume optimization, what you need to know.  Resume optimization and/or Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are key concepts you should be familiar with when it comes to building your resume and being found by employers online and within their resume database systems.  Optimizing your resume with relevant keywords will also make it easier for you to be found on job boards such as Monster, CareerBuilder, Workopolis and social media portals, including LinkedIn.  Many recruiters, recruitment agencies and executive search consultants routinely search Google, industry-specific job portals and other search engines to locate candidates to fill positions and build talent pool for future hires/placements.

Hiring technology improves recruitment efficiency and cost-effectiveness in general for business and industry.  Since most employers today, particularly large global corporations, use applicant tracking and recruitment systems to screen and rank resumes for interviews—it’s absolutely crucial to ensure that your resume incorporates all relevant keywords, job-specific phrases and industry terminologies in order to be be screened-in/flagged by these systems for interviews.  Click here for tips on developing a keyword-rich resume.

I work one-on-one with internationally-trained professionals, including senior managers, business leaders and executives to develop a strong, personal resume brand that best articulates their value proposition and ROI to potential employers.  I have personal writing expertise in more than 50 industries/ professions, including Information Technology/IT, Software Development, Infrastructure Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices,  Health Sciences, Professional Services/Consulting, Accounting/Finance, Banking/Wealth Management, Sales/Marketing, Supply Chain Management/Logistics, Human Resources, Insurance, Hospitality, Retail Management, etc.  If you are looking to hone your expertise in a compelling resume, bio or professional profile, then give me a call to discuss your career experience and resume writing service options.