Do you dream about working abroad? Do your short or
long-term career goals include an international assignment?
Maybe you want to practice your ability to speak multiple
languages. Perhaps you completed coursework or a degree in
international business. Or maybe you just want to broaden
your corporate qualifications with a more global
perspective and multicultural experience.
With an increasingly diverse workforce and global economy,
international business experience -- whether that involves
frequent international business trips, short-term overseas
assignments, or longer-term relocation to foreign locations
-- can certainly be valuable as a building block for your
entire career.
With more and more multinational firms transferring
employees between global locations, your chances of winning
a coveted overseas assignment have never been better. But,
how do you market yourself for these positions?
As with most job searches, one of your first steps will be
to develop your portfolio of personal marketing documents.
In other words, you must prepare your resume/CV and job
search letters. Do the terms resume and CV (curriculum
vitae) confuse you?
The first thing to understand is that different countries
use different terms to describe what is essentially the
same type of document. In fact, in international circles,
the terms "resume" and "CV" are often used interchangeably.
But, to complicate the issue, depending on the country you
are applying to, the requirements of what to include in
your resume/CV and in what format to include it may be very
different.
For example, in the U.S. you should never include a
photograph of yourself in your resume (unless you are a
model or an actor/actress). Likewise, you should not
include any information about your birthday, marital
status, family status, or other similar personal details.
In fact, if you do include photos or personal data, most
U.S. employers will simply discard your resume rather than
risk a potential discrimination lawsuit. On the other hand,
personal photographs and data are expected and often
required on CVs meant for European or Asian employers.
In U.S., Canadian, and some other job markets your work
experience should be included in reverse chronological
order (most recent to oldest). In many other job markets
around the world, your experience should be listed in
straight chronological order (oldest to most recent).
Clearly, it is crucial that you be aware of the
requirements and expectations of the job market you are
applying in. You must take the time to research and learn
these differences before preparing or adapting your resume
for international employers.
In some cases, when you are applying to the overseas
location of a multinational company, the decision-makers
for the position will be of a nationality other than the
location in which you are applying. For example, you may be
targeting a position in Hong Kong, and know that the person
making the decisions for that position is an American
expatriate. In this case, you may want to submit a resume
written in the U.S. style which will be more familiar to
the decision-maker.
Our expertise is in creating resumes in the U.S. style.
However, our client base is worldwide and our resumes have
been used successfully by people all over the globe seeking
international assignments based in the U.S. or targeting
positions worldwide when they have determined that the
U.S.-style is most appropriate. The lesson: do your
research and know your audience, then tailor your approach
to the expectations of the audience.
Regardless of the job you are targeting, and what country
that job is in, if your goal is to go global you definitely
want to emphasize and highlight your international travel
and multicultural experiences, your foreign language
abilities, and any coursework you have completed that is
relevant to international business. You can weave all of
this into the body of your resume/CV and may even create a
separate section to call it out in greater detail.
Finally, above all, be open-minded and flexible. Your
eagerness to learn and your adaptability are key predictors
of how successful you will be on international assignment.
So, don't be afraid to ask questions and adapt to new ways
of doing things. Your international job search is not the
time to hold tight to your own cultural preferences. Be
flexible! If you don't know what is expected or required of
job candidates in a particular company or foreign location,
ask! Then adapt your approach.
Here is a checklist to help you prepare your international
career marketing portfolio:
___The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified
to conform to the requirements of the international job
market I am targeting.
___The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified
to conform to the expectations of the decision-maker for
the position I am targeting.
___I have paid particular attention to requirements
regarding photographs and personal data and have adapted my
resume/CV accordingly.
___My resume/CV has been translated into another language
if necessary and has been reviewed by a native speaker of
that language.
___My resume/CV emphasizes and includes information about
all of my previous multicultural and international business
experience and qualifications.
___My resume includes a thorough listing of my foreign
language abilities.
___My resume/CV includes detailed descriptions of my
education and training (educational requirements and
degrees vary around the world, so it is often helpful to
describe your degrees in terms of their local equivalent).
___The design of my resume/CV had been modified to fit on
the paper size that is the standard in the international
location I am applying in.
___My resume/CV has been proofed and is completely free of
errors.
___My resume/CV uses simple fonts and a classic,
easy-to-read design.
___The electronic files of my resume/CV are prepared in
standard formats, including Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, and
plain text ASCII.
___I have researched and scrupulously followed any
guidelines for submission of my resume/CV as described by
the company I am applying to.
___I have sent my resume/CV and job search letter by email
when an email address is available, but have followed up
with a hard copy by regular postal mail.
----------------------------------------------------
Nationally certified resume writer and career marketing
expert, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive
Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com
Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of 101
Before-and-After Resume Examples
http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com
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