If you’re applying for a job outside of North America, you need a strong resume for the interview.
1. Decide on a CV format and style
Open a new document in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and use the settings below.
- Set ½ – 1” margins on each side
- Use a font size between 10 and 12 points
- Select a professional font such as Times New Roman or Arial
Additionally, whether you are writing a professional resume or an academic resume, you should consider at least the following five areas:
- Header with your name and contact information
- Introduction
- Work Experience
- Education
- Skills
Formal and creative resume styles
After formatting your resume, you need to decide on its style.
If you are writing an academic resume, or applying for a job in a suit-and-tie office (such as a law firm), your resume style should be very formal. A formal resume has a minimal design, serif font and dark colors.
On the other hand, if you are applying for a marketing or design job, you can be more creative with your resume. Creative resume designs include graphic details such as skill bars, bright colors, and unique layouts.
Compare formal and creative resumes and you will see the difference.
2. Clearly list your contact information at the top
First of all, employers need to know who you are and how to contact them if you want to interview them.
You can easily find that information by including the following contact information in the header of your resume at the top of the page.
- First and last name (in a large font)
- Telephone Number
- Email Address
- LinkedIn Profile (optional)
Make sure your email address and LinkedIn profile are up-to-date and professional before adding to your resume.
3. Open with a convincing CV objective or summary
At the top of the page, just below the resume header, it provides a concise and focused resume introduction that immediately catches the employer’s attention and shows that you are the right person for the job. I can convince you of something.
There are two types of CV introductions commonly used by job seekers:
- CV objective (also known as a career objective)
- CV summary (or professional summary)
The goal of both referencing styles is to quickly highlight relevant experience and skills to convince employers to read your resume. However, how you achieve this goal depends on your deployment.
4. List your relevant work experience in chronological order
If you have already started your career, this is the most important part of your resume. In the employment history section, employers evaluate your credentials and look for information about your major professional accomplishments and previous responsibilities.
To create a strong work experience section, start by listing any relevant jobs at the top and the most recent job at the bottom. In most cases, your resume should list no more than four unique positions.
Tip
However, you can include all of your experience if you’re writing a CV for a job outside North America to reflect the full course of your professional life.
For each position you list, include the following information:
- Company name
- Job title
- Your start date and end date (month and year)
Then, include 3-5 bullet points for each position that outline key job accomplishments and responsibilities.
As you write each point in your resume, be sure to include the following details to make it as compelling as possible.
- An action verb that grabs attention and shows employers what you achieved
- Hard numbers (like dollar amounts or percentages) that provide context to those achievements
- An example of a specific and relevant responsibility
Here’s an example CV bullet point in action:
DO:
Enhanced conversion rates by 30% through A/B tested landing pages for a better performing conversion funnel.
DON’T:
Responsible for improving conversion rates. Performed A/B testing.
5. Highlight your education
A clear education section is an important part of your resume, especially if you’re a recent graduate or have little work experience.
If you have less work experience, your education section should be very detailed so that you can showcase all of your academic achievements. However, if you have years in your career, keep your education section short and to the point and focus on your work experience.
If you have work experience, please include the following information in the education section of your resume:
- The names of your university, community college, or technical school
- Location of the schools (city and state)
- Date of graduation (month and year)
- Degree(s)
If you’re a college student or recent graduate, you can also add the following information to your education section:
- GPA (if it’s above 3.5)
- Relevant coursework
- Honors or awards (such as summa cum laude or Dean’s list)
6. Showcase your skills
Employers are always looking for candidates with strong professional skills related to the jobs they are hiring for.
Listing a bunch of skills in the skills section of your resume won’t prove you’re right for the job, but emphasizing specific, focused skills will at least help you understand the job’s needs.
There are two main types of skills you should include on your resume: hard skills and soft skills.
Hard skills
Hard skills are job-specific abilities acquired through experience, education, or training. Hard skills are usually either technical skills required to perform a specific task or a set of competencies such as project management.
When applying for jobs that require specific knowledge, such as software development, adding hard skills to your resume is essential for a successful interview.
Here are some common examples of hard skills to include on a resume.
Hard skills to include on a CV
| HTML/CSS/Javascript | Language skills |
| Graphic design | Front-end development |
| UI/UX design | Social media management |
| Mechanical engineering | Perl/Python/Ruby |
| Hardware troubleshooting | Photo editing |
| Data analysis | Salesforce |
| Marketing | Carpentry |
Soft skills
Soft skills are inherent personality traits that positively affect how you work and how you relate to others (such as interpersonal skills and creativity). They are naturally learned throughout life and, unlike hard skills, cannot be easily taught in the classroom.
Examples of soft skills on your resume include:
Soft skills to include on a CV
| Teamwork | Empathy |
| Communication skills | Creativity |
| Collaboration | TIme management |
| Conflict management | Organizational skills |
| Confidence | Decision making |
| Discipline | Leadership |
| Critical thinking | Interpersonal skills |
7. Add additional information that emphasizes your qualifications
If you’ve read this far, you’ve already put together the basics of your resume. Now it’s time to add some additional details.
Including additional sections on your resume is optional, but the right information can help highlight your qualifications and give you a hiring manager (if necessary).
Here are additional sections that you can include on your CV:
Languages
Candidates who speak multiple languages are valued in various industries. If you are multilingual, list the languages in a separate section of your resume to showcase your skills.
Interests
Including your interests and hobbies on your resume is a great way to set yourself apart from other applicants and show employers that you’re a culture fit for the company.
However, before adding a hobby section to your resume, consider whether your hobbies are relevant to the company you are applying for and whether they are a good fit for the job. Also consider the official level of the company.
For example, if you’re applying to a mainstream startup or an outdoor company like Patagonia, your interest in hiking is perfectly fine.
However, highlighting time spent playing Call of Duty when applying to a law firm may be considered unprofessional.
Volunteer work
Adding a volunteer section to your resume is a great way to highlight some of your transferable skills and show your community involvement.
For those two reasons alone, volunteering is a great addition to your resume, but it’s especially effective if you’re applying for a job in the nonprofit sector or politics.
Additionally, if you don’t have paid work experience, including volunteer work can help round out your resume.
1 page CV example (with work experience)
Now, here’s an example of a CV with years of work experience:
