How to write a resume in English? - this question worries many job seekers looking for a job. We will talk about all the subtleties and nuances of this process in this article.
Let's start with the fact that the word "resume" can be translated in two ways. In the UK and other European countries, it is customary to use the term CV (from lat. curriculum vitae- life path), in the USA - resume. Accordingly, when choosing the most correct option, focus on the company where you want to get a job.
In order for a resume to “shoot”, to please a potential employer, you need to know a few things. First, it is important to understand how and in what style you should express your thoughts. Secondly, you need to be able to properly structure your resume.
Let's look at the first point.
Basic principles for writing a resume:
- Brevity is the soul of wit. Do not write too much, try to limit yourself to 1-2 sheets of a Word document. Include only the most important information, leaving out all unnecessary details and details. It is unlikely that an HR employee will spend a lot of time on one resume. Your goal is to present the material as concisely, concisely and informatively as possible, so that any person can quickly catch the essence.
- Literacy. This is a very important aspect that determines what impression you will make on a potential employer. When writing a resume in English, use words and phrases that you are 100% sure of. It is also not recommended to use overly complex constructions, especially if your level of language proficiency is far from perfect. And, of course, forget about slang and colloquial expressions! Choose neutral words or professional vocabulary. After writing a resume, be sure to check it several times.
- Photo. According to statistics, the majority of HR employees prefer to invite candidates who have added a photo to their resume for an interview.
- Orientation. Before applying for a position, please review the requirements for the candidate. Considering these features, make certain edits to your resume.
- Structured. A resume is not just a document with a list of all your regalia. Any well-written CV should have a clear structure. Which one? We will talk about this in the second part of our article.
Resume structure
1. Personal information - personal data
A person is greeted by clothes, and the resume of the applicant is met by a photo. As a rule, the photo is inserted in the upper right corner of the document. To the left of the picture is information about yourself:
| Name | First name and last name English language. Be extremely careful! We advise you to check the correct spelling in the passport. |
| Address | Address in English. Most often it is written in the following order: house number - street name - apartment number - city - postal code - country. Example: 15 Pushkina Street, apt. 5, Moscow, 205637, Russia. |
| phone number | Telephone. It is advisable to indicate the number in the international format, starting with the country code. |
| marital status | Family status. There are several options here: married (married, married), single (not married, not married) and divorced (divorced, divorced). |
| date of birth | Date of Birth. Note that the name of the month is capitalized. For example, you could write the date like this: 12th November, 1990. |
| Address Email. Gmail is considered the best international mail service. |
Optionally, you can also include nationality (nationality) and additional communication methods (for example, Skype or Facebook).
2. Objective - goal
In this section, it is necessary to formulate the purpose of the resume - to indicate what position you want to take. Many experts advise not only to indicate the position you are interested in, but also to explain very briefly why you are the right candidate.
Here are some examples:
| I am looking for a position as a procurement manager for a distributive company. | I am looking for the position of Purchasing Manager in a distribution company. |
| I want to obtain a position as a marketing assistant in your company. | I want to apply for the position of marketing assistant in your company. |
| I am seeking a position as a sales manager in a large fast growing company. | I am looking for a job as a sales manager in a large fast growing company. |
| I would like to get a position of translator to use my professional skills and advanced knowledge of English and German. | I would like to apply for a position as an interpreter in order to be able to apply my professional skills and advanced knowledge of English and German. |
| Hard working business management graduate with proven leadership and organizational skills seeking to apply my abilities to the position of junior assistant to the CEO at …. | A hard-working business management graduate with good leadership and organizational skills would like to apply for a junior assistant position in a company…. |
3. Education - education
In this paragraph, you need to write where and when you studied after school. Indicate the full name of the institution where you studied, faculty, specialty, your educational and qualification level and years of study. If you have a red diploma (diploma with honor), make the necessary note in your resume.
If you graduated from two or more educational institutions, list them in reverse chronological order - from the latest to the first.
Below are a few examples:
In the event that the study has not yet been completed, the following expressions will come to the rescue:
4. Qualifications - additional qualification
This section is intended to indicate the various courses, special seminars and conferences that you attended for the purpose of professional growth and professional development.
For example:
5. Work experience / Employment History
Perhaps this is one of the key sections of the resume. It is very important to present your experience in a positive light, to describe it in such a way that the HR employee wants to invite you for an interview.
Be sure to indicate the position you previously held, as well as your job responsibilities. You should not “pour water” - no one is interested in reading long stories about what you were doing. Write clearly and as briefly as possible. For example, you can describe your responsibilities using the gerund: monitoring the market - monitoring the market, communicating with our suppliers - communication with suppliers, preparing business plans - preparing business plans, etc.
What to do if you are yesterday's graduate or you do not have an official job? In this case, you can write about an internship at a university, an internship in a company, tutoring, or completing orders on a freelance exchange.
In the same section, you can focus on your achievements. Please note: all wording must be as clear as possible. Be specific about your successes. Let's say you managed to attract 50 new customers, you exceeded the KPI plan by 2 times every month, or you wrote 100 articles for a large company. Here it would be appropriate to use the Past Simple tense, for example: wrote 100 articles for a large company.
So, when filling out this paragraph, indicate the name of the company, the country and city where it is located, the time period when you worked there, as well as the name of your position. Next, list your responsibilities and the most important, from your point of view, achievements. It is best to list all jobs in reverse chronological order, i.e. from the latest to the first.
Here are some examples:
| Company name, Moscow, Russia sales manager 2015 – up to now |
Key achievements:
|
| Company Name, Moscow, Russia Secretary 2013–2015 |
|
6. Skills - special skills
This section is another chance to tell a potential employer about your competitive advantages, that is, the special skills that you possess:
- Ability to solve complex issues. For example, perform several tasks at the same time (multitasking) or always turn in work strictly on time (ability to meet deadlines).
As a rule, applicants appeal with the following expressions:
- Strong time management skills - an excellent time management skill (the ability to plan your working time)
- Willingness to learn - the desire to learn
- Ability to work efficiently in a team - the ability to work effectively in a team
- Good at quick decision making - the ability to make decisions quickly
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills - excellent oral and written communication skills
- Problem-solving skills - the ability to solve problems
- Analytical thinking - analytical thinking
- In-depth knowledge of… – in-depth knowledge of…
- Have broad experience in …– I have extensive experience in…
- Foreign language skills. To describe your level, we recommend using the terms of the international CEFR scale: beginner (A1), elementary (A2), intermediate (B1), upper-intermediate (B2), advanced (C1), proficient (C2).
- Computer literacy. Specify the list computer programs that you own. For example, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Outlook Express, Adobe Photoshop, 1C: Enterprise, etc.
- Having a driver's license.
- Hobby.
Here's an example:
- Strategic thinking, quick learning skills, ability to work under pressure
- English-upper-intermediate(B2)
- French-elementary (A2)
- Computer literacy - Microsoft Word, Microsoft power point, Paint.NET, Adobe Photoshop
- Driving license – category B
- Hobbies – travelling, reading, boxing
7. Personal qualities - personal qualities
It would seem that this is difficult? However, for many, listing their positive qualities is a certain difficulty. It's very hard to imagine strengths so as not to go over to boasting and bragging.
Before writing this paragraph, carefully study the vacancy and especially the requirements that apply to the candidate. Need an energetic and friendly person? If you consider yourself to be such, write that you are active, sociable and able to find a common language with any people. And vice versa: if you are applying for a vacancy that does not involve teamwork and communication with clients or partners, then you should indicate completely different qualities inherent in you.
We have compiled a thematic list of adjectives that you may find useful:
| Active | Active |
| adaptable | Easily adaptable to circumstances |
| Ambitious | Purposeful, ambitious |
| Articulate | Articulate |
| Calm | Calm |
| collaborative | Able to work in a team |
| Communicative | Communicable |
| Confident | Confident |
| Cooperative | Ready to help/able to get along with people |
| Creative | Creative |
| Decisive | Decisive |
| Determined | Purposeful |
| Detail-oriented | Attentive to the details |
| Devoted | dedicated |
| Diligent | diligent, diligent |
| Diplomatic | Diplomatic |
| Energetic | Vigorous |
| Enthusiastic | Enthusiastic, enthusiastic |
| flexible | Able to adapt to circumstances |
| focused | Purposeful |
| hard working | Hardworking |
| Industrious | hardworking, industrious |
| Initiative | Showing initiative |
| Insightful | insightful |
| Meticulous | Scrupulous, pedantic, meticulous in doing his job |
| open-minded | open-minded, broad-minded person |
| Optimistic | Optimistic |
| Patient | Patient |
| Persuasive | Able to convince |
| Positive | Positive |
| Practical | Practical |
| Punctual | Punctual |
| Rational | Rational |
| reflective | Reflective, able to analyze |
| Responsible | Responsible |
| self motivated | Interested, motivated |
| Sociable | Communicative |
| Stress resistant | stress resistant |
| Technological | tech savvy |
| Versatile | Versatile, broad-minded |
Moreover, if you wish, you can include the following sections in your resume:
– References–recommendations (contacts of those people who can give you a positive recommendation)
– Awards– awards
– research experience- scientific activity
– Publications– publications
So, now you know exactly how to properly write a resume in English. If you want to make this process easy for you, sign up for classes at Wall Street English. We teach a "live" spoken language, which is sure to come in handy at the workplace, during business trips abroad, on vacation and, of course, will help you when writing a competent resume in English.
A well-written CV (resume) in English is the key to success when applying for a prestigious job, because this is the first document that the employer will pay attention to. An ill-conceived, hastily designed CV can simply mean a wasted opportunity and time.
What is CV?
CV [,si:'vi:] - curriculum vitae (plural - curricula vitarum) - lat. "way of life". This is a professional biography that includes a summary of education, professional experience and accomplishments. CV- required document when applying for a job, submitting documents for participation in any official competition, etc. The term CV is widely used in the UK and European countries. And in the USA it is used only in the field of education and medicine. For Americans, the term “resume” is closer, which means the same thing - short autobiography(information about education and professional experience). Since compiling a CV (resume) is a rather responsible matter, it is necessary to properly prepare for writing it.
How to write a CV in English?
Before writing a CV in English, take a few important steps:
- define your goal - what position you are looking for;
- think over and write down all the main events of your life related to training and past jobs - college, university, academy, courses, trainings;
- correctly translate all proper names and put down the dates;
- from the point of view of the employer, analyze your additional skills and abilities - knowledge of computer programs, foreign languages, the ability to drive a car ...
- prepare letters of recommendation from past employers.
Despite the fact that there are several ways in Business English to present information in a CV, the following structure is considered traditional:
- Personal details (name, address, telephone, email) - personal data
- Job objective
- education - education
- Qualifications - diplomas, certificates
- Work experience - work experience
- skills
- Interests - interests
- References - recommendations
Recently, they often write a small personal Profile (a brief description of personal characteristics) immediately after Personal details.
Katerina Semaka: ”No matter how live and good your language is, when it comes to creating your own CV, you can always be lost: which combination sounds better, which is more businesslike and which better describes the activity.
I have been in recruiting for more than 5 years. Due to my job functions I screen about 5,000 different CVs a year. I can tell you for sure that all that you write in your CV and how you write it matters a lot.
The main recommendation that I would give – CV should be informative, short and businesslike. It reflects not only your experience, but also you as a personality and tells much about you. In the text itself I would advise to use more gerund forms and nouns rather than infinitive forms (hint: according to CV content analysis infinitive forms sound more doubtful and less confident). Below are some of the phrases that could be of use, when you come to creating your CV in English”.
| CV vocabulary | |
| job experience | work experience |
| covering letter | transmittal letter |
| references are available upon request | recommendations available upon request |
| job goal | purpose of job search |
| key functions | key features |
| main achievements | major achievements |
| core skills | key skills |
| establishing effective relationships | establishing effective relationships |
| developing and implementing policies and procedures | development and implementation of policies and procedures |
| customer support | customer support |
| searching new clients | looking for new clients |
| participating in projects | participation in projects |
| negotiating with clients | negotiating with clients |
| reporting | reporting |
| optimization of existing processes | optimization of existing processes |
| market/competitors' analysis | market/competitor analysis |
| making presentations | producing a presentation |
| teaching training courses | The holding of trainings |
| budgeting | forming of budget |
| staff recruiting and development | recruitment |
| staff management and motivation | team management and motivation |
| organizing events | organization of events |
| to go on business trips | go on business trips |
| full time employment | full time job |
| part-time employment | part-time work |
| at a salary of | with wages |
| advertising | ad |
| responsibilities, duties | responsibilities |
| graduated with high honors | graduated with honors |
| to cancel an appointment | cancel the meeting |
| department | Department |
| experienced | experienced |
| till present | Until now|
| join the company | apply for a job in a company |
| job hunting | job search |
- The volume of CV is 1-2 pages of printed text. It is better, of course, to keep within 1 page, because the second page may either get lost or mistakenly get to other documents. If there is a lot of information and it does not fit on 1 page, be sure to fasten 1 and 2 pages, after writing your name, surname, phone number on 2.
- Of course, in addition to the fact that your CV must be well-written, it must be properly subtracted - spelling, punctuation,
How to write a resume or CV in English: a sample with translation and instructions with examples.
So, is there a moment in your life when you decide to get the job of your dreams? Then the first step to the implementation of the plan will be a properly composed resume. This is the first information about you for the employer, so it is extremely important to leave a good impression. The ability to write a resume or CV in English is an advantageous advantage for a candidate. After all, now in the country there are many foreign companies who will evaluate your resume in two languages. In addition, this is an opportunity to get a job not only in Russia, but also abroad. After writing your resume, don't forget
How to write a resume in English.
Given the importance of the document, be careful about its preparation and follow the basic rules for writing a resume. First of all, remember that a well-written resume takes up ONE page. If you exceed this volume, your second sheet may suffer a sad fate. It may get lost, not faxed, or attached to someone else's document. Therefore, if the amount of information that you want to convey to the employer still exceeds the volume of one page, indicate your personal and contact information on each page. This will definitely help you avoid any confusion.
Treat your resume writing as responsibly as possible. Write business language avoiding any familiarity or jokes. Be brief but specific. No need to flood the employer with a sea of information. Write exclusively in essence, give exact numbers, avoid general phrases. Remember, the better your resume is, the more likely you are to get the job you want.
Resume structure in English.
The key points that make up the summary:
- personal data - personal information;
- goal - Job Objective;
- education - education;
- work experience - experience;
- skills - skills;
- additional information, hobbies - extracurricular activities;
- recommendations - references.
Pay attention not only to the full disclosure of each item, but also to the correct execution of the document.
Personal data (Personal Information)
For many employers, it is important that the resume has a photo of the applicant in order to see the person “in person” and to imagine who they are talking about. Post your photo in the top right corner. Do not forget that this is a business document, which means that the photo must be of high quality, taken against a neutral background, and the style of clothing must be businesslike. To the left of the photo, write about yourself. This section contains the following items:
| Name | Surname and name write in Latin letters. If you have a passport, write out the data from it to avoid the slightest mistake |
| Address | Specify the address of residence, starting with the house number, then the street name, apartment number, settlement, postal code, country. For example: 137 Nekrasova Street, apr.42, Saratov, 410000, Russia |
| phone number | The phone number must be written in international format, starting with the country code. (+7 Russia) |
| marital status | Marital status: married / married (married), single / not married (single), divorced (divorced). |
| date of birth | Date of birth is given in the following format: 12th, October, 1986 |
| E-mail indicate neutral, containing your personal data. Avoid any diminutive words. Also pay attention to the choice of mail service, gmail, being international, is best suited for resumes in English. For example: [email protected] |
If you wish, you can add the item "Nationality" (Nationality), and in addition to e-mail, specify additional means of communication. For example, Skype or social networks.
Job Objective
Here you need to indicate which position is desired for you. Also justify why you should be preferred, what personal qualities that contribute to the successful realization of yourself in this position, you have. After all, you understand that this is your dream job, which means you have a lot of competitors. Try to immediately stand out among them. Why you? Here you need to indicate not who you will become sometime in the future, but who you are at the moment.
Phrase examples:
- To use my professional skills to help achieve the company's aims as a sales manager – use your professional skills to help the company achieve its goals as a sales manager.
- To get a position in the field of clients supportthat will allow me to use my communicative skills and advanced English – To take a position in the field of customer support, which will give me the opportunity to apply my communication skills and advanced knowledge of English.
- I would like to get a position of English teacher to use my professional skills and knowledge of English — I would like to get a position as an English teacher in order to use my professional skills and knowledge of the language.
Education
Here write what kind of education you have, indicating the date of study. If you have more than one education, write each in reverse chronology - from the last place of study to the first. Write your name educational institution in full, indicate the faculty, specialty, as well as your educational and qualification level. You can arrange this section in different ways, the main thing is to comply with the listed requirements.
Examples:
- Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, Psychology Department, Master's Degree in Psychoanalysis (2003-2008) – Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, Faculty of Psychology, Master's Degree in Psychoanalysis (2003-2008).
- Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, Department of Roman Languages, Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics (2003-2008) – Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, Faculty of Romance Languages, Bachelor's degree in Linguistics (2003-2008).
- Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, Psychology Department, PhD in Psychoanalysis (2003-2008) – Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, Faculty of Psychology, Doctor of Science in Psychoanalysis (2003-2008).
Qualifications
This section is intended to list all professional courses, master classes, seminars or conferences that you have attended to improve your skills.
For example:
Certificate in Accounting (2008) – accounting certificate (if you did not receive education at a university);
Marketing Specialist Courses in Moscow Economic College (2012-2014) – marketing courses, Moscow College of Economics (2012-2014).
The presence of such additional certificates is your advantage over other candidates, use it.
Work experience (Work experience)
Your task here is to reveal your professional experience as fully as possible. Bring all the places labor activity in reverse chronology that relate to the scope of the desired position. If you are aiming for a position as a sales manager now, but some time ago worked as a chef in a cafe, this has nothing to do with sales, which means that you should not indicate such experience. Describe the professional duties you performed in your previous job. Write the name of the company and your position in full, mark the city and country.
What to do if you do not have formal work experience noted in work book? In this case, indicate any of your work experience. For example, work experience, internship, freelancing, part-time work, etc. Achievements, if any, should also be mentioned here. Give only specific facts with exact figures and percentages. Keep in mind that information can be checked at any time.
Example phrases that can be used:
— preparing business plans – preparation of business plans;
— analyzing data sets from all departments – data analysis from all departments;
— preparing financial forecasts – preparation of financial forecasts.
When specifying your responsibilities, use gerund(prepare + ING) (as written in the examples above), and when describing achievements - past simple.
For example:
- raised sales on 8% — raised sales by 8%;
- attracted 57 new clients – attracted 57 new clients.
Personal qualities (Personal Qualities)
Here you must indicate your personal qualities. But be careful, you don’t need to overpraise yourself or, conversely, keep silent about your merits. How to find the golden mean? Just imagine yourself in the place of the employer, think about how he would react to this or that quality. Also, do not forget that the specified qualities must be suitable for the vacancy. For example, excellent communication skills are a plus for a sales manager, but an accountant must be attentive, diligent and patient.
Skills
This section includes 4 points, each of which is studied by the employer very carefully:
- Language Skills– List all languages you already know or are still learning, including your native language. Do not forget to write what your level of knowledge is. To do this, you can use the usual gradation:
— Pre-Intermediate;
— Intermediate;
— Upper-Intermediate;
— Proficiency.
You can also apply definitions such as:
—native- native;
— Fluent- Fluency;
— Good reading and translation ability- I read, translate with a dictionary;
— basic knowledge- basic knowledge.
- computer literature- computer literacy. List all programs that you are proficient in.
- driving license- the presence or absence of a driver's license.
- Hobbies- hobbies. Be careful in this matter. No need to list a dozen hobbies, list no more than three main ones. You can write about achievements, if any.
- Awards
Add this item to your resume only if you have something to write about. Leave empty field best idea. If you have achievements, list them in reverse chronology.
Scientific activity (Research experience)
This item is also not mandatory. Add it to your resume only if you have done some scientific work.
Publications
Another optional section. If there are publications, write them in reverse chronology, mentioning the edition and date of publication.
Membership in organizations (Memberships)
This item is also included only when necessary. If you belong to any organization, just write its name.
For example:
Russian Teachers Association (Association of Russian teachers).
This is where you enter contact information for people who can provide you with a recommendation. Just write the last name and first name of the person, the name of the organization and contact for communication.
For example:
Sergey Petrov, Company Name, +7XXX-XXX-XX-XX, [email protected]
If you do not want to immediately give people's data for recommendations, just write available upon request ( available upon request).
Summarizing the above, we would like to give you 6 more tips for writing a competent resume in English:
- Get your resume right . Half of the success depends on this. Choose the standard font Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri. Make sure that the size of the letters matches throughout the document. Give preference to standard formatting. It is enough to highlight the headings, all other font changes will be inappropriate, as they reduce the readability of the document.
- Provide links to your social networks. If necessary, edit your pages so that they do not spoil the impression of your business image.
- Review your resume at least 3 times with an interval. You can even ask someone else to read it. Any typo or missing comma can spoil the impression of your resume, no matter how good it is.
- Consider the requirements of the employer. Sometimes employers specify specific requirements when describing a vacancy, for example, attaching a specific photo or a completed test. Compliance with such requirements will demonstrate your attentiveness and seriousness, and thus increase the chances of getting a position.
- Set the right goals. If you are submitting your resume to multiple companies, create a separate document for each. After all, every employer wants to see a certain employee and your task is to show that you meet all the criteria.
- Attach a cover letter. This document is not mandatory for domestic companies, unlike foreign ones. But for Russian companies, this will be an additional plus for you as an applicant. In a cover letter, briefly describe in a business style personal qualities and advantages that make you the best fit for this position. Example cover letter in English you can see in our article.
Such simple tips will help you write a spectacular resume in English that will surely attract the attention of the employer to you. Below is an example of a resume in English, take it as a sample and be sure to tell us if you managed to achieve your goal.
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. Employers generally require applicants to submit applications in English. Find out how best to do it.
What to include in a resume in English?
Like an ordinary resume in Russian, a questionnaire in English consists of several main building blocks, namely:
- 1. Hat (Heading). In this section, you need to introduce yourself, tell about your date of birth and place of residence, and also provide contact information.
- 2. Purpose (Objective). Tell us what position you are applying for.
- 3. Work experience (WorkExperience). Tell us in detail about each place of your work activity with a list of functional responsibilities.
- 4.Education. Tell us about your education. If available, list courses and other additional education.
- 5. Awards (Honors). List if available.
- 6. Publications (Publications). If your work has been published in newspapers and magazines, be sure to indicate this. Mention the type of publication, the name of the newspaper or magazine, the release date, and other pertinent information.
- 7. Professional skills (SpecialSkills). List all the skills that you think would be useful for the position in question.
- 8. Personal information (Personal Information). If you wish, tell us about your hobbies, family, personal qualities.
- 9.Recommendations (References). If available, provide references from previous employers or from the place of study. You can also note at the end of the application that you can provide recommendations on demand (References are available upon request).
Please attach a photo to your resume. In applications in English, the photo of the applicant is usually attached in the upper corner on the first sheet.
If you wish, you can exclude certain items from the summary at your discretion. Also, the list of sections may vary depending on the specific vacancy. Specify this point individually.
