International Resumes & Cover Letters Molly Krochalk & Stephanie Kann Letters & Science Career Services

A Typical Resume Brief - usually one page for recent graduates Selective – picking only the details you want the employer to consider

An International CV Comprehensive – often two pages, even for recent graduates Inclusive – detailing clearly everything you have done

Employers abroad… Do not often use the term “resume” (sometimes in Latin America) Want to know more about you than just your skills

Personal Information Employers abroad will consider personal factors (e.g. age, marital status, interests) when evaluating whether or not to hire you. NO ADA (American Disability Act)

Like a resume… Your international CV should include: Your contact information Higher education experiences Work experiences Skills and proficiencies in languages, computers, and other technical areas

Unlike a resume… Your International CV should: Be complete rather than brief Check to see if experiences should be in chronological or reverse chronological order Be printed on A4 size paper List personal factors like age

A4 Size Paper The standard paper outside of North America (like our 8.5” x 11”) Most office supply stores do not carry it You can purchase it online: oEmpire Imports oNexTag

Photo Passport sized photo Pose in professional manner Attach to the top left of the first page of your CV

Parts of a resume Contact Information (Name, address, phone, ) Experience (Employment, volunteer activities, student organizations) –Organization name, location, your title, and dates –Descriptive lines highlighting your accomplishments, skills, and (if nothing else) your duties –Can organize by functional topics Education (Institution, degree & major, graduation date) Optional Sections ( Interests, Skills etc.)

Experience: Section Headings  Consider grouping similar experiences under specific section headings: Example: Work Experience vs. Cross-cultural Experiences  Do not combine paid and unpaid positions

Experience: Descriptive Lines The “meat” of your resume Begin with an action verb, then qualify, quantify, elaborate, & explain Highlight your accomplishments Be concrete/tangible/specific with examples Talk about what you did, what it took, & especially what skills you used Example: Interacted with diverse customers on a constant basis, promoting excellent communication and customer service skills

Complete Sample Experience Centro Hispano, Juventud Program Madison, WI Tutor and English TeacherMay - August 2009 Mentored and built positive relationships with Latino middle school students Gained insights into issues and challenges facing Latino adolescents Guided students in decision making and problem solving Assisted students in enhancing their conversational and written English skills

Example Skills Section Technical Skills Computer: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint (proficient), Microsoft Access, Page Maker (familiar) Languages: Spanish (proficient), Portuguese (conversational) Note: It is best to attach a proficiency level to each of your skills Language levels – basic, conversational, proficient, fluent, native Computer & laboratory levels – familiar, proficient, advanced

Cover Letters These vary by country Often are short and precise if used at all Highlight purpose for applying and contact information for the person applying

Research the Country GoinGlobal- premiere resource for working abroad Register for BuckyNet from the L&S Career Services website and access GoinGlobal for free! ( Argentina, Peru, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala,, Austrialia,, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong…etc. Go Global- another research site! – –Follow these links: Just Browsing Wider Web Preparing an International Resume

Which language do you use? When responding to job listings in another country, your materials should be written in the same language as the job listing Job listing is written in English = English CV and Cover Letter Job listing is written in Spanish = Spanish CV and Cover Letter

Which gets to THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF ALL … Read the job listing as carefully as possible and try to respond in the way the employer wants See if you can find people who have worked there before Try any way to gather more information about what that employer is looking for This is true for any job application anywhere

If you want to teach English… It’s strongly recommended that you first complete a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Most employers of foreign-born English teachers will want you to have completed a TEFL course.

If you want to teach English… TEFL courses usually last about 4 weeks and can be found in almost every country: owww.europetefl.com/ owww.teflcourses.com/ owww.teflcertificate.comwww.teflcertificate.com

Questions? Stephanie Kann & Molly Krochalk L&S Career Services Middleton Building 1305 Linden Dr. Suite