GLOBAL RESUMES & COVER LETTERS

AUSTRALIA

Resume Guidelines

Personal Information (include):

1. Date of Birth (optional)
2. Language Proficiencies (other than English)
3. Visa or Resident Status
4. Personal Interests (Hobbies and Sports Activities) – not mandatory to include, but common
5. Marital Status - not mandatory to include, but common

Education

1. Including Years of Graduation is not mandatory, but voluntary

Format

List Personal Information first, then Education, Professional Affiliations (if relevant), Additional
Education, Specialized Training, then Professional Experience

Length: No more than five pages with lots of space and wide margins


Cover Letter Guidelines

Content (include):

1. What job is being applied for
2. Why you are interested in this particular position
3. Skills, experience, abilities that will be valuable to targeted company
4. Education, job title, years of experience in positions comparable to one being applied for
5. If currently unemployed, this must be stated

Length: No more than one page

GLOBAL RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS

Resumes and cover letters being distributed outside of the U.S. have specific requirements as to content, structure, and length. In the following weeks specific requirements for specific countries will be posted in this blog.

If the country in question requests personal information on the resume, this should come before qualification summaries or profiles.

The below guidelines are in addition to what is normally included in a resume or cover letter. If a certain area is not addressed for a specific country (eg: Education) that means the area does not differ from US resumes.

In referring to A4 page set up, this is the paper size used in some foreign countries. To use this for your document, simply go to page set up, paper size, and choose A4, rather than 8 ½” x 11”

ARGENTINA

Resume Guidelines

Personal Information (include):

1. Date of Birth
2. Place of Birth
3. Marital Status (“Civil” status refers to marital status)
4. Personal Identification Number
5. Number of Children and Their Ages (optional)
Never include religious or political beliefs, views, or interests

Objective:

1. If not applying for a specific position, an Objective is used.

Education (include):

1. GPA (10 points is the maximum)
2. Student internships or diploma work (thesis), including length of time and subject
3. Indicate if client has studied abroad
4. High School Education, including name of school, year graduated, and if study was abroad

Professional Experience (include):

1. Company Descriptors (indicating scope of company activities)
2. Gaps in Employment must be explained

Special Skills:

1. List Proficiency in Foreign Languages
2. List Specific Computer Skills
Length: No longer than three pages

Cover Letter Guidelines

Content (include):

1. What job is being applied for
2. Education, job title, years of experience in positions comparable to one being applied for
3. Key achievements
4. Why you are interested in this particular position
5. Skills, experience, abilities that will be valuable to targeted company
6. Salary requirements (if required by job posting)
7. Ability to relocate and travel for business
8. That you are interested in scheduling an interview

Additional Resources
ResumeEdge
SEO Expert | SEO Specialist

WHAT A RESUME IS NOT

by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME

1. An exhaustive listing of everything you’ve done: Hiring managers aren’t interested in details from the beginning of your academic/professional career. Rule of thumb is to go back 10 years for IT professionals and no more than 15-20 years for those in other industries. Hiring managers won’t read excessive data, and by including too may years of experience you may be excluding yourself form consideration due to age discrimination.

2. A document that will guarantee an interview or job offer: A resume is the beginning of your job search. It cannot guarantee the end result. No matter how beautifully a resume is written, if your background doesn’t closely match the requirements of the job you will not be called in for an interview.

3. A document that will please your spouse, parents, colleagues, etc: The only audience that matters are hiring managers. Relatives, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances may be well-meaning, but they are not experts in resume writing.

4. A document that reflects your personality: Unless you’re in the performing arts or involved in a creative industry, a resume should be professional – period. Use of designer fonts and unusual formats will get you noticed and quickly dismissed as not being serious enough for the position.

5. A document that tells the hiring manager what you want: Hiring managers don’t care what you want – they’re interested in what you can bring to their companies in terms of increasing profits or reducing costs.

6. A document that is perfect in every way: Organization of data and showcasing accomplishments are what matter most in a resume. Worrying about cosmetic changes (eg: should there be one or two spaces after periods?) or tweaking the content (eg: should it be oversaw or managed?) till the end of time won’t garner an interview. In fact, endless revisions will cause you to miss out on important opportunities. Hiring managers aren’t looking for perfection in a resume, they are looking for hard skills that you can bring to their companies.

POWER VERB LIST

by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME

To make your resume stand out from the countless others competing for a hiring manager’s attention, you must write interesting job descriptions. The best way to start is to begin all bulleted sentences with action verbs.

While the following list is not exhaustive, it does provide variety to spice up your text and increase readability. One caution though – the verbs you choose should reflect the industry you’re targeting and your career level.

For example: The CEO of a Fortune 500 company might write: “Expedited company sale by enlisting buyers from the British and Asian divisions.” On the other hand, a fast-food manager wouldn’t write that he “Expedited client orders by overhauling operations.” Rather, he would write: “Provided fast customer service by opening up new register lines, when needed."

A
abated
abbreviated
abolished
abridged
absolved
absorbed
accelerated
accentuated
accommodated
accomplished
accounted for
accrued
accumulated
achieved
acquired
acted
adapted
adopted
added
addressed
adjusted
administered
advanced
advertised
advised
advocated
affirmed
aided
alerted
aligned
allayed
alleviated
allocated
allotted
altered
amassed
amended
analyzed
answered
anticipated
appeased
applied
appointed
appraised
approached
appropriated
approved
arbitrated
aroused
arranged
articulated
ascertained
aspired
assembled
assessed
assigned
assimilated
assisted
assured
attained
attended
audited
augmented
authored
authorized
automated
averted
avoided
awarded

B
balanced
began
benchmarked
benefited
bid
billed
blended
blocked
bolstered
boosted
bought
branded
bridged
broadened
brought
budgeted
built

C
calculated
calibrated
capitalized
captured
cared for
carried
carved
categorized
catalogued
caught
cautioned
cemented
certified
chaired
challenged
championed
changed
charged
charted
checked
chose
chronicled
circulated
circumvented
cited
clarified
classified
cleaned
cleared
closed
coached
coded
collaborated
collated
collected
combined
commanded
commended
commenced
commissioned
communicated
compared
compiled
complemented
completed
complied
composed
compounded
computed
conceived
concentrated
conceptualized
condensed
conducted
conferred
configured
confirmed
confronted
connected
conserved
considered
consolidated
constructed
consulted
consummated
contacted
continued
contracted
contributed
controlled
converted
conveyed
convinced
cooperated
coordinated
copied
corrected
corresponded
counseled
created
critiqued
cultivated
customized
cut

D
dealt
debated
debugged
decided
decoded
decreased
dedicated
defined
delegated
delineated
delivered
demonstrated
deployed
derived
described
designated
designed
detailed
detected
determined
developed
devised
diagnosed
differentiated
diffused
directed
disbursed
discovered
discussed
dispatched
dispensed
displayed
disposed
disproved
dissected
disseminated
dissolved
distinguished
distributed
diversified
diverted
divested
divided
documented
doubled
drafted
dramatized
drew up
drove

E
earned
eased
economized
edited
educated
effected
elaborated
elected
elevated
elicited
eliminated
embraced
emphasized
empowered
enabled
encouraged
ended
enforced
engaged
engineered
enhanced
enlisted
enriched
enrolled
ensured
entered
entertained
enticed
equipped
established
estimated
evaluated
examined
exceeded
executed
exercised
exhibited
expanded
expedited
experienced
experimented
explained
explored
expressed
extended
extracted

F
fabricated
facilitated
factored
familiarized
fashioned
fielded
filed
filled
finalized
financed
fine tuned
finished
fixed
focused
followed
forecasted
forged
formalized
formed
formulated
fortified
forwarded
fostered
fought
found
founded
framed
fulfilled
functioned as
funded
furnished
furthered

G
gained
garnered
gathered
gauged
gave
generated
governed
graduated
grasped
greeted
grew
grouped
guaranteed
guided

H
halted
halved
handled
headed
heightened
held
helped
hired
honed
hosted
hypnotized
hypothesized

I
identified
ignited
illustrated
implemented
imported
improved
improvised
incited
included
incorporated
increased
indicated
individualized
indoctrinated
induced
influenced
informed
infused
initiated
innovated
inspected
inspired
installed
instilled
instituted
instructed
insured
integrated
intensified
interacted
interceded
interpreted
intervened
interviewed
invented
inventoried
invested
investigated
invigorated
invited
involved
isolated
issued
itemized

J
joined
judged
justified

L
launched
learned
lectured
led
lessened
leveraged
licensed
lifted
limited
linked
liquidated
listened
litigated
loaded
located
logged

M
made
maintained
managed
mandated
maneuvered
manipulated
manufactured
mapped
marked
marketed
mastered
maximized
measured
mediated
memorized
mentored
merged
merited
met
minimized
mobilized
modeled
moderated
modified
molded
monitored
monopolized
motivated
mounted
moved
multiplied

N
named
narrated
navigated
negotiated
netted
neutralized
nominated
normalized
notified
nurtured

O
observed
obtained
offered
officiated
offset
opened
operated
optimized
orchestrated
ordered
organized
oriented
originated
outdistanced
outlined
outperformed
overcame
overhauled
oversaw
owned

P
paced
packaged
packed
pared
participated
partnered
passed
penetrated
perceived
perfected
performed
persuaded
photographed
piloted
pinpointed
pioneered
placed
planned
played
praised
predicted
prepared
prescribed
presented
preserved
presided
prevailed
prevented
printed
prioritized
processed
procured
produced
profiled
programmed
progressed
projected
promoted
proofread
proposed
protected
proved
provided
pruned
publicized
purchased
pursued

Q
quadrupled
qualified
quantified
queried
questioned
quoted

R
raised
rallied
ranked
rated
reached
read
realigned
realized
rearranged
reasoned
rebuilt
received
recognized
recommended
reconciled
reconstructed
recorded
recovered
recruited
rectified
redesigned
redirected
reduced
re-engineered
referred
refocused
registered
regulated
rehabilitated
reinforced
reiterated
related
released
relied
relieved
remained
remodeled
rendered
renegotiated
renewed
reorganized
repaired
replaced
replied
replicated
reported
represented
reproduced
requested
researched
reserved
resolved
responded
restored
restructured
retained
retooled
retrieved
returned
revamped
reversed
reviewed
revised
revitalized
revolutionized
rewarded
risked
rotated
routed

S
safeguarded
salvaged
saved
scanned
scheduled
screened
sculptured
searched
secured
seized
selected
sent
separated
sequenced
served
serviced
set up
settled
shaped
shared
sharpened
shipped
shortened
showed
signed
simplified
simulated
sketched
slashed
smoothed
solicited
sold
solidified
solved
sorted
sourced
sparked
spearheaded
specialized
specified
speculated
spent
spoke
sponsored
spurred
staffed
standardized
started
steered
stimulated
streamlined
strengthened
stretched
structured
studied
submitted
succeeded
suggested
summarized
supervised
supplied
supported
surpassed
surveyed
swayed
swept
symbolized
synthesized
systemized

T
tabulated
tackled
talked
tallied
targeted
tasted
taught
teamed
tempered
tended
terminated
tested
testified
tied
took
topped
totaled
traced
tracked
trained
transcribed
transformed
transitioned
translated
transmitted
traveled
treated
trimmed
tripled
troubleshot
turned
tutored
typed

U
uncovered
underlined
underscored
undertook
underwrote
unearthed
unified
united
updated
upgraded
upheld
urged
used
utilized

V
validated
valued
vaulted
verbalized
verified
viewed
visualized
voiced
volunteered

W
weathered
weighed
widened
withstood
won
worked
wove
wrote

Y
yielded

COVER LETTERS – YOUR FIRST CHANCE TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION

by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME

Hiring managers routinely receive hundreds, perhaps thousands, of responses from applicants for any given job. To avoid having your resume sink in this sea of paper, it’s imperative to stand out from the crowd and make a good first impression.

A compelling cover letter that employs five essential rules will convince a hiring manager to read an applicant’s resume.

Rule #1 -- Appearance

The resume and cover letter must be aesthetically pleasing and consistent in appearance. This would include using the same heading and fonts in each with both produced on a high-quality printer and paper (if documents are being “snail” mailed). Save the designer stationery and stylish fonts for writing letters to friends. A professional employment package never sets a casual tone.

Rule #2 – Target Your Audience

Always use the hiring manager’s name in the salutation. If the contact’s name isn’t provided in the job posting, a bit of Internet research or a well-structured phone call can produce results. In using the contact’s name, the cover letter is personalized, while also showing the applicant’s interest in the company. Remember, a letter addressed to ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ or worse, ‘To Whom It May Concern,’ has the same impact as one addressed to ‘Dear Occupant.’

Rule #3 – A Strong Opening

A dynamic opening paragraph is essential to capture and retain a hiring manager’s interest. Pared down to essentials, for a quick and effective read, it should include reference to the position being sought and a brief statement as to why the applicant feels qualified to fill the job. Emphasis should always be placed on what the applicant can do for the targeted company, while also providing quantifiable proof as to why this is true.

Rule #4 – Showcasing Accomplishments

Include a bulleted area to emphasize accomplishments pertinent to the targeted job. Not only does this break up large blocks of text that a hiring manager might find daunting, it also draws the eye towards the most important part of the cover letter – what the applicant has to offer.

Rule #5 – A Proactive Closing

Always initiate further action at the end of a cover letter. A proactive closing indicates that the applicant will call within a few days to see if a time might be scheduled to meet. To wait for a hiring manager to take that first step is to risk losing the opportunity to another candidate.