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european vs american cv/resume style

captainballs

captainballs

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Sep 21, 2004
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I've come across a funny contrast: My resume is loaded with bullshit and pretense and European CV's are totally minimalist. But it seems to work for them (multi-lingual bastards!), and I'm doing a complete reductionist makeover to compete with them tomorrow at a job fair.

What country are you from, and does your resume/cv tend to boast and brag or keep it to a minimum? I'm American btw (the land of the free, home of the brave).
 
My CV doesn't boast or brag, it just lists the facts. For my work experience bits I give a paragraph or two on what my responsibilities were and what I took away from the job. I have a list of my technical skills and qualifications and another list of 'soft' skills and why I have them.
It never fails to impress and I seem to be able to get reasonably well paid jobs with little trouble. Holding onto them with a bit of a k habit is another matter entirely.

edit, am in the UK.
 
ask 1000 people about resumes and you'll get 10,000 pieces of advice.

conventional wisdom suggests that a resume should be a statement of fact as much as possible and it should be concise.

i've hired many people and i can tell you that bullshit, pretense and bragging are easily identified on a resume and are a complete turn-off. i don't want to know how high an opinion you have of yourself, i want to know what you've done and whether it's relevant.

i think it's interesting to hear people refer to their resume in the singular. i have about 20 resumes which are tweaked and perfected depending on which aspect i wish to highlight for a particular application. most often i use a chronological resume but, occasionally, i'll switch to a functional version.

captainballs, i think it's a bad idea to think of a resume in such concrete terms. it should be as long or short, details or high-level as the opportunity requires.

alasdair
 
That's interesting. After reading both of your replies I already have a less critical view of my resume. My roommates are from europe, however, and they laughed at my job descriptions. I think I made them sound overly embellished, when in reality I was telling the truth but with a nice honey-coat.
 
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my resume lists the jobs i've had since college, the schools i went to w/ gpa and honors, my internship, and my language/computer skills. its two pages long and i've been consistently employed for the last 12 years.

i've found keeping it relatively simple has served me well in the good 'ole US of A.
 
The idea of a resume has somewhat changed over the years. As it stands today, the general consensus is that they should be concise and to the point. I had a 3 page resume explaining everything I did. I was told by more than one person who spends their time looking at resumes all day to make it shorter. If you can fit it on one page, that would be your best bet. Once you get the interview, that is your time to shine. They usually just want the basic information at this stage in the game.

If it bleeds onto 2 pages, try and print it on both sides of the paper. You want it to be as convenient as possible for those looking at your resume.
 
i've just revamped mine with a simple concept. rather than list your previous duties, like everyone else could, illustrate your personal achievements in your roles. include three points for each: the problem; your solution; and net gain for the company. this can be done in a sentance or two.

one thing that got this into my head was to use what i would normally say during an interview when asked for specific examples. this way, there is a much more clear indication of your strengths on the first and very vital impression.

my CV is FOUR to FIVE pages, but is concise and never redundant.
 
^
It sounds to me like you've been working in a field not built on lies and bullshit, hence the 4-5 pages being a concise rendition of your work history. While I envy you, I repsect the gravity of my choice to join the dark side.
 
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L2R said:
my CV is FOUR to FIVE pages, but is concise and never redundant.
Click to expand...
haha, i'm sure everyone thinks that :D TWO pages or it goes in the bin.

oh, and captainbollocks - what is a 'European CV' when it's at home? you guys talk as is we're all one country that does everything the same... :\

list your achievements. i couldn't give a shit what your 'duties' were, what difference did you make?

and don't bullshit either - the slightest hint of embellishment in a CV (ahem, resume) immediately destines it for file 13 with extreme prejudice. ;)

UK reprasentin'. %)
 
like alasdair, my resume has always been adjusted and tailored to fit the job I'm applying for, so I have had many different versions. They are all one page, however, and very concise. To fit in additional information and experience which is relevant to the job in question, I use a cover letter.
 
oh, and captainbollocks - what is a 'European CV' when it's at home? you guys talk as is we're all one country that does everything the same...
Click to expand...

Aww, ease up man. Mobility is really high over there (or should I say over here). College grads from France are working in Copenhagen and London, people from Holland magically pop up in Germany on a regular basis in consulting firms and stuff. So I think I can safely imagine that resume style is at least somewhat standardized between countries in the EU and neighbors.
 
I used to work for a recruitment company in the UK that hired for the Home Office, M15 and various local councils and power companies.

I can't speak for what the American's like to see on a CV, but the Brits definitely don't want anymore than 2 pages on a CV. It should also be straight up and to the point, oh and no spelling mistakes. Basically the CV can make or break your chances of even getting a look in so try to keep it as short and relevant to the job as possible.

From the sounds of it Carsick has a good grasp of what a CV should look like.
 
In the UK,
wise ones tend not to "describe themselves" or attempt to sell themselves.

saying "lively, bubbly, energetic, enthusiastic, etc"
seems to us to be.....
cocky.

let your qualifications and past responsibilities speak for themselves.
 
captainballs said:
Aww, ease up man. Mobility is really high over there (or should I say over here). College grads from France are working in Copenhagen and London, people from Holland magically pop up in Germany on a regular basis in consulting firms and stuff. So I think I can safely imagine that resume style is at least somewhat standardized between countries in the EU and neighbors.
Click to expand...
sorry if that sounded harsh dude, i'm totally at ease over here. %)

you have a good point there.

Miss Peks said:
It should also be straight up and to the point, oh and no spelling mistakes.
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yup.

ONE spelling mistake = straight in the bin. ;)

haha, and while we're at it - get someone British to make sure you don't have any of those silly American spelling mistakes. send it to me and i'll check it for you, free of charge. LOL. :D
 
^ i agree on the spelling thing. with all the spell checker we have at our disposal these days, there is no excuse for spelling mistakes. i have had people misspell my name on an application letter! i know it's hardly a common name - especially in the us - but all you have to do is check you have correctly transcribed 8 letters. those go straight in the bin.

The_Idler said:
In the UK,
wise ones tend not to "describe themselves" or attempt to sell themselves.

saying "lively, bubbly, energetic, enthusiastic, etc"
seems to us to be.....
cocky.

let your qualifications and past responsibilities speak for themselves.
Click to expand...
absolutely. this is resume 101 - i think it's because many adjectives are a matter of opinion.

if your resume is full of adjectives, there's probably something not quite right. conventional wisdom suggests that resumes should focus on 'strong action words' (which are obviously verbs): completed; delegated; facilitated; increased; structured; etc.

also, avoid the passive voice (e.g. the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget) and write in the active voice (e.g. i completed the project ahead of schedule and under budget).

alasdair
 
felix said:
haha, i'm sure everyone thinks that :D TWO pages or it goes in the bin.
Click to expand...


Quoted for truth, three out of four business owners I know follow this rule.

Does the person hiring you really have time to look through 50 CVs of 5 pages in length?

Also reiterating felix again: examples; Be precise, what difference you being there made (things you did that were above and beyond), benefits to your employer for hiring you (outcome of actions), evidence!!! (don't just say I did this then tell them what project how it helped, name names if necessary for when they check your references)

That brings me to another trick for keeping it below two pages; the phrase "references available by request"
 
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^ for reasons of privacy, i would never include my referees' details on my resume, anyway. i would leave out the "references available by request" entirely. obviously you'll give them reference sources if they ask.

alasdair
 
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