Do you dream about working abroad? Do your short or long-term career goals include an international assignment? Maybe you want to practice your ability to speak multiple languages.
Perhaps you completed coursework or a degree in international business. Or maybe you just want to broaden your corporate qualifications with a more global perspective and multicultural experience.
With an increasingly diverse workforce and global economy, international business experience -- whether that involves frequent international business trips, short-term overseas assignments, or longer-term relocation to foreign locations -- can certainly be valuable as a building block for your entire career.
With more and more multinational firms transferring employees
between global locations, your chances of winning a coveted overseas
assignment have never been better. But, how do you market yourself for
these positions?
As with most job searches, one of your first steps will be to
develop your portfolio of personal marketing documents. In other words,
you must prepare your resume/CV and job search letters. Do the terms
resume and CV (curriculum vitae) confuse you?
The first thing to understand is that different countries use
different terms to describe what is essentially the same type of
document. In fact, in international circles, the terms "resume" and
"CV" are often used interchangeably. But, to complicate the issue,
depending on the country you are applying to, the requirements of what
to include in your resume/CV and in what format to include it may be
very different.
For example, in the U.S. you should never include a photograph of
yourself in your resume (unless you are a model or an actor/actress).
Likewise, you should not include any information about your birthday,
marital status, family status, or other similar personal details. In
fact, if you do include photos or personal data, most U.S. employers
will simply discard your resume rather than risk a potential
discrimination lawsuit. On the other hand, personal photographs and
data are expected and often required on CVs meant for European or Asian
employers.
In U.S., Canadian, and some other job markets your work experience
should be included in reverse chronological order (most recent to
oldest). In many other job markets around the world, your experience
should be listed in straight chronological order (oldest to most
recent).
Clearly, it is crucial that you be aware of the requirements and
expectations of the job market you are applying in. You must take the
time to research and learn these differences before preparing or
adapting your resume for international employers.
In some cases, when you are applying to the overseas location of a
multinational company, the decision-makers for the position will be of
a nationality other than the location in which you are applying. For
example, you may be targeting a position in Hong Kong, and know that
the person making the decisions for that position is an American
expatriate. In this case, you may want to submit a resume written in
the U.S. style which will be more familiar to the decision-maker.
At Distinctive Career Services,
our expertise is in creating resumes in the U.S. style. However, our
client base is worldwide and our resumes have been used successfully by
people all over the globe seeking international assignments based in
the U.S. or targeting positions worldwide when they have determined
that the U.S.-style is most appropriate. The lesson: do your research
and know your audience, then tailor your approach to the expectations
of the audience.
Regardless of the job you are targeting, and what country that job
is in, if your goal is to go global you definitely want to emphasize
and highlight your international travel and multicultural experiences,
your foreign language abilities, and any coursework you have completed
that is relevant to international business. You can weave all of this
into the body of your resume/CV and may even create a separate section
to call it out in greater detail.
Finally, above all, be open-minded and flexible. Your eagerness to
learn and your adaptability are key predictors of how successful you
will be on international assignment. So, don't be afraid to ask
questions and adapt to new ways of doing things. Your international job
search is not the time to hold tight to your own cultural preferences.
Be flexible! If you don't know what is expected or required of job
candidates in a particular company or foreign location, ask! Then adapt
your approach.
Here is a checklist to help you prepare your international career marketing portfolio:
_____The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified to
conform to the requirements of the international job market I am
targeting.
_____The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified to
conform to the expectations of the decision-maker for the position I am
targeting.
_____I have paid particular attention to requirements regarding
photographs and personal data and have adapted my resume/CV accordingly.
_____My resume/CV has been translated into another language if
necessary and has been reviewed by a native speaker of that language.
_____My resume/CV emphasizes and includes information about all of
my previous multicultural and international business experience and
qualifications.
_____My resume includes a thorough listing of my foreign language abilities.
_____My resume/CV includes detailed descriptions of my education and
training (educational requirements and degrees vary around the world,
so it is often helpful to describe your degrees in terms of their local
equivalent).
_____The design of my resume/CV had been modified to fit on the
paper size that is the standard in the international location I am
applying in.
_____My resume/CV has been proofed and is completely free of errors.
_____My resume/CV uses simple fonts and a classic, easy-to-read design.
_____The electronic files of my resume/CV are prepared in standard
formats, including Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, and plain text ASCII.
_____I have researched and scrupulously followed any guidelines for
submission of my resume/CV as described by the company I am applying to.
_____I have sent my resume/CV and job search letter by email when an
email address is available, but have followed up with a hard copy by
regular postal mail.
© 2007 Michelle Dumas
Nationally certified resume writer, career
marketing expert, and personal branding strategist, Michelle Dumas is
the founder and executive director of Distinctive Career Services LLC.
Through Distinctive Documents http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her VIP Executive Resume Services delivered through http://www.100kcareermarketing.com
Michelle has empowered thousands of executives, professionals, and
managers all across the U.S. and worldwide with all the tools and
resources necessary to conduct a fast, effective job search. To learn
more about her job search products, resume writing services,
and career marketing programs, and to sign up for many other free
resources like this one, visit her websites. Michelle is also the owner
of http://www.100kplusresumes.com