Global Considerations

We receive many requests for resume reviews from individuals who are outside the United States who are conducting job searches. Most are interested in working either in their own countries or the US. With the global nature of sites such as Monster.com or CareerBuilder, job seekers anywhere in the world are able to apply for positions in the US. And with most large US companies operating on a global scale, they could easily work for a US company right in their hometowns. Unfortunately, most of these job seekers do not realize that the Curriculum Vitae (CV) which they use in their own countries is not the right job search tool for the US or Canadian markets. Even if they are applying to a US company in their own country, a CV might not be the right choice. US companies are bound by specific hiring laws that are designed to eliminate discrimination in hiring based on age, sex, marital status, and ethnicity. Most CVs that we see come to us for review have a section of personal data where this information is listed, often including a photograph. Due to the hiring laws in the US, any company that receives a resume/CV with such information in it, must immediately discard that resume and eliminate the candidate from consideration. Job seekers from outside the US are usually not aware of these restrictions and thus handicap their job search on a global basis by including the information. We generally recommend that clients use two documents in their job search if they are conducting a global job search - a resume designed for use in the west and a CV that can be used in Europe and the rest of the world. Additionally, if a client is interested in working in the US, we generally recommend he/she attempt to hire on with a US company in their home country and work toward emigration to the US as an employee of that company rather than trying to hire directly into the US. With immigration and security restrictions, it is increasingly difficult to find a job in the US directly. More and more attention is being focused on immigration in the US by members of the government so the situation is not expected to improve, either. On the flip side, US citizens who wish to work in a foreign country need a CV for their job search needs. Each country has slightly different requirements for CV's. Some want pictures included; some don't. Some want it to be one page; some want it very long. A CV is also not as hard-hitting as an American resume. An American resume is a sale document whereas a CV tends to be more of a biography. Two different documents fill the needs of a global job search. If you are considering a job search in a different country, make sure you know which document you need and how to best approach your search.