UK-US CV/Resume

[katieflossom 54]

In the spirit of preparedness, I want to get my resume ready for my move. I wondered if anyone had any advice of how to switch their CV's over so they work for an American audience?

I have searched online but would love some 'real-life' advice if anyone has any.

Many thanks!

[LmmL 46]

Interesting topic.

some people changed the way their cv looked like and some people kept the same cv they had.

there's a group in San Fransisco, New York and Chicago that sharing how to do the cv for people who just moved to US.

[Tracey&Greg 35]

My hubby learned after moving here many websites don't upload well with the CV format. Something about it missing information or things don't go into the correct boxes. He ended up typing up a new one using a format he found a online and now he's happily employed Although a CV is quiet a beautiful form to bring to an interview I must say lol

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Why not hand it over to your other half so they can help make it look more standard to an American? That's what I'll be doing

[Justine+David 218]

My biggest piece of advice is to not have a long CV. My impression from David is that British CVs are pages long and American ones are not. Unless you're going for like dean of a school or a CEO position, keep it to one page, two pages max. No one wants to read more than that (and to be frank, employers won't read them)

[Ketsuban 1,034]

My biggest piece of advice is to not have a long CV. My impression from David is that British CVs are pages long and American ones are not. Unless you're going for like dean of a school or a CEO position, keep it to one page, two pages max. No one wants to read more than that (and to be frank, employers won't read them)

Thart's what I've been taught in the UK. Two pages max. I don't think I've ever encountered a super long CV, even when I helped out at a recruitment agency.

[Collie 122]

I am an HR manager and I receive so many bad resumes that I sometimes just want to poke myself in the eye! Things that I look for are precise grammar (that tells me that you will be methodical and take pride in your work), being concise with an objective and a work history. I don't care where you went to high school or what your GPA was or what you got in your A-levels etc. I want relevant information about your work history, your successes/achievements/awards in previous positions, your professional affiliations and how you can benefit the company that you are applying to. Don't talk about hobbies - that is a huge turn-off as that tells me that you may not have enough time to apply, to the job. Don't list references - its a waste of space and I won't be obtaining a reference anyway as it is not legal until you sign my form if you are short-listed. Just put "references are available upon request". When I look at a resume, I read the 1st page and look for things that jump out at me that would make me short-list a candidate for an interview. I have too many resumes to read to thoroughly read the whole document. If I like what I see on the 1st page and you capture my attention, then I will usually continue to read the rest of the resume.

Never ever talk about salary. You can negotiate salary when you interview.

Use different fonts, use bold for the parts that are most important, do not list your address. A name and phone number/email is enough. Have a professional email. Usually your first and last name is a good one. You wouldn't believe the email addresses that I see come through my office like hotmama@Hotmail.com or bigmikesgal@yahoo.com etc etc. It instantly leaves the wrong impression with employers!

If you need any more advice, feel free to ask

[Mbrennan 15]

Use different fonts, use bold for the parts that are most important

If you need any more advice, feel free to ask

I'm preparing for my move, and I've made up a resume too.

I feel like I've just stripped all of my CV to the bare bones.

You mention about using different fonts etc, how do you feel about colours?

Also, what about a picture? Should that be included?

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Also, what about a picture? Should that be included?

No

On a lighter note I was looking at example US resumes the other day and came across this example

Edited May 13, 2014 by Hotter Otter

[Collie 122]

No

On a lighter note I was looking at example US resumes the other day and came across this example

Lol that's a real winner! Definitely no photo - color isn't necessary as most resumes are printed out in black and white if submitted via email/online (saves money on the copier clicks )

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

We were hiring for a new bookkeeper last year. My personal favourite of the resumes that came in was from a young woman who put a headshot at the top that showed us exactly how ample her cleavage was.

[Kiwinyc 62]

No pictures! They will only make you the subject of laughter and derision. Note that depending on what you do you may also be looked up on LinkedIn so be sure your Resume matches what you say you do on your profile on there. If you don't have a profile (in my industry - digital/web/mobile development) that's weird too and makes it seem like you're hiding something. I read a statistic today that said approx 37% of prospective employers will search social media for background on candidates as well. As someone who has sifted through Resumes in the past, any typos, grammatical errors or spelling mistakes are consigned almost instantly to the reject pile.

[katieflossom 54]

Thanks everyone for the comments. So it seems that there isn't a whole different format altogether then - that's good!

I am an HR manager and I receive so many bad resumes that I sometimes just want to poke myself in the eye! Things that I look for are precise grammar (that tells me that you will be methodical and take pride in your work), being concise with an objective and a work history. I don't care where you went to high school or what your GPA was or what you got in your A-levels etc. I want relevant information about your work history, your successes/achievements/awards in previous positions, your professional affiliations and how you can benefit the company that you are applying to. Don't talk about hobbies - that is a huge turn-off as that tells me that you may not have enough time to apply, to the job. Don't list references - its a waste of space and I won't be obtaining a reference anyway as it is not legal until you sign my form if you are short-listed. Just put "references are available upon request". When I look at a resume, I read the 1st page and look for things that jump out at me that would make me short-list a candidate for an interview. I have too many resumes to read to thoroughly read the whole document. If I like what I see on the 1st page and you capture my attention, then I will usually continue to read the rest of the resume.

Never ever talk about salary. You can negotiate salary when you interview.

Use different fonts, use bold for the parts that are most important, do not list your address. A name and phone number/email is enough. Have a professional email. Usually your first and last name is a good one. You wouldn't believe the email addresses that I see come through my office like hotmama@Hotmail.com or bigmikesgal@yahoo.com etc etc. It instantly leaves the wrong impression with employers!

If you need any more advice, feel free to ask

Collie - are you a HR Manager in the US? Very useful to know!

[Collie 122]

Thanks everyone for the comments. So it seems that there isn't a whole different format altogether then - that's good!

Collie - are you a HR Manager in the US? Very useful to know!

I sure am - I'm an HR manager for a home healthcare agency in Texas