Tough economic times are forcing some individuals to pursue a job search after an extended hiatus.  Vandover President, Margery Marshall, offered viewers of KMOV’s Great Day St. Louis some suggestions and strategies for embarking on a new job search and returning to the workforce. View the interview here.

Finding job listings online might just be the easy part: whether you’re checking the online version of your local newspaper, looking through Craigslist, or visiting any of the popular job boards you’ve seen mentioned on television or in magazines, you’re likely to find a wide array of job possibilities. (Of course, whether they’re relevant to you may be another matter.)

In our global résumé series, we offered a brief look at current standards in Europe, Asia, and Australia, with consideration to how those compare with American résumés. As we explored CV/résumé standards around the world, beyond the countries discussed previously, one thing that struck us was that résumé expectations around the world are becoming a bit more uniform.

Yes, in Australia, it’s called a “résumé,” rather than CV. And no, there’s nothing like the Japanese rirekisho we discussed recently: when it comes to job searching in Oz, you’ll probably find that transitioning your résumé to an acceptable Australian format won’t take much at all! Depending on your work experience, it may need to be a bit longer than your American-style document, but the general principles are the same as an U.S. résumé. And, as in many other countries, the aim of an Australian résumé should be to get you an interview.

Our previous entries in this series have discussed the differences between a résumé and a CV, and have highlighted how these documents are used in U.S. and in a couple of European countries. On the other side of the world, however, Japanese employers expect a standardized type of job application document that is a bit unlike a western-style CV or résumé.

One of the biggest challenges to job hunting in another country can be language. For example, if you’re target country is Spain, consider how adept your Spanish language skills are. For that matter, keep in mind that businesses in a country may conduct affairs in not just one, but two or more languages. In Spain, some regions of the country use Catalan – although you could likely get by on Spanish for awhile.

This blog entry is part of Vandover’s ongoing series of global résumé trends. More countries coming soon!

You may think you know how to write your résumé, but if you move beyond the U.S., you’ll probably start to notice that résumés look a little different elsewhere in the world. As we mentioned previously, you may not even see the word “résumé” listed anywhere in a job description for a position outside the U.S. – often, employers elsewhere in the world employ the term “C.V.”, an abbreviation for the Latin “curriculum vitae,” or “life story.” However, this trend is changing. No matter what you call it, the goal is the same: your CV or résumé is the first thing an employer will see about what you can offer them. Regardless of where you go in the world, your résumé/CV should be your best effort to shine and show your abilities.

If you’ve spent time in the American job market, you probably know that the “ideal” U.S. job résumé is one page long – and no more than two pages (with very, very rare exceptions). But in other countries, résumés might also include a photograph of yourself, as well as such details as your birth date, marital status, and nationality. In addition, international job ads may not even mention the word “résumé.” Outside of the U.S., “CV” (short for “Curriculum Vitae”) is a more common term.

Vandover consultants tell spouse/partner program participants frequently that a variety of strategies will help create an effective job search. Again and again, Vandover participants will hear their consultant discuss how important networking can be to finding and landing a job.

Okay, you know you need a job. But you want something more than a job that just pays the bills: you want a good job, a job where you can thrive, be successful, and enjoy making a contribution every day.