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.

The July 2008 edition of St. Louis CEO magazine includes an article written by Vandover CEO Mary Quigg. In “Continental Adjustment,” Quigg highlights the importance of employee satisfaction to making international work assignments successful.

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.