Writing a CV in English: what actually changes

In the UK, Ireland and most of Europe it's a CV, two pages maximum. In the US and Canada it's a resume and one page is expected. Use the local word, including in the filename.

No photograph, date of birth, marital status, nationality or ID number. In English-speaking markets those details expose the employer to a discrimination claim, and many screen the CV out as policy.

Your job title has to match the local advert: a Spanish “mozo de almacén” is a warehouse operative, “administrativo” is an administrative assistant, and a two-year vocational qualification needs explaining rather than naming. A literal translation leaves you out of every search.

Written month/year (Mar 2021 - Jun 2024), commas for thousands and a point for decimals, and consistent spelling: organised for the UK, organized for the US. Mixing both reads as carelessness.

One line does it: “Right to work in the UK (settled status)” or “EU citizen, requires visa sponsorship”. If the employer has to guess, they assume the most expensive answer and move on.

State the level at which you can hold a meeting, with the certificate and year if you have one. And have a native speaker read it: agreement errors contradict the level you claim on the same page.

The UK and Ireland expect a two-page CV with the full history. The US and Canada expect a one-page resume focused on the last ten years. Sending two pages to New York, or a thin single page to London, reads as unfamiliarity with the market before anyone assesses your experience.

The section names change too. In English the top block is a Personal statement or Professional summary, experience is Work experience, education is Education and competencies are Key skills. Literal translations of Spanish headings scramble automated parsing and confuse the reader.

Remove the photo, date of birth, marital status, nationality, ID number and full postal address: in English-speaking markets those details expose the employer to a discrimination claim, and many processes screen the CV out as policy. City, country, phone with international dialling code and email are enough.

Add the line people most often miss and that decides applications: your right to work. “Right to work in the UK (settled status)” or “EU citizen, requires visa sponsorship” saves a whole round of the process. If the employer has to guess, they assume the most expensive scenario and move on.

Job titles and qualifications aren't translated word for word: they're taken from local adverts for the same role. A Spanish “mozo de almacén” is a warehouse operative, “administrativo” an administrative assistant, “dependienta” a sales assistant, and a Spanish higher vocational diploma is explained as a two-year vocational qualification (equivalent to Level 5). Literal translation leaves your profile out of every sector search.

Formatting details speak as well: abbreviated month and year (Mar 2021 - Jun 2024), commas for thousands and a point for decimals, and one spelling convention throughout — organised for the UK, organized for the US. And have a native speaker read it: agreement errors contradict the language level you claim on the same page.