How to write a resume in English: sample with translation

An important step to getting a job is to write a resume. This is the employer's first look at you as an employee of his company. Therefore, it is important to make a good impression. While writing a resume in the native language is still possible, in English most people have many doubts and difficulties. In our article you can read detailed information on how to create a resume in English.

Is there a difference between resume and CV?

You can meet two terms - resume and CV. The latter is literally translated as a life path. In Russia, they are synonymous with each other in meaning. If you are writing a resume in English, you need to consider the small difference between them. In European countries, the word CV is used, but in America, the second option is used. But today this border is becoming completely invisible. Therefore, the use of these terms as synonyms is allowed.

Resume structure

Like any other document, the resume in English has a clear structure. It must be observed. Typically, a resume includes several sections. It is better to track each item in the sample resumes in English with translation.

Personal information

Most employers prefer to have an idea of ​​how you look in advance. Therefore, your photograph must be present in the English summary. When choosing a suitable image, remember that this is a business document. That is, the photo should be taken on a neutral monophonic background, and you should be dressed in an office style. As a rule, it is placed in the upper right corner of the form. On the left side, you begin to fill out basic information about yourself.

This includes several mandatory points:

• Name Your full name and surname are indicated here. It is better to write them down as indicated in your passport.
• Address The address in the summary in English is not indicated as in Russian. First, write the house number, street, only then you indicate the apartment, city, zip code and country.
• Phone number It is best to use the international format for recording a phone number. So you will be sure that the employer will be able to call you from another country.
• Marital status. This indicates your marital status. The options are: married / not married or single (single) / divorced.
• Date of birth. For recording, it is better not to use numbers, but write the date in words. The reason is that in English-speaking countries they can use different formats for writing dates. Therefore, it is better to use the standard format of 18th May 1998. Do not forget that in the English-speaking culture it is customary to write the name of the month with a capital letter.
• Email Enter your valid email address.

In addition to general information, you can write your citizenship (immediately after the date of birth) and other means of communication. For example, skype, social networks and so on.

Object

Here you must indicate which vacancy you are applying for. A big plus is not only to indicate the name of the desired position in the company, but also to justify why the employer should give preference to you. This will play a positive role in writing a resume in English.

Example:

• Banker is a banker.
• A chief manager - the position of the chief manager.

Education

In this section you need to indicate what level of education you have at the moment, in what period of time it was received. When recording educational institutions, indicate their full name. In addition, you need to indicate the name of the faculty where you came from. In addition, it is necessary to indicate the specialty received and the educational and qualification level (undergraduate, graduate, and so on). In most cases, people write all the educational institutions that they graduated from. At the same time, they must be indicated from the last educational institution to the first.

Qualifications

If you have taken any courses aimed at obtaining special professional skills, then they also need to be mentioned. This also includes seminars or conferences related to your professional activities. If you have not attended such events, then this paragraph of the summary in English can be skipped.

Work experience

In this section, the future employer should familiarize yourself with your professional experience. Therefore, you need to indicate your past positions and the company where you worked. You must start the listing from your last job. Also, do not forget to indicate the period of time you worked in the company and your job responsibilities. This will help the future employer to understand what skills you have gained in previous jobs.

Job responsibilities are best written using the gerund form (with the -ing suffix):

• Writing program codes for computer applications.
• Writing business plans.

When writing a place of work, you must specify the full name of the company and the position that you held. It is better to indicate the country and city in which you worked. If you do not have professional experience, you can write about industrial practice, internships in companies, part-time jobs, and so on.

Also in this section you can indicate your achievements (achivments). But you can specify them only if you can give the exact numbers. For example, you raised sales by 10% or attracted 70 new customers. To do this, it is better to use the Past Simple tense. For instance:

• Raisedsales by 10%.
• Attracted 70 new customers.

Personal qualities

To make it easier for you to fill out this section, introduce yourself as an employer. What qualities would you like to see in your employee? The main thing is to observe a fine line and not turn this section into a letter of praise. Be adequate in evaluating yourself, consider your desired position.

For example, for a sales manager, initiative and ambitiousness are paramount qualities, and for an accountant, attentiveness and responsibility.

Special skills

This section is at the very end of the resume, but is very important. Employers often give him no less attention than a paragraph on work experience. Here you can paint your skills that will put you on the best side. What you can write about at this point:

• Level of knowledge of language (language skills). This paragraph indicates all languages ​​that you speak, including your native language. Also, next to each foreign language, it is necessary to indicate the degree to which you speak it.
• Ability to work with computer programs (computer literacy). Here you need to write a list of programs that you can correctly use.
• Driving license (driving license).
• Hobbies Here it will be enough to briefly describe 2-3 hobbies and about achievements in these areas, if any. You need to make sure that the section about your hobbies is not larger than the entire resume.

Awards

This section is filled in case you have any rewards. For example, diplomas, scholarships, grants and the like. Indicate them in chronological order of receipt.

Research experience

This paragraph is written in the summary only if you were a direct participant in scientific activity. Then indicates the scientific field in which research was conducted, what achievements you were able to get. If you have never participated in anything like this, then you can skip this section.

Publications

Here you need to write about your publications, if any. The year of publication and the title of the publication are indicated. If there are no publications, you simply skip this section.

Memberships (membership in organizations)

This paragraph fills out only if you are a member of an officially registered organization. At the same time, organizations can have a professional as well as a social character. For a summary, just write the full name of the organization you are a member of.

References (recommendations)

It shows the current contacts of your former employers who can give you a positive review.

For example: Ivan Ivanov, Name of Company, xxx-x-xxx-xxx-xxx, email address.

In some examples of summaries in English, you can see the phrase "available upon request" (available upon request). This is done so as not to exceed the required volume. If the employer wants to know more about you, you will provide contact information from past workplaces.

How to fill out a resume

There are several nuances here:

1. Font selection. Better not try to stand out by choosing ornate fonts. Such creativity will tire your future employer, which will not play to your advantage. It is advisable to give preference to Times New Roman, since it is he who, as a rule, is used in all official business papers. For headings, it is better to use a font that will stand out in size compared to what is used in the paragraphs. Each heading should be highlighted in bold so that you can quickly find the necessary section of the resume. Inside the sections themselves, you do not need to use bold or italics, as this impairs readability.
2. It’s better for the employer to submit your resume in PDF format. Make the initial version with all formatting elements in Microsoft Office Word. Then send the CV to the prospective employer in PDF format. This can be done by performing the operation in the Word file. To do this, click on the "File" and "Save As" buttons. Next, select the required document format. So you will be sure that on your employer's computer the resume will be in the form in which you sent it.
3. Volume required. It should be no more than two pages. When compiling a resume, do not forget that this is not a school essay. Try to be concise and concise. Write only the necessary information.
4. Literacy. Carefully check your resume several times for spelling and punctuation. It is better if you ask a person who is competent enough in the preparation of official documents and has a high level of knowledge of the language to check your resume for errors. If this is not possible, then you can use special online services. It is advisable that such programs find not only spelling errors, but also word combinations.
5. Fulfill all requirements of the employer. Sometimes, in addition to the resume, they are asked to attach an additional document. For example, a test you decide, a full-length photograph, a copy of certificates, and so on. If you do not fulfill the requirements, then significantly reduce your chance of getting the desired position.
6. When writing a resume, a neutral style is used.
7. Do not write too much information. If you are applying for a managerial position, there is no need to indicate dancing and embroidery classes. Write only what is relevant to your professional activity. No need to attach documents that the company does not require of you. If you have certificates of knowledge of the language, participation in the conference and the like, just write about them in the corresponding section of the resume.
8. Carefully refer to your email address. Firstly, a Gmail account is best, as there is a risk on other emails that your resume will simply not reach a foreign employer. Secondly, it is better to use the last name and first name in the email address.

Sample CV for work in English

Familiarizing yourself with similar documents of other persons will help you create your own resume. Some of them can be used as a sample resume in English:

Remember that in the "Education" section, the last institution you graduated from is listed first. This can be seen from the sample resume below.

Here, in direct chronological order, additional courses that have been completed are indicated.

Below is another sample resume in English

Choose any option you prefer and use it as a resume template in English.

For a complete understanding of the structure of the resume, consider a few more options. Below is an example of a resume in English with translation:

This is the most successful example that you can use by filling in the columns according to your data. The above sample resume in English with translation clearly shows the structure that must be followed.

Covering letter

This document is also an important part of your employment. You must write in the letter why you are interested in this vacancy. When writing a cover letter, remember some rules:

• Volume - no more than one page.
• Emphasize your positive aspects and professional skills.
• Follow the formal business style of writing.
• Praise should be moderate so as not to create the illusion of arrogance.

In this case, it is useful to study examples of cover letters in English, as well-written cover letter increases your chances of attracting the attention of the employer.

An example of a cover letter with a translation

The document may look like this:

In the upper right corner of the example cover letter in English, your address is indicated in the same sequence as in the resume itself.

Then indicate the name of the company in which you want to get a job, address and date of writing the letter.

After that, we see the main part of the example of a cover letter to a resume in English, which has the following translation:

"Dear Mrs. Black:

In the newspaper, I saw that you are looking for a candidate for your company. I am interested in this vacancy because I can apply the knowledge gained in the field of building design to solve company problems. I would like to be part of the department that is responsible for the design of future buildings.

I have a master's degree in the construction of unique structures. Since June 2016, with the assistance of the university, I have been participating in a training program. In this program, I have been appointed to several positions as an intern. Recently, I was also an intern at a construction company, where I gained valuable experience in the field of design. Information about which courses I attended is included in the resume.

If there is an open position at Betrot Inc., please let me know who I should contact for further information. I look forward to hearing from you soon. You can contact me by phone (111 222 33 44) or by e-mail ().

Thank you for the attention, Emily White."

Now you know all the nuances of writing a resume in English and a cover letter to it. Unfortunately, there is no ready-made resume in English, as it should reflect your personal qualities.