Write your English CV correctly

In Great Britain and Europe, CV usually refers to the normal professional CV. In the USA, a resume is common for applications, while CV often means a detailed academic career.

Photo, date of birth, marital status and full address are omitted in many English-speaking countries. State your name, available contact details, location and, if applicable, work permit.

Use active verbs such as managed, developed, improved or coordinated. Describe results and begin current tasks in the present tense, previous activities in the past tense.

• Do not invent financial statements literally, but explain them clearly
• Do not mix British and American English
• Adapt date format to the target country
• Have the text checked by a person who knows the language

Translate responsibilities so a recruiter can understand what you did, rather than translating every word literally. Keep the original name of a qualification where a translated label could imply a different credential, and add a short explanation if needed. Expand unfamiliar employer or institution abbreviations on first use. Read the document aloud to catch awkward wording and check that the same job title is used consistently. Ask someone familiar with the target language to review unclear phrases, while keeping all achievements and dates faithful to the original.

For applications across different English-speaking markets, follow the terminology used in the vacancy. Choose one spelling convention, write dates unambiguously and include the international dialling code when applying abroad. Keep a separate final copy for each employer so country-specific changes do not overwrite another application.