Resume - multiple versions
Thread poster: Lauren Higgins
Lauren Higgins
Lauren Higgins
United States
Local time: 05:08
Chinese to English
Jun 15, 2020

For those of you who have worked in agencies outside the US, how important would you say it is for freelancers to submit a resume that conforms to the accepted resume requirements of the country in which the agency is located? Up until now, I've just been submitting my resume formatted in the American style. Will an HR person in, say, the UK send that straight to the trash?

 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 11:08
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Lauren Jun 15, 2020

Lauren Higgins wrote:
Will an HR person in, say, the UK send that straight to the trash?


This will depend on the HR person and the country. And if you're sending the résumé to an agency, odds are you're sending it to a PM, not an HR person. I have just one résumé, but I do have it available in two sizes: letter and A4. Letter for US clients, A4 for most others. That said, I don't know how much it matters, because most printers will fit the document to the available paper size anyway, right?.

In addition, one kind of expects a foreigner's résumé to be, well, foreign-looking.


[Edited at 2020-06-15 20:31 GMT]


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Lauren Higgins
 
Lauren Higgins
Lauren Higgins
United States
Local time: 05:08
Chinese to English
TOPIC STARTER
Makes sense, thanks Jun 17, 2020

It's mostly minimal differences anyway, like including a photo or not (which is illegal for an employer to request in some countries). I've also read that in China, Japan, and Korea, applicants are expected to include their entire educational history, going all the way back through elementary school. But this seems irrelevant for an applicant who didn't attend school in those countries!

 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:08
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
"accepted resume requirements"? Jun 17, 2020

Lauren Higgins wrote:
It's mostly minimal differences anyway, like including a photo or not (which is illegal for an employer to request in some countries). I've also read that in China, Japan, and Korea, applicants are expected to include their entire educational history, going all the way back through elementary school. But this seems irrelevant for an applicant who didn't attend school in those countries

All those differences seem totally irrelevant to your resume/CV as a freelancer. You don't have to worry about employment laws: you aren't an employee! And your education is mostly irrelevant to a client.

If you're thinking of preparing a reverse chronological sequence listing of your jobs (presumably with "freelance translator" just being one of the jobs listed), with your language skills at the bottom of page two, you really should think again.

Freelancers need individually designed texts that really sell their services -- highlighting their own particular set of skills, abilities and experience. We only call it a CV or resume because that's the word that suits many clients, particularly agencies. Some freelancers call it their brochure or whatever.

I prepared a Wiki article on the subject for this site. You can find it in the marketing Wikis, under the education tab.


Stephanie Busch
Michele Fauble
 


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