Having a great resume is one of the most important things when job searching. Your resume is a marketing asset that will help you land that high-paying job you are looking for.
Writing about your experience, education and accomplishments is key. But the way you present those things makes a whole difference too.
If you live in Latin America and have previously seeked jobs in your country, you probably have a Curriculum Vitae (CVs). But in the US, employers are used to receiving Resumes with job applications. Keep reading to learn what’s the difference between both and how you can create a killer Resume.
Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
CVs are normal in Latin America when you apply for a job at a corporation, but in the US they are used when pursuing academic or research positions.
A CV is longer than 2 pages and includes a detailed overview of your academic background and accomplishments.
Resumes, instead, are 1 page in length and highlight your relevant qualifications for a specific position.
So what makes a good US resume?
A common question to start off with is "Can my resume be more than 1 page?" Short answer: yes, it can be more than one page. But unless you have a lot of experience on a certain industry / area, it shouldn't be.
A good US resume includes:
- Full name + contact information (phone no. & email)
- Link to LinkedIn profile (or personal website / blog)
- Education (highest degree achieved first)
- Courseworks
- Skills: Languages and level of proficiency, Programming languages, No-code / low-code tools, etc.
- Additional experiences: research projects, Independent projects, student leadership, volunteering, etc.
A US resume DOES NOT include:
- Certain personal information such as: Age, gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, religion, home address and immigration status
- A photograph — many Near candidates include a photo on their resume but it is not necessary
How to highlight your work experience and education
The people you’ll be having an interview with most likely won’t be familiar with Colleges and Companies in Latin American countries.
To make their life easier, it is a good idea to provide a frame of reference for the employer. In addition to providing the name of your college or previous company, add details like:
- 2nd largest digital marketing firm in Argentina
- #1 ranked Engineering College in Brazil
- Public manufacturing company in Mexico
Should I include hobbies and interests?
Feel free to include some of your interests and hobbies, it can help an employer get an idea about who you are as a person. However, don’t go overboard and include every single activity you do in your spare time.
If you were involved in activities that allowed you to develop and demonstrate transferable skills such as leadership, project management or fundraising, make sure you include those!
However, this is not a super important part of most resumes. It should be the first one to be removed if you run out of space.
Make your resume ATS-friendly!
Do you know what an ATS is? When you apply for a position online, you are uploading your resume to an ATS (or applicant tracking systems). Companies use different ATS, but there are general norms that apply to all of them.
Make sure your resume is ATS friendly and uploads successfully by using standard formatting: standard fonts (Times New Roman, for example), section titles (Projects, Education, Experience), work experience format (position title, name of company, and dates), and avoid using headers, footers, text boxes, tables, colors, pictures, or graphics. Use a Word or Google Doc, then convert to a PDF for uploading to the ATS.
Feel free to reach out to the Near team with any questions. We are always happy to help!
