CV writing Styles in different parts of the world

While most countries share similar CV (resume) writing styles, there are some differences. In the USA and Canada, you are supposed not to write any personal information except name, address, e-mail. In other countries such as New Zealand, it is optional to write your birth date. In the UK, you write date of birth but you may not write marital status and you should not write your gender and religion. In other countries such as France, Japan, Russia, Poland, Egypt, KSA, and UAE, the CV must contain these personal information. In France and Japan, in most cases you have to include a photo while in the USA it is not included.

In the USA, you are supposed to write an objective at the top of the CV. The objective describes your career objectives in one sentence. In the UK, you are supposed to write your profile instead of the objective. The profile is a short paragraph that describes  your skills and capabilities. In many other parts of the world, you write neither objective nor profile.

In the USA, the cover letter is very important and should explain why this applicant is a good choice for this position. In France, the cover letter should be handwritten and your handwriting may be analyzed. In Egypt, the cover letter purpose is to show the position the applicant is applying for and it is usually short.

Below are some sites that gives some guidance for writing CV in certain countries

Finland   France   UK    UK   Japan   Russia     New Zealand

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