Many people from the Kingdom of Eswatini are ready to migrate to the United States of America in search of greener pastures. This is why recent Facebook posts by Mr. Tshapelo Ginindza about available job opportunities and agencies that can be used when applying for overseas jobs have attracted a lot of interest.
One of the most important requirement for one to get a job overseas is a Curriculum vitae or resume(there is a slight difference between the two). But with different cultural expectations and preferences, it’s essential to understand what makes a U.S. resume stand out. This is why the PR Watchdog has conducted research on the accepted CV format in the United States of America.
THE REVERSE-CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IS MORE POPULAR
There are three standard formats for resumes in the U.S. — the chronological resume, the functional resume and the combination resume.
The most popular U.S. standard resume format is the chronological resume format, which highlights relevant work experience in reverse-chronological order. This means that it start by listing your latest job and your responsibilities instead of starting with your very first job.
WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR RESUME
The founder of PR Watchdog once posted what should not be included on a resume as per the advices of experts. It was a subject for debate but it is worth mentioning that there is no size fit all. Here is what to consider leaving out in your Resume:
1. Leave out your personal address: Remember that you are in Eswatini and you are applying for an overseas job where proximity doesn’t matter. The rise of remote work has deemed personal addresses irrelevant. It is sufficient to state your city and country of origin so that the recruiters can know where you are located.
2. Do not include your photo: It is an open secret that there are now templates that allow one to include their picture but in the United States, as stated by experts, it is not mandatory. You can face prejudice due to your physical appearances (with discrimination rife in the USA). You can include a photo if you are applying for a job under selected creative industries like modelling and acting.
3. Age or date of birth: Age is not a factor in determining your ability to perform a job. Including this information can lead to age discrimination. It’s best to focus on your experience and skills. Remember that some employers can make exceptions even though you may not meet the age requirements. You can reveal your age at a later stage during the interview which will give you the chance to convince the recruiters that you have what it takes to excel in the role you are applying for.
4. Don’t include your marital status or number of children: Including your marital status or number of children you have might affect your chances of getting hired. You have seen posts by Mr Ginindza specofying that if you have children you don’t qualify for certain jobs if you have children and who knows, maybe focusing on your skills and experience will work in your favour and override this requirement.
Conclusion
At PR Watchdog, conducting researches on such important information remains one of our key duties. It is worth mentioning that job seekers must pay attention on the job requirements in order to determine if they are supposed to submit a resume or a CV. There is a difference between these two and we will unpack that later. Also, it is important to note that references are no longer mandatory in the USA unlike in other countries like Eswatini. Stay tuned for the part where we will unpack what to include in your resume.
N.B Kindly note that the PR Watchdog is a Public Relations and Marketing Agency that also offers CV and Resume writing services. We are not an recruitment agency but merely an agency that can assist you in coming up with a winning CV or Resume.
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