More Myths and Mistakes of International Job-Hunting

More Myths and Mistakes of International Job-Hunting

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by Ronald L. Krannich, Ph.D. and Wendy Enlow

Editor's note: This article is an excerpt from Krannich and Enlow's book, Best Resumes And CVs For International Jobs: Your Passport to the Global Job Market: Your Passport to the Global Job Market. Impact Publications.

Go back and read International Job-Hunting Myths, #1-6.

Myths and Realities of International Job-Searching, Continued

We've frequently encountered the following myths and realities with international job-seekers who mean well but misunderstand how the job market operates:

Myth #7: International employers don't like American-style resumes.

Reality: International employers you will most likely want to work for have no problems with excellent quality American-style chronological resumes. These resumes, which usually run one to two pages and are rich with action verbs and keywords, follow the principles outlined in this book. These resumes succinctly emphasize what you have done, can do, and will do for the employer. Like most employers, international employers don't want bad resumes that only describe in chronological order past duties and responsibilities which normally are assigned to a position. They want to know what you actually accomplished in the positions for previous employers. Ideally they would like to know about your predictable pattern of performance.

Myth #8: You must understand the culture of other countries before you can write effective resumes for those countries.

Reality: It's not necessary to get hung up on culture when seeking an international job. The only thing you really need to understand is the particular needs of the employer which are more likely to center on the requirements of the position than on cross-cultural literacy. You acquire this understanding through your networking activities which center on the 5Rs of informational interviewing -- reveal useful information and advice, refer you to others, read your resume, revise your resume, and remember you for future reference. You'll learn a great deal about what should or should not go on your resume by conducting informational interviews. If you think the employer has unique cultural requirements for resumes, you should be able to uncover these by asking questions about the particular style of resume required by the employer.

Myth #9: It's not necessary to include a cover letter with a resume.

Reality: Cover letters are essential to the job search process. A letter should always accompany a resume. However, make sure your letter goes beyond just repeating the contents of the resume. The letter should help sell your resume and you by emphasizing your personality and enthusiasm -- important hiring qualities that cannot be well expressed in a resume and that are usually the subjects of a job interview. [Editor's Note: Find multiple tools for writing your cover letter in this section of Quintessential Careers: Cover Letter Resources.]

Myth #10: It's best to broadcast your resume to as many international employers as possible.

Reality: Broadcasting your resume may make you feel like you are doing something to further your job search. However, this approach to resume distribution is largely a waste of time and money, unless you have an especially good mailing list that puts your resume into the hands of key employers or recruiters. Few employers ever interview someone who sends them an unsolicited resume. Employers have particular hiring needs. When needs arise, they start looking for candidates through a variety of sources, from personal contacts and recruiters to classified ads, Internet job postings, and searches of online research databases.

Myth #11: Most of the job search can be conducted over the Internet.

Reality: The Internet is a very seductive job search tool which is frequently over-hyped by individuals who operate Internet employment sites. It's especially effective for employers who can inexpensively post job listings and search resume databases online. It's less effective for job-seekers who often waste their time responding to online job postings which produce few if any results. In fact, fewer than 15 percent of job-seekers in the United States get interviews based on their Internet job-search efforts. Use the Internet wisely in your job search by focusing on research and networking activities and communicating by e-mail. Don't spend more than 20 percent of your job search time on the Internet. Interpersonal networking by using the phone or meeting face-to-face with contacts will prove to be your most effective job-search method. Use your resume as a marketing tool for opening the doors of employers through networking. When it comes time to communicate directly with international employers, e-mail should play an important role, although faxes are still commonly used by many employers. You'll most likely use e-mail to transmit your resume and cover letter, answer questions, and engage in an online screening interview.

Myth #12: Once you send a resume, there's nothing much you can do other than wait to hear from the employer.

Reality: Waiting seldom produces positive results. You need to take the initiative in following up on your correspondence. Give the employer four to five working days before you make a follow-up telephone call or send an e-mail or fax. In fact, rather than close your letter with the standard throwaway line "I look forward to hearing from you," close it with an assertive follow-up statement that says "I will contact you on Thursday morning to see if you have any questions about my candidacy." Be sure to make that critical follow-up contact. It can make a big difference between never hearing from the employer versus getting a job interview. [Editor's Note: Learn more about follow-up in Follow Up All Job Leads: Don't Wait by the Phone (or Computer).]

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Be sure to check out all our great global job-search tools and tips in this section of Quintessential Careers: Job and Career Resources for Global Job-Seekers.

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

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