As a society, we are proud of how different we are and try to understand and respect each other's cultures and backgrounds. In any American company, you can find training teams that do inclusion trainings and talk openly about working in diverse environments. Diversity has become a part of our culture, both at work and in our personal lives, but we rarely take the time to appreciate it.
Many people who work in the United States got at least some of their education in another country. If you are in this group, one of the hardest things about writing your resume will be making sure that your education and experience from another country show your qualifications and accomplishments in a way that is relevant to an American employer.
Make sure you know how the US education system works when it comes to your academic success. Learn about the different levels of college degrees, and make sure you know the difference between trade schools, colleges, and universities, as well as the different degrees you can get at each. Do not directly translate your degree. Instead, make sure that the language you use is correct for educational achievements in the United States.
I would suggest getting help from a translation service or a resume writing service where someone might speak your language or know about your country and its culture. This will make sure that your education and work experience from another country are listed correctly on your resume. Do not make the mistake of lying about the job you had in another country or the degree you got there. Think about the fact that your potential employer doesn't have a lot of ways to check out the foreign education or work experience you put on your resume. This doesn't mean you can make things up, though. Instead, get together any proof you have that shows what you've done. If you have transcripts, degrees, or awards from school or a previous job, take them to a service that will translate them into English and have them notarized. Write on your resume or cover letter that you can show proof of these things if the employer asks. Also, if English is not your first language, make sure to list any other languages you speak well under your qualifications. Your employer will know that you took the time to learn the language and put a lot of value on your communication skills if your resume is free of typos and grammatical mistakes.
As a best practise, if your resume shows that you went to school or worked in a foreign country, your cover letter should answer any questions that this information may raise. Your employer may want to know why you left the country where you worked before or if you plan to go back (if you came to the United States to further your education, indicate the length of time you are staying). Keep these things in mind, and put yourself in the shoes of a potential employer who is looking over your resume. Think about what questions they might have about your work history. If you address any concerns about your resume ahead of time, you can be sure that you will be taken seriously as a qualified and credible candidate.
