What to include in a CV – international job search

What to include in a CV can vary decisively from place to place.

Recruiters and employers from separate locations will assess your CV differently. Which can make it difficult to know what information to include, how to present it, and what pitfalls to avoid.

We’ve created this guide to show you what to include in a CV when applying for a job outside of your home country.

If you already feel comfortable with creating a CV, feel free to head straight to our CV builder. There you can find a comprehensive library of professional CV templates which you can complete through a simple step-by-step process and with the help of expert guidance.

Which countries require you to include a photo on your CV?

North America, United Kingdom, and Australia	Europe	Middle East and Africa	Asia	South America
✖	✓	✓	✓	✓

North America, United Kingdom and Australia

There is a lot of of conflicting information online about whether to include a photo on your CV. The truth is that it can depend from country to country. In North America, the United Kingdom and Australia, we recommend that you never include a photo on your CV.

In most of these countries, there are strict laws preventing employers from discriminating against candidates based on their appearance. Therefore, many recruiters instantly discard CV’s that contain pictures, to make sure they don’t subconsciously discriminate against any applicants.

Europe

In Europe, a professional headshot is expected with your CV and application. This should be a formal photo that suits the industry you are applying for, clearly showing your face and shoulders, and with a clear background.

Middle East and Africa

In both the Middle East and Africa, an extensive amount of personal information is expected by employers looking at your CV. Make sure to include a picture as well as other data such as your age.

Asia

Although criteria can differ from country to country within Asia, most major countries require a photo to be included, such as China or India. Even in Japan, where CV’s (known as rirekisho) follow a very unique format, there’s a space to add a picture of yourself.

South America

When applying for a job in South America, you should add a picture of yourself. Just like in other countries where this is necessary, it’s important the picture is professional, high-quality and appropriate for whichever profession you’re applying for.

Where do you need to add your address to your CV?

North America, United Kingdom, and Australia	Europe	Middle East and Africa	Asia	South America
Optional	✓	✓	✓	✓

North America, United Kingdom and Australia: address optional

In these countries, it is not strictly necessary to include your full address in your CV. However, seeing as the goal of this document is to get invited by a recruiter to an interview, the more contact details you provide the better. Make sure that you include your phone number and email address and present them in a clearly visible way at the top of your CV.

Europe: address needed

In Europe, it is common and expected to include your full address on your CV. Make sure to include this information in a clear and legible manner, without taking up too much space from other sections.

Middle East and Africa: address needed

In the Middle East and Africa, it’s also customary to include your full address on your CV. It can also be helpful to mention how fast you would be willing to relocate if you were offered the position.

Asia: address needed

When applying for a job in Asia, it’s important to include your address on your CV. Although there is a lot of diversity between countries in this continent, almost all of them expect an address to be added. Either way, it’s worth checking the specific requirements of the country that you are applying for.

South America: address needed

Just like in most other regions of the world, recruiters in South America expect to see your full address on your CV. Make sure to include this information without taking up too much space, as you’ll want to keep the document short and concise.

Are you required to list gender on your CV in some countries?

North America, United Kingdom, and Australia	Europe	Middle East and Africa	Asia	South America
✖	Optional	✓	✓	✖

North America, United Kingdom and Australia: don’t list gender

As mentioned before, there are a few anti-discrimination laws in North America, the UK and Australia. This means that you shouldn’t include your gender on your CV as employers are not allowed to take it into consideration when making hiring decisions.

Europe: option to list gender

In Europe, it is common to include your gender, but it is not usually required. As it’s necessary to include a photo of yourself, they’ll most likely be able to discern your gender whether or not you include this information.

Middle East and Africa: list gender

In the Middle East and Africa, you must include your gender on your CV. Depending on the local culture and custom, this may have a substantial impact on your job chances depending on the industry in question.

Asia: list gender

In Asia, employers expect you to include your gender on your CV. This is commonplace between almost all of the countries on the continent, and you can include it next to your other personal details.

South America: don’t list gender

We also recommend that you include your gender in your CV when applying for jobs in South America. If you’re unsure of where to include this information on your document, feel free to check out our professional templates for guidance.

Where do you need to add your birth date and place of origin?

North America, United Kingdom, and Australia	Europe	Middle East and Africa	Asia	South America
✖	Optional	✓	✓	✓

North America, United Kingdom and Australia: no birthplace or birthdate

Your birth date and place of origin should also be left out when applying to jobs in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia. This is due to the same non-discrimination rules mentioned before.

Europe: optional to add birthplace and birthdate

As Europe is a very diverse place, nationalities can differ significantly within countries. This means that it can make sense to include your nationality if you think it might be of extra interest to the employer. However, it’s not necessary to include this information if you prefer not to.

Middle East and Africa: add birthplace and birthdate

In most Middle Eastern and African countries it’s mandatory to include your age and birthplace on your application. Keep in mind that this may be taken into consideration by recruiters when evaluating your application.

Asia: add birthplace and birthdate

In Asia most countries expect comprehensive personal information to be included on CVs. This includes your age and birthplace as well. These details can be placed alongside your gender and address. Just ensure you don’t use up too much space where more relevant sections could fit better, such as your work experience or education.

To discover more about the actual content and sections to include on your CV, be sure to check out our comprehensive CV writing guide.

South America: add birthplace and birthdate

In South America, it’s required to include nationality and age on your CV for almost any job you are applying to. Add this information alongside your other personal details near the top of the page.

For which countries should you add your marital or familial status to your CV?

North America, United Kingdom, and Australia	Europe	Middle East and Africa	Asia	South America
✖	Optional	✓	Optional	✖

North America, United Kingdom and Australia

In North America, the United Kingdom and Australia, we recommend you do not include your marital or familial status in your CV. This is because it is one of the details that employers are not allowed to take into consideration when reviewing applicants.

Europe

While it is inappropriate in North America, your marital status can be included on your CV if you choose to in Europe. You can even go as far as to specify the number of children you have and their ages.

Middle East and Africa

In these countries, you will be obliged to include your familial and marital status on your CV to ensure you are considered equally among other candidates.

Asia

Whether or not to include your marital or familial status on your CV depends on which Asian country you are applying to. It’s a good idea to research this first before adding it to your CV. In some countries, it might be optional, and in others, it may be required.

South America

In South America, it’s appropriate to include marital status on your CV and in some cases even your religion. However, it is usually optional.

Land a job in your dream country

In conclusion, expectations of CVs can really vary from place to place. We’ve covered some of the main differences between major regions so you know what to include in a CV for any applications abroad. However, there can be even more dissimilarities on a country-by-country level.

Therefore, we recommend that you research the country where you are applying to check for any more requirements or specifications. Once this is clear, you can head over to our step-by-step CV creator to build your curriculum vitae using beautiful designs and with the help of expert guidance.

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