Curriculum Vitae

Many job seekers wonder which is more effective, the Europass, or the American-style resume? When, which one should you use?

The question could also be asked which is the better, American or European CV, as the Europass CV was born out of an initiative of the European Union. In order to answer this question, it is worthwhile to better examine the background, structure, and content of the formation of different types of resumes.

In Many Countries, The traditional type of descriptive CV was used for a long time, which presented in an essay the professional experience, marital status, and significant moments of a candidate’s life. This kind of descriptive resume is now completely out of use. Hard to see, unprofessional – simply outdated.

The American type of resume

When the market economy began to function again after the change of regime, multinational companies quickly brought into vogue the type of CV used in the United States and Western Europe. This is the American type of resume, which has been the most common resume format ever since.

The American-style resume presents professional experience, key skills, and studies in separate sections. An important feature is the clear, compact structure. It is typical for American autobiography to usually put it in sentence sentences or to use simple lists. Such a resume shall not exceed two pages in length.

In contrast to the traditional descriptive CV, the American CV presents the candidate’s previous positions and studies in reverse chronological order, ie going backward from the present.

It is worth noting that the exact English translation of the American autobiography is Resume, but it is also correct without an accent: Resume. However, this name is only common in the United States and Canada.

In Britain and other parts of Europe, the Curriculum Vitae (CV) of Latin origin is more likely to refer to a CV, although the two terms do not completely overlap. The point is, however, that both terms basically cover the kind of resume we know as an American-style resume.

The Europass Resume

The Europass Curriculum Vitae was initiated by the European Commission in 1998. The main aim of the project was to facilitate the free movement of workers within the European Union through the standardized presentation of professional experience and competencies.

The Europass CV has therefore declared a template. Its structure is somewhat more cohesive than that of American autobiography, precisely because of unification. For example, the Completion Guide even warns job seekers not to change the elements, format, and font of the template — although it is permissible in that not all fields are required.

This unified structure allows us to create our resumes online as well. We can enter our personal data in a specific online interface, and then the system will create our Europass CV at the touch of a button, which can be saved as an electronic file or even printed out.

With the enlargement of the European Union and the promotion funded by the EU, the Europass CV is now also used quite widely – but only in Europe.

Which is better, Europass or American CV?

The more structured structure of the Europass CV is often too convenient for job seekers. This treats the resume as an average form in which you just enter the data and you’re done.

The other problem stems from excessive standardization. When we have to stand out from hundreds of job seekers with our application, it can be especially disadvantageous to use exactly the same template as others.

It is also important to consider which type of resume is preferred by staff and job brokers. There is a general consensus among professionals that a Europass CV is a little harder to review than a US CV. This is partly due to the centered layout. But the different codes used to show the level of language proficiency does not make it easier to interpret the Europass CV.

Because of all this, it can be said that it is generally worth using an American-style resume. An exception to this is if you apply to a European Union institution or are specifically asked to use the Europass format. If someone is applying to a Western European country but not to an EU office, an American CV will still be a better choice for them.

But it’s not just the format of your resume that influences the success of our application. You may also want to consider carefully whether or not to attach a photo to your resume, as research suggests that photography can reduce your chances of being hired.

Personal data should also be treated with caution, as we may be discriminated against if, for example, we indicate our year of birth. In addition to age, there are quite a few more things worth missing out on your resume to invite more to a job interview.

Whichever type you choose, it is advisable to pay enough time and attention to writing your resume. Because while the structure is important, much more depends on the content of your resume.