The overseas career sounds like an adventure to many people. However, to get work in Poland needs more than just the obvious Poland CV with Poland cover letter writing and translation – it requires methodical preparation.
You will face issues that probably did not even cross your mind when you become interested in employment in Poland. Do not underestimate the influence a Poland CV can have on your adventure! For instance, you will experience the different immigration rules and practices, job application procedures, selection trends and the management culture.
A CV is similar to a resume in that it provides more details about one’s professional qualifications, experience and education. However, the term “Curriculum Vitae” most often called CV, typically carries a different meaning depending on whether one distributes the CV within the US, Canada or internationally (external to the US or Canada) or is seeking a faculty, academic, research, clinical or scientific position.
You can turn your current resume into a CV. A CV is similar to a resume in that it outlines your professional qualifications and history, but it does so with more detail by adding to the resume the detailed descriptions of your educational and/or professional experiences and personal information that may include nationality, date of birth, marital status, etc.
Prepare yourself – before writing your CV research the company you want to work for. Such information will help you to adapt your CV more effectively to each specific job and use proper examples illustrating your achievements.
Write in the Polish language to Polish companies and in English or other foreign languages to international ones. The guidelines for writing CVs are not very strict in Poland. The style is currently changing and getting more similar to the Anglo-Saxon one.
Some large multinational companies use their own application forms instead of personal CVs. Pay attention to the open questions that try to establish your social and transferable skills. Never leave any blank spaces.
The aim of your Poland CV should be to persuade recruiters to invite you for a job interview. Therefore, your CV is a marketing tool, which should be adapted to the market in which you intend to use it. Write an introduction that contains many power words and action verbs. Scanners that are programmed to select specific words notice these keywords.
Computer print or typewrite your CV on one to two pages in A4 format, depending on the length of your work experience, in reverse chronological order – beginning with the most recent job. In a situation when the job is not directly connected with your studies, but more with your work experience, you may write a functional CV – information structured per item.
The Poland CV should have a clear layout and separate section headings: “Personal Details”, “Education”, “Work Experience”, “Qualifications” and “Interests and Hobbies”.
Begin your CV with your “Personal Details” including name, address, contact information including your telephone number, place and date of birth and your marital status. Often CVs are kept on file for lengthy periods, so any contact details you give have to remain accurate in the long term. A daytime phone number, with the international access code and e-mail, are most important.
Follow with “Education”. Include examination grades giving dates of attendance, study emphases, diplomas and degrees. Describe your level of oral and written knowledge of languages. Additional to the Polish language the most useful are English, German, French and Russian. Moreover, employers are looking for computer literacy.
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Then, under “Work Experience” list responsibilities you had in each job with dates, their locations and your titles – emphasizing areas relevant to the position for which you are applying. Make your CV more effective by providing examples to illustrate your achievements. Use power words such as contributed, organized, demonstrated, trained, managed, developed, coordinated etc. Bullet points these at the start of a sentence for maximum impact.
Close your Poland CV with extra-curricular and leisure activities listed in the “Interests and Hobbies” section of your Poland CV.
You can either include the names (including job title, address and telephone number) of referees or state that you will send references on request. Because references are usually verified, inform your referees in advance.
Carefully consider what to leave out of your CV and exclude anything that might give prospective employers a chance to discriminate against you.
It is more common in Poland to apply for a job through the Internet. However, you should be aware that an electronic CV does not look the same as a standard one. CVs are often scanned by employers, so make your CV scannable by avoiding for example lines or italic fonts etc.
Always include a cover letter with your CV, but never attach any official documents, like diplomas or testimonials to your application.
Check the spelling and grammar of your Poland CV. Use the word processor’s spell and grammar checker. If you are not confident of your ability to detect grammatical, punctuation and language usage errors in Polish or other languages or if you need help in organizing your CV, send it to a professional for assistance.
