As we discussed in our previous blog about the difference between French and US resumés/CVs, it’s equally imperative for Italians to understand the cultural differences with job search tools specifically between Italy and the US.
If you are an Italian sending your resumé to an American company, be sure to keep the following factors in mind:
1. Do not include personal details
It is customary in Italy to mention your date of birth, age, place of birth and marital status. In the US however, you should NEVER include this information. There are US discrimination laws against hiring based on age, gender, nationality and religion. Providing this information when applying for a job, could disqualify your candidacy.
2. List all languages
Any foreign languages spoken in Italy today, especially English, is of great interest to a prospective employer. So similar to your Italian resumé, be sure to include all spoken and written languages on your English resumé. Also include any foreign language certification such as TOEFL scores as these give a more objective and unbiased picture of your language skills.
3. No privacy disclaimer required
When applying for a job in Italy, legislation 675/96 mandates that you grant permission for the reader to use your personal data. 675/96 is expressed as a waiver statement and is normally placed at the bottom of your resumé.
675/96 was originally passed in 1996 to protect an individual’s fundamental human rights particularly with regards to privacy and personal identity, and now must cite legislation no.196 (June 30, 2003) as well as the recent GDPR or EU privacy laws (UE 2016/679).
A waiver statement in Italian may read:
This permission however is applicable only to Italian residents. Therefore, you should NEVER include the privacy waiver statement in a resumé you send to an American company.
Apart from the above differences, the resumé layout in the US is similar to an Italian one. Some candidates in Italy present their resumés in chronological order, but most Italian Executive Search personnel prefer your resumé in reverse chronological order with sections for your personal information and contact details, education and professional experience.
Moreover, the same rules of resumé writing apply – Make sure that it is clear but impactful and easy to read. For more information on this, check out our in-depth blog 3 Easy Tips to Build a Strong Resumé.
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