Today, and every day more strongly, the vast majority of job offers require a minimum level of languages (usually English), so not indicating it appropriately on the resume can leave us out of many selection processes. It’s no longer worth that “middle-level English” thing, or put it on a small line hidden among the rest of your skills and training, you have to highlight it as an important point, since it’s going to be a key factor in the decision to chooseone candidate over another, and at language level equality, the candidate who knows how to “sell” it in a better way, will have an advantage over the rest.
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN ADDING YOUR LANGUAGE LEVEL ON YOUR RESUME?
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Highlight your skills in a summary chart at the beginning of your resume
Create a small summary box with the 4-5 most important and distinctive items on your resume, including your Level of English if it’s a high level.
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Don’t lie
A liar is caught sooner than a lame man. Lying on the resume isn’t going to benefit you. If you pass the CV selection phase, the interviewer will most likely subject you to some small oral test of the level of that language, at the very least. You don’t want to go through embarrassing moments and situations that leave you in a very bad place…
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Indicate where you’ve studied languages on your resume
If you have studied a language abroad, spent time there etc., you must indicate it on the CV, since studying a language in a foreign country will add many more points to your candidacy than to do so in an academy in your own country.
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The best place to introduce them
Here are several options, which we go on to see below:
A) Include them within a section called “Skills”,perhaps along with other knowledge such as those related to computing and new technologies. This location is recommended if languages are not a fundamental requirement for the position.
B) Make them stand out as an important part of the information you provide in the “Training and studies” section. A highly recommended possibility if you have an academic degree that certifies your level in a certain language.
C) Create a specific section or section with the name “Languages”,in which you can detail your knowledge of one or more languages. This is an interesting option if languages are indispensable to be able to successfully develop a certain work. If, for example, you show up for a job of translator, interpreter, international organization etc., all this must be in a well visible and independent section, which is not at any time diluted among anything else that interviewers will give less importance to.
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Order of languages
The CV must be adapted to the offer and if for example you speak English and French and in the offer ask for a French requirement, the language you are requested will always go first, no matter what, in general terms, the “most important” language. Even if the offer is for Hungarian and you are able to speak it freely, you must first indicate and highlight this language above any other. If nothing is specified, they are sorted by their degree of use or request. In this case, if the most demanded language is English, we would put this language first. Then according to the level we have for each of the other languages. For example, if your level of Italian is higher than that of German, after English the first place would be for Italian.
SHOULD I INDICATE MY LANGUAGE CERTIFICATIONS ON THE RESUME?
If you have a certification that proves your level in a certain language, it is always advisable to include it in your CV. A certificate of study is a magnificent cover letter that will take into account those responsible for any selection process in which languages are a crucial condition, since it is a target document of your level of that language, far away from other ways to indicate your level, such as the typical “middle level English”.
If you have an internationally recognized degree such as TOEFL (American English), Proficiency (British English), DELF (French) or DaF (German) do not hesitate to make it stand out in the “Studies” or “Languages” section and if you have any other degrees, even if it is smaller, especially obtained through courses or stays abroad, add them also specifying the period of study, the country where you have completed them and the institution where you obtained them.
WHEN NOT TO INDICATE YOUR LANGUAGE LEVEL ON THE CURRICULUM VITAE
There are times when it doesn’t make sense to include your language skills in your resume. For example:
If you have a very basic level: it usually doesn’t make sense to include language skills when you have too basic a level. You won’t be able to work effectively with those languages and this will quickly be visualized by the people in charge of screening resumes, so it will be a negative point for your candidacy. You can make an exception if you have a personal interest in learning many languages and include it in the “Afitions” or “Personal Interests” section instead of in the “Languages” section of your resume.
Very high level positions: in the highest positions of international organizations, English prof dominion is taken for a fact. In this case, it’s unnecessary to put your English skills on the resume, as you’re supposed to have them.
If you want to improve your language level so you can show it as one of the biggest strengths of your resume, it’s best to take a language course abroad, and for this purpose from Ynsitu we put it at your fingertips with a range of courses in more than 15 languages and countries to be able to carry out this great investment for the future. No doubt this is going to make you stand out above the rest.