Italy: Resumé/CV Guidelines
2017-10-24
by Goinglobal
While networking and introductions are the most common way to find a job in Italy, the resumé/CV continues to be essential to the job search process.
As in most countries, personal contacts and networking are critical to a job search. Italians would prefer to hire a person who has been introduced by someone they already know and trust. Thus, it is essential for a successful job hunting strategy to include building up a good network and finding well-connected contacts who can establish the right introductions. It is, in fact, quite common in Italy to get the first informational interview through an acquaintance. Nevertheless, the resumé/CV (curriculum vitae) continues to be an essential part of the process.
While the ideal resumé/CV does not exist for every occasion, in general it is not necessary to write a new resumé/CV for each job. Applying for different jobs becomes a matter of tailoring the resumé/CV to the individual job. When revising a resumé/CV, highlight the information and personal characteristics pertinent to the specific job and delete pieces of information that are not relevant.
A good resumé/CV is reader-friendly and clear, containing all the necessary information organized efficiently on the page. Often, the most effective strategy for simplifying the resumé/CV is to divide it into sections. Sections are structured to emphasize the most important pieces of information. For example, if you want to stress your language skills, include a section on language experience. Alternatively, if you have specialized knowledge or qualifications, highlight it prominently by creating a specific section.
The average resumé/CV in Italy is two pages in length for professionals with more than three or four years of experience, while graduates with internships can distribute a concise one-page resumé/CV.