How to write a resume in Spanish

There are certain rules in the modern labor market, so today, in order to get a job, a person must provide a resume, in which he briefly summarizes information about himself that may interest the employer. If you intend to apply for a job in a Spanish-speaking country, in addition to knowing the language, you will need the ability to properly compose a resume, taking into account the requirements of local companies. Thus, understanding how to write a resume in Spanish without making mistakes can play an important role in finding the right job in Spain.

The specifics of employment in Spain

Spain is a state with a fairly free personnel policy, but a foreign citizen needs a work permit to work in the country.

In Spain, the problem of unemployment is acute, and the level of employment in the country at a particular time is of great importance. The fact is that when applying for the first residence and work permit for an applicant from outside the EU, the employer must justify that neither citizens of Spain, nor EU countries, nor employees who already have a permit for work.

The first work permit can be renewed twice, both times after two years. Only a person located in Spain can apply for renewal. After 5 years, a permanent permit can be obtained.

What are the types of resumes

The more experience you have and the more successful your career, the more simple resume you can get by.

Resume types:

• El currículum cronológico - it can be called the simplest, since it is composed in a strict chronological order. Personal data is immediately followed by places of study and work. At the same time, academic and career growth is striking. An example of such a summary is here:
  
• El currículum funcional o temático - based on the characteristics of the interests and personal qualities of the applicant for employment. More suitable for students and people who have not worked for a long time. See an example here.
• El currículum combinado o mixto - combines the best of the two previous resume types, making it the most difficult of its kind. Best suited for a person applying for a specific job. An example of this type of resume is here.

How to write a resume in Spanish

Any resume contains personal information, information about work experience, educational level and additional skills / specialties. Personal information includes:

• name and surname;
• phone numbers, preferably landline and mobile;
• a valid email address;
• date of birth;
• place of residence (indicate your postal address with a zip code);
• marital status.

Some useful words for this section and their translations:

Work experience

The next section is about work experience. It is he who plays the main role in chronological and mixed resumes. In this case, you should indicate not only the companies in which you were officially employed, but also all additional specialties that you own, taking advanced training courses, as well as participating in forums and other similar events.

Useful words in this section

Education

The highest academic degree you hold should be listed as your main achievement in this area. If you have degrees and below, you can also specify them.

In addition, you can and should indicate the various seminars and courses that you attended. However, in this case, it is advisable to indicate only those of them that are directly related to the vacancy for which you are applying.

But a student or any other newcomer to the labor market can list all additional courses, since this shows their activity, desire to develop, etc.

Academic degrees in Spanish are written as follows:

• Formación académica (academic degree)
• Professor
• Licenciado (bachelor)
• Doctor
• Magíster (master)
• por la Universidad ... (university ...)

Additional section

The resume ends with a section of additional specialties / skills, in which you can also indicate information that can significantly increase your chances of successful employment. First of all, a Spanish employer will look at your level of Spanish. That said, it is useful to indicate what other languages, besides your native one, you know.

The levels of Spanish proficiency for a resume are as follows:

• elementary degree;
• medium degree;
• advanced degree.

An elementary level of language proficiency is required for everyday communication, understanding documents, etc. Knowing a couple of Spanish words like “hello” and “bye” will not be enough.

The average level indicates a sufficiently high degree of language proficiency, which allows not only to communicate and understand the documentation, but also about the knowledge of grammar. The vocabulary must be at least 300 words.

Advanced level is fluency in Spanish.

Do not exaggerate your level of language proficiency, because the very first interview will reveal your overestimated self-esteem and force you to be wary of other data you specify.

Useful words in the languages ​​section:

• Idiomas (languages)
• Inglés (English)
• Nivel avanzado (advanced)
• ivel intermedio (intermediate level)
• Nivel básico (elementary level)

We conclude with a sample resume in Spanish.

What you can write about in your cover letter in Spanish

The cover letter is designed to convince your potential employer that they cannot do without you. You need to write why exactly you want to get this job, what makes it very interesting for you and how well you are prepared for it.

The structure of this epistolary document is straightforward: first, you talk about where you learned about this vacancy and the employer, then you provide information about your education and professional experience and tell you exactly what you can help by working in this position. Finally, write about your willingness to be interviewed.

In this case, the following turns may come in handy:

Here are some examples of cover letters in Spanish:

Things to keep in mind when writing a resume

Given the importance of the document, its preparation must be taken with full responsibility. At the same time, you need to pay attention to some points with which you can spoil your resume:

• it may be too long. Although there are no standard limits on the length of a resume and a lot depends on intuition in this matter, it should be remembered that no matter how you want to emphasize your advantages, most employers do not have time to read too much text. Try to put your resume on one A4 page;
• an illiterate spelling shows you from the most disadvantageous side.Therefore, try to check the text of the resume with computer programs for spelling, syntax and other errors;
• do not fantasize and exaggerate your merits;
• you should not compare yourself with other applicants or former colleagues, let alone condemn and criticize them - you are responsible only for yourself and your competence;
• use the most polite turns of speech.

Finally

Writing a resume in Spanish may require an expatriate to both moderate self-assessment of their professional competencies and some enthusiasm in justifying the advantages of their candidacy. Your resume and cover letter should interest the employer, show how exactly you can be useful for the company.

You need to indicate which peaks you have reached in your home country.

It is also desirable to have a good command of Spanish, which can be confirmed not only by the language level you specified, but also by the literate and logical text of the resume itself. The final goal of your resume should be to invite you for an interview.