How to Create an Italian Resume from Scratch: Guidelines and Sample
Do you ever daydream about getting a job in Rome? We totally get it. With breathtaking architecture, magnificent vistas, and some of the funniest slang expressions in the world, Italy is one of the most popular countries among both tourists and expats.
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The fact that Italy is so popular, however, means you will have to work very hard to make yourself noticed by employers. In other words, forget about copying your American resume into Google Translate! Today, you are going to learn how to create a CV in Italian from scratch by following our comprehensive guide.
“But Juan, is that really necessary?”
Yes, it is. Think about it for a minute. Just like every country has unique customs, dishes and traditional dances, they also have specific rules and conventions for resumes. Following these unwritten rules shows employers that you have done your homework and that you take your opportunities very seriously.
So, yes, If you want to get that job in Rome, you’ll have to keep reading and make sure your resume in Italian is as Italian as a Margherita or a Marinara.
What to Include in Your Italian Resume
Like we said before, it’s not just linguistic differences that you have to come to terms with when you create an Italian resume. There are also certain formalities that you need to follow in terms of the sections you need to include in your CV and Italian resume formatting rules.
Photo or No Photo?
If you decided to include a profile photo in your American resume, chances are you will get a harsh “No” from every big company in the country. However, when it comes to Italian resumes, a headshot is virtually obligatory if you want to be taken seriously.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that you can choose any of your Instagram photos and crop yourself on Paint. First of all, that bit of your ex’s hair is still visible. But more importantly, you need to remember that this is the image that will represent your candidacy, so you should make sure it is a studio shot in which you appear smartly dressed and professional-looking.
Personal Information and contact details: Presentazione e contatti
A strong resume in Italian should start with your full name, birth date, address and/or location, phone number, and email address. This is the information that will tell employers who you are. It can be at the top of the page or on the left margin, but make sure it’s clearly visible.
Remember: no matter how impressive your work history is, it won’t catch anybody’s attention if they have to struggle to find your contact information. So make sure you include the following details:
✓ Name and last name – Nome e cognome
✓ Date of Birth or age – Data di nascita o età
✓ Nationality – Nazionalità
✓ Email address – Indirizzo email
✓Phone number – Numero di telefono
✓ Websites/Social media profiles – Siti web/profili di social media
Professional Experience: Ezperienza lavorativa
If you look for Italian resume samples online, you will see that the order for the Education and Professional Experience sections is quite flexible. But what is the best Italian resume format for you?
Easy. If you have more than a few years of professional experience, make your job history the first section of your resume. However, if you’re a student, a recent graduate or for some reason you don’t have much relevant work experience yet, start with Education.
Whether it comes first or second in your CV, your esperienza lavorativa should be writen in reverse chronological order (from the most recent backwards), and it should follow this formula:
✓ Job title
✓ Company or Organization
✓ Location
✓ Employment dates
✓ Description of your responsibilities and/or achievements
Education: Istruzione e formazione
When Italian recruiters look at this section, they want to know three things: where you studied, when, and what degree you obtained.
Something you should take into account is that every country has different ways of expressing degree titles and qualifications, so make sure you use the right equivalent for your academic achievements. You wouldn’t want to make a mistake and say you have a modest Bachelor’s Degree after working so hard to get your Master’s, would you?
Avoid blunders by following this US-Italian title equivalents guide:
| Italian Qualification | US Qualification |
| Diploma di istruzione secondaria superiore | High School Diploma |
| Laurea triennale | Bachelors Degree |
| Laurea magistrale | Masters Degree |
| Dottorato di ricerca | Doctorate |
Languages skills and IT: Competenze linguistiche e competenze digitali
The Skills section might appear at the end, but don’t be fooled—it could be just what you need to stand out from your competitors.
After all, these are often the abilities that you will have to use in a job. Whether the’re looking for someone who can use a specific programming language or a person who has a high speaking level in at least two foreign languages as well as Italian, this is the section headhunters will check to see what applicants can actually do!
For this reason, it is important that it reflects only the skills that are relevant for the position you’re applying to. For example, if you’re applying for a job as a programmer, it would be irrelevant to mention that you did a drama workshop ten years ago!
In fact, as you will see in any Italian resume sample, the Skills section of any European CV is split into two specific areas—Languages and IT.
For languages, list the different languages you can speak and say what level of proficiency you have achieved in key areas using a universally understood framework of reference such as CEFR.
For IT, list all your abilities and knowledge regarding the use of computers and related technology, including word processing software, spreadsheet programs, web development skills, and code.
Italian Resume Example
When I was told I should include an Italian resume sample, I thought: where the heck will I get one? And indeed, it seems Italian people are not very keen on sharing their CVs for research purposes.
But that wasn’t going to stop me. After giving it much thought, I decided to create an Italian resume for a fictional man named Stefano who just happens to look a lot like me:
Get the Help of a Professional Native Speaker
Not sure you have enough vocabulary to write your own resume in Italian just yet? Then I know exactly what you need—a personalized course with a qualified Italian teacher.
Only a native Italian tutor will be able to:
- check that the format of your resume follows Italian conventions
- make sure that you are using the right Italian equivalents for titles of positions and academic qualifications
- proofread your Italian resume to check there are no spelling or grammar mistakes, especially in the descriptive sections.
- teach you “power verbs” that you can use to express potential employers. Words like raggiunto (achieved) consolidato (consolidated), and superato (overcame) help you to express what you have achieved in your professional career in an attractive, imposing manner!
More importantly, a native Italian teacher will be able to guide you through the fascinating process of learning the Italian language, so that when you are finally chosen for the position of your dreams, your job interview skills will be as impressive as your resume!
→Sign Up Now: Free Trial Italian Lesson With a Native Teacher!←
What are you waiting for? Contact us now and we’ll pair you up with an experienced Italian tutor who can come up with a tailor-made course based on your needs and current level. We have the feeling you will get much more out of your course than just a fancy Italian CV!