How to write a proper resume to find a job in Luxembourg

Job search in Luxembourg for foreigners starts with creating a curriculum vitae (CV). But there is a question – how to fill it right when there are three official languages in Luxembourg besides commonly used English and Portuguese?

Choosing the language and the contents

Usually, major international firms will expect resumes in English. If you are looking for English-speaking jobs in Luxembourg, this is your option.

Local companies expect to receive resumes in the language in which the position is described in the publication. Typically French.

When creating a resume for European companies, not only is it important to choose the correct language, but to place all essentials in a clear structure on one page. In contrast to CIS countries where it is more common to present a multi-page list of all education received and previous places of work.

When it comes to academic records — courses were taken or skills acquired — they can usually be mentioned in Technical CV, which comes as an addition to a resume. Academic qualifications are valued in Luxembourg, so copies of such official documents could be attached to the Technical CV or the cover letter.

Resume Structure

Whether it is a job search for foreigners or locals, a resume for a job application in Luxembourg consists of 4 sections:

• «Contact»,
• «Education»,
• «Experience»,
• «Personal projects».

Contacts always come first, but the other three sections can be placed depending on your intentions. For example, if you have some major valuable experience or outstanding personal projects, you can place them right after the contact information, and use education as the fourth section. But you can always stick to the standard order.

Contact

Perhaps, the most important section of the resume for those seeking a job in Luxembourg is contact information — it provides the necessary information on how to reach and invite the applicant for an interview. Therefore, personal information is mentioned at the top of the resume, like:

• Name and surname;
• Address;
• Phone number;
• Email address.

The applicant's business photo is usually attached to the cover letter, but you are free to add it (or not) to your resume directly. The same applies to mentioning a person's nationality.

Create a LinkedIn professional account and add a link in the head of your resume to find a job in Luxembourg sooner. In case you have a personal portfolio website you can also share the link in your resume.

Education

Primarily Luxembourg offers jobs to applicants with a professional education. The contents of this section are pretty much standard — specify your diploma level in chronological order, indicate the presence of a degree, and then add 2-3 recently acquired qualifications. It is essential to stick to mentioning relevant professional education, even if you are a multi-talented person.

As stated above, if submitting the Technical CV make sure to describe all of your academic qualifications and attach diploma photocopies and other supporting documents. Don't forget to note that additional academic achievements are listed in the Technical CV in the resume.

Experience

When applying for a job in Luxembourg check that this section is correctly formed. Note that it is filled in reverse chronological order — i.e. from the last positions to the earlier ones.

Key achievements do not represent your responsibilities but demonstrate the practical results that you brought to the previous company. You can mention how you affected the performance of the place where you worked — increased the traffic, saved the budget, brought new users, etc. This approach will help you find work in Luxembourg and any European country in general.

All accomplishments should be measurable, that is, reported in numerical figures. «Saved 25% of the company budget by finding a better supplier» or «optimized employees' working hours by 15% by implementing a kanban board».

The competencies details should be listed under the description of the key achievements. It is better if they match the skills listed in the job description.

Personal projects

When applying for a vacancy in Luxembourg be sure to fill in this section. It can be any independent project that you created on your own, that demonstrates your motivation, creativity, and active position.

Some have personal blogs writing about the peculiarities of their profession and sharing experiences, some created full-fledged projects to solve substandard work problems. In this section, you can also mention if you implemented or organized special events and other details to show your proactivity.

This is a big part of the deal, especially for people, who look for quick feedback and eventual employment in Luxembourg.

Skills

Have another look at the list of skills required for the job offer. In Luxembourg, it is necessary that your set of skills match the ones that the employer is looking for.

Formatting

When preparing a resume for a job application in Luxembourg keep in mind a few rules:

1. Use normal black Times New Roman (12) or Arial (10) with a white background on the A4 page.
2. Keep the structure by creating headlines for sections.
3. Use bullet points and lists to keep it simple and short.
4. Do not use abbreviations.
5. Check twice for misspellings and punctuation errors.
6. Translate your resume to French or any other language if required.

Tips

If you are certain to find a work position in Luxembourg there are a few pieces of advice:

1. There is no such thing as a versatile resume. For every application, the resume should be adapted and rewritten based on the position and its requirements. The best option would be to create 3-4 versions of the resume for desired posts and correct them when applying.
2. Use resume builders, it will help you keep your resume in a consistent style. For example, you could try Flowcv.com, Novoresume.com, Resume.io, TopCV.com, and others.
3. Check ADEM. The Agency for the Development of Employment in Luxembourg provides plenty of information for people interested in working. They also hold workshops on resume creation, cover letter writing and the job interview process a few times a year. When registering as a job seeker, you can count on experienced consultants to help with your search.