It is not always easy to highlight the languages that are mastered in our CV, so we show the steps to follow to add the level or certificate correctly next to each language.
There is no doubt that being able to speak another language is a very useful skill to find a job faster.
However, not indicating adequately the ability to master languages in our curriculum, can have repercussions almost without realizing it is about getting a job opportunity or being left out of many selection processes.
So that this does not happen again, we present a series of tips or advice to correctly highlight the level of languages in the CV. In addition, it is also shown in detail by various examples.
How to highlight languages in the curriculum
There are several ways to demonstrate the level of languages spoken throughout your professional career. The truth is that due to the numerous tools to create a curriculum it has become fashionable to display languages using bar graphs. Error!
This information can be very confusing for recruiters, since the level or certificate of languages is not really specified. Nor is it shown where the training courses were obtained.
But that is not all, since it does not indicate whether the languages that appear are dominated in a spoken or written way. This is another incorrect way of how skills should not be presented in other languages.
So that this error does not repeat itself, below we present an example of how to indicate the level of languages in the Curriculum Vitae.
As can be seen, first of all the languages will have to be highlighted at the top of the curriculum. In addition, it is important to specify the level of each language, in which center the training in another language has been taken or studied and in which year it has been carried out.
Likewise, for certain positions in which a demonstrable level of fluency in another language is required, it will be necessary to have the documentation or original or certified certificates in case of being demanded by the company we want to be part of the team.
Tips for highlighting languages on your resume
One of the most common mistakes is to indicate the languages in the section ‘Additional or complementary training’. We are faced with another serious mistake. When displaying language certificates on the curriculum, they should not be mixed with academic training.
Foreign languages must be given the importance they deserve, therefore the languages must be added in a section dedicated to them alone.
First of all, you will have to write the first language (not counting the mother tongue) that is most proficient, for example: ‘English’
Next, you will have to specify the level, for example: B2 Intermediate
Just below, it is also important to highlight the institution or college in which this level has been obtained, for example: Cambridge, TOEFL, IELTS, Trinity, Bulats
Finally, do not forget to show the year and place where you studied, for example: St. John School of London, Bethnal Green, London
Where to put other less fluent languages on the curriculum
Sometimes, when we take an ‘Erasmus’ course, we also learn other languages, although usually to a lesser extent than the languages previously available. Therefore, it will be necessary to know where to insert this knowledge.
It’s very simple: just below the main non-native language. In case of having an official title, it is very beneficial to include it in the curriculum as well.
Language reference levels in the curriculum
In the event that the reference level is not known, we leave a table in which the level of languages can be clearly observed according to skills.
On the other hand, our recommendation is not to include the classic ‘English medium level’, since it does not add any value to your resume. Be sincere! Specify your actual command of the language on the resume before reflecting it on face-to-face with the interviewer.
In addition, you can also sort the languages according to their importance in the job offer you want to choose.
