Finding a job abroad is an exciting step in your career, but it also comes with challenges. Understanding cultural differences, tailoring your resume and researching visa requirements are all key parts of the application process. Here we have five tips that will help you successfully apply for a job abroad, with insight from a CV expert.

1. Understand the cultural differences in the interview process

Each country has its own work culture. Cultural differences can influence, for example, hierarchy and cooperation. This starts with applying for a job. For example, in some cultures, it is customary to talk directly about your achievements, while others value modesty.

An expert of CVwizard indicates: “It is important to be aware of cultural nuances in the country where you are applying. Directness is not appreciated everywhere. By reading up on the culture of the country where you are applying, you will avoid awkward moments during the application process.”

Suppose you want to apply for a job in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, for example. Then it is important to understand the cultural differences between the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Netherlands has a culture of openness and directness. This is also reflected in the application process, where directness is appreciated.

In the UAE, respect for hierarchy plays an important role. Applicants should communicate formally and with respect, but directness is usually better avoided. Showing respect for local and cultural customs can significantly increase your chances of success.

This means that in addition to translating your CV, you should also localize it by emphasizing or omitting certain parts.

2. Locate your resume and cover letter

Tailoring your CV and cover letter to the standard of the country you are applying to is essential. This goes further than translating your CV. Always include relevant international experiences, language skills, and knowledge of local markets. In addition, localization also includes adapting your CV and motivation letter to cultural expectations as described in tip 1.

Also, consider choosing a format that is common locally. If applicable, you can implement local technical terminology. Localizing your resume strengthens your position as a job candidate because it shows that you are making an effort to adapt to local norms, values ​​and work culture. After locating your resume, you can share it with the recruiter or company in question.

Next, you should research your work visa options, starting with the visa requirements in the country where you are applying.

3. Research visa requirements and sponsorship

A work visa is often a requirement to work abroad. The rules for this vary greatly per country and can be complex. Therefore, start researching the visa requirements early.

In some cases, your new employer can help you apply for your work visa or even act as a sponsor. Consider this when applying and looking for companies known for supporting international employees.

It’s also helpful to understand the timelines for obtaining a visa so you have realistic expectations about when you can start working. Finally, consider any restrictions or requirements that apply to your specific situation, such as moving your family, your professional experience and educational qualifications.

4. Learn about the local job market and industry

A crucial step in applying for a job abroad is to thoroughly research the industry you are interested in within the country you want to go to.

It’s important to get a clear picture of current market trends, the key players and the demand for the skills you have to offer. This knowledge is invaluable for strengthening your application and conducting interviews with potential employers. It also gives you a realistic picture of your options and opportunities in the local labor market.

Even if the main language in the company is English, knowledge of the local language can increase your chances of success and ease your integration into the team and local culture. Consider language courses or practice with educational language applications to improve your language skills.

By informing yourself, you can better assess where your opportunities lie and how you can position yourself as the ideal candidate.

5. Use your international network

A reference always works to your advantage but can be extra valuable for a job application abroad. It shows that you are familiar with the local culture and that you have an affinity with the country of interest.

Therefore, use your international network to find your dream job abroad. You can use LinkedIn for this.

Check whether you have contacts at companies in the country where you want to work. If you don’t have one, you can get to know valuable contacts through international conferences, webinars and online forums.

Go for your dream job abroad

Finding a job abroad requires preparation, research and adaptability. By applying the above tips, you will increase your chances of finding a successful international career.

You can also choose to use specialized recruitment agencies. Many agencies focus on placing candidates in international roles. These agencies offer valuable insights and support in your search for a job abroad. They understand the local work culture and have closer contact with the local population.

Remember that every country is unique. What works in one country may not work in another. Therefore, stay flexible, be open to learning and be willing to adapt to a new culture and working environment.

How do you answer the interview question “Are you willing to relocate?”

It does appear like a yes–no question, but there’s more to it than that. It’s also about expressing a clear position on relocation, whether you’re willing to do it or not, or even if you have some concerns about it.

We’ll analyse three possible answers in detail: “Yes,” “No,” and the conditional “Yes, but.” Keep on reading so you understand how to answer “Are you willing to relocate?” in case your interviewer brings it up.

10 Data-Driven Ways to Use Your Developer Resume to Get Interviews →

 If your answer is “Yes”

If you answer “Yes, I am planning to relocate,” you’re open to relocation, and, as you suspected, your employer is also considering it, and that’s why they’re asking. It can be difficult to measure how committed to relocating your employer is, so you can take advantage of your time to reply to open up the question — what are the actual chances of moving elsewhere, and where?

Here are some tips to make your “Yes” stand out:

• Focus on the opportunity, not just the move: While open to relocation, highlight your enthusiasm for the specific role and what makes it stand out. This points to genuine interest beyond just seeking a new location. And it follows a tried-and-tested interview tip: Make sure your interviewer realises you did your homework.
  
• Try to open up the conversation: Since you want to relocate, now you can try to ask your interviewer if that’s a possibility. Top off your answer with a question. It’s always a good way to transform an answer into a conversation.

Example responses:

• To emphasise flexibility and interest: “I’m excited about this opportunity and confident I could make it count for you. Relocation is definitely a possibility for me, and I’m eager to learn more about your specific requirements and support systems. What are your expectations for employees who relocate? Thinking this from your perspective, it must be a challenging process—isn’t it?”

You said yes, now ask how it works. Depending on how detailed their answer is, you’ll now know if the company has a well-oiled relocation process or if they’re starting from scratch.

• To demonstrate commitment: “I always thought that when the right opportunity came along, I’d be ready to make a move. I did apply to this company because it offered the career path I’m looking forward to, and because relocating with the help of people who understand how to carry it out makes the difference. I also know that relocating is not challenging just for the person relocating—that would be myself!—but also for the HR teams pulling it off. If we indeed can work together, and I’m looking forward to that, I’ll be able to confirm my words here with emails, official communications, or whatever you need so we can both make the relocation process easier. Do you think this official confirmation for the HR team would help?”

You’re showing the HR person you can be an ally, someone who will walk their talk, and if they had to pick one candidate out of a pool to select for relocation, then, most probably, they’ll remember how serious you were about it. You’ll be at the top of their minds.

• To connect personal goals with the company’s needs: “I’ve been interested in relocating for a while to {France/Germany/Australia/Singapore} now because my partner has been offered a scholarship there. And I want to jump ship with her. I’ve also read positive things about your company’s relocation support, so I’m particularly interested because of that too. So, what does your relocation process often look like?”

With this one, you’re very respectfully telling your recruiter that you have other offers on the table and that relocating would tip the scale towards their opportunity. So, when the time comes, they’ll know they have to be serious about offering you a package to convince you to work for them.

Remember, your “yes” is merely the first step. You will show the person interviewing you that you are willing to move and want to do well in their company. If you do well, the person who hired you will be praised. And they know this.

Additional tips to stand out:

• Research the company’s relocation package and policies beforehand. Does the company have a relocation package? Do they use a third-party service? Sometimes you’ll find this info from previous employees on sites like Blind or Glassdoor – this is great info if you get to the negotiation stage.
• Be prepared to discuss potential challenges and how you’d overcome them. How long does the company give employees to relocate? Are there any stipends? You can ask these freely without sounding pushy.

Explore IT jobs with relocation packages →

If your answer is “No”

Saying “No” is not necessarily a deal-breaker. But if it was a relocation role or on-site role, and you’re not ready to hold that end of the deal, don’t apply. (Recruiters won’t like it if you waste their time). In any case, you can give a professional answer. Maybe, just maybe, the recruiter was probing to see if you were one of the candidates that will request them a visa (many employers, especially in the US, don’t like this), and saying “No” would be what they expect from you.

So, it’s okay to say “No” to relocating if the job isn’t advertised as needing it. Some companies might just be asking to see if you’d prefer remote work. You can always discuss relocation later if you impress them!

In any case, here’s how to express your limitations respectfully and potentially still land the job.

Remember, you have your options:

• Be candid: Prioritising your personal commitments is perfectly acceptable. Don’t feel pressured to compromise if relocation isn’t an option. It is better to be honest upfront than to back out once you have expressed interest in the possibility.
• Rejection isn’t the only path forward: A good recruiter understands that circumstances dictate choices. However, while saying no doesn’t automatically disqualify you, remember that it could put you in a losing position compared to other candidates who are just as qualified as you but willing to move.

Plan out your response:

• Be honest, but concise: Explain your limitations clearly without getting caught up on personal details.
• Demonstrate you have considered relocation: Tell them how you knew it was a possibility and that you discussed it with your family or close circle before applying. You already mulled over it. You’re not saying no on a whim right now.
• Offer alternatives: If interested, propose remote work or local office options to showcase your flexibility and willingness to contribute. You know the mantra: “Suggest solutions, not problems.”

Example responses:

• Highlight enthusiasm and openness to solutions: “Thank you for sharing this opportunity. I was waiting on it, and I’m glad you mentioned it. Unfortunately, due to (brief, honest reason), I’m not open to relocating right now. I’m still truly interested in working with you. Is this a dealbreaker, or do you think we can still work together?”

You’re being forthright. You’re being candid. And you’re poking to see if not relocating is actually in their best interest. You’re also showing you understand how difficult the relocation process is even for them.

• Proactively address potential concerns: “This role perfectly aligns with my career goals. While I’m currently settled in Lyon, I’m open to discussing travel arrangements or working from the Berlin office if that is helpful. But not to relocating. How important do you think relocation is for this role? What are your team’s thoughts on it? I understand that, since you brought it up, and it showed up in the job description, you must have carefully considered it. Not to mention, it’s so hard, you can’t take it lightly.”
  

You’re asking if they’re open to a different arrangement, and you’re being very honest. Many would advise never to say something as negative as “but I’m not open to relocating,” and they have a point. But if you answer directly, honestly, without beating round the bush, you’ll be cutting through the noise of corporate speak, and you might do the recruiters a favour they’ll remember on.

Bonus tips:

• Research the company’s remote work policies beforehand. You should always look like you knew this was coming.
• Be prepared to discuss potential solutions and answer follow-up questions.
• Express your confidence in your ability to excel, regardless of location. You got what it takes.

How To Successfully Pass An Interview At a Software Product Company →

The conditional “Yes”: If your answer is “Well, it depends…”

Leaving loved ones, a new home or a comfortable routine behind isn’t easy and the recruiters know this. Understandably, setting conditions to relocate could impact your progress in the interview process. Usually, employers prioritise candidates readily available for on-site positions.

If you don’t want to lose your edge with a hard “No,” consider the “conditional yes” approach. This opens the door for negotiation if the hiring manager finds you truly valuable. The key here is not to demand answers, but to explain what you need very politely.

There are two kinds of conditional answers:

1. The condition depends on you and the company: You’re saying that you could change your answer if a certain something happened. This might be financial support, better pay, etc.
2. It depends on someone else: You’re saying that “you’d love to,” but since your partner hasn’t finished her degree, or your family member hasn’t dealt with a health concern, you currently can’t. No matter what the company does, this won’t change.

On these examples, we’ll focus on the ones that depend on you. Because talking about an external factor like a spouse not finishing his degree in time is closer to a “No” answer than to anything else. It can look neat, tidy, and affirmative at face value, but it’s a negative at its core.

Now, regarding the conditional part of the answer — what could your answer depend on to change your mind from an “it depends on…” to a “yes, let’s do it”? One could be the location to which they can help you move. Another one could have to do with paperwork. Maybe you’ve relocated before, and you realised it was a headache. Studies show that up to a third of workers who relocate for work are not happy. Also, many companies offer workers just a month to move out, which could be too fast-paced for your family. 

If you’re only willing to relocate if the company has a relocation package, and you have researched, probed, and read their official websites and there’s no sign of it, then ask forthright about it. Indeed, employers don’t like employees who make demands, so simply ask, don’t demand.

Example responses:

Here are some examples to inspire your own:

• Highlight interest and flexibility: “I’d be willing to consider relocation to France or Germany, of course. I did send my application considering that factor. I wouldn’t know where to start, though. I’m a citizen of Türkiye/India. What does your relocation process look like to those countries? Also, I can always work remotely while we sort it out.”
  

You’re telling them you read their job ads and that you need expert help. And you’re giving them a solution in the meantime, which is working remotely while you put together the puzzle of moving out for a job.

• Ask for help and put it as a condition: “I have relocated in the past, and it was a very impactful experience, but it was also stressful and costly. Especially, considering I have a family. It’s something I’d love to do, but I do need help to make it happen. I browsed through your job ad to find any discussion about relocation packages. Do you have a relocation policy for hiring internationals like me?”

If this rubs the right way, the recruiter could feel like the protagonist of your new process and feel validated by your call for help. You’re also straight-up asking them, “Hey, how will we pull this off?” and if the recruiter can answer your questions by heart, it means the company has a global mobility strategy in place. You can be professional and vulnerable.

This is how to explain relocation in an interview. Remember, honesty and clear communication are key. Be prepared to discuss your situation openly and professionally. 

How to make sure the company will relocate you

Imagine being asked this question only for the company not to offer relocation packages or services. The prospect of it already feels off. John Lydon coined the perfect phrase for that feeling: “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”

To avoid being cheated and to ensure the company you’re applying to work for offers relocation packages, you can browse through Relocate.me. It’s a niche job board for IT professionals looking to relocate. The companies on the job board all offer relocation packages. 

You can also check our learning center, expat stories, personalised relocation tips and even net pay calculators to gather more information on international relocation. Head over to the job board to find a job with relocation assistance!

Find a job with relocation →

The job market’s a whirlwind right now – tech, especially. 

Some giants are downsizing, others are thriving, and remote work looks like it’s here to stay. AI has taken off in a big way, and the globalisation of the industry means there are more opportunities to progress a career than ever before.

But one thing’s for sure: skilled tech talent is still in demand, which means the tech world is ultra-competitive. 

If you want to make your resume stand out in this shifting landscape, it’s time for an upgrade. We analysed over 30,000 developer resumes to uncover the secrets that land those interviews. 

Buckle up, let’s dive in.

You Want to Make Your Developer Resume Stand-Out From the Rest

Let’s get on the same page.

There’s no point trying to create an amazing resume if you’re not thinking about its purpose and how it’s being used. Put it this way, a Zety study found that an average corporate job will attract 250 resumes. 250 documents the HR department need to shift through and organise. 

To be in with a chance of shining, you need to stand out from the pile, both in terms of the value you bring to the company, and making the life of the HR team easy.

It’s all well and good writing four pages that detail your life story, but a recruitment team will barely have time to look at it. The chances are they won’t. They’ll move on and you’ll have missed your chance. You need a punchy document that highlights all the best bits concisely, without coming across as generic and bland.

And that’s not even starting on the fact that AI solutions (or ATS, Applicant Tracking Systems) are being used to filter resumes and applications – something you need to structure your resume to beat.

So, how do you do it? Let’s break it down.

1. Stay away from resume templates. 

The internet is full of templates and forms available to anyone looking to build a CV. While this is a good jumping off point, you need to edit your CV to stand out and represent you. Your resume should look unique, thus ensuring more than a cursory glance, something a resume design they’ve seen 1,000 times before will encourage. And it doesn’t have to be fancy, simple will suffice, but not too simple. 

2. Make your resume sound like a human wrote it, not a machine. 

Write as you would talk. Make it engaging and enjoyable to read, both for you and your potential employer. Incorporate some interesting, work-related facts about yourself. Sure, you can use AI to write the basics of your CV, but edit it and inject YOU into the content. After all, that’s what the recruiter is looking for. 

For instance:

“I’m a JavaScript junkie, always tinkering with React side projects, and lately I’ve been dabbling in Python for some data wrangling magic.”

Way more interesting.

3. Wherever possible, back up your accomplishments with numbers.

Figures are important because they’re concrete examples of when you’ve done a good job. We’re talking things like improved app performance by 40%, achieved 300k plug-in downloads in a span of 3 months, reduced page load time from 20 seconds to 5 seconds, and the like. 

Listing your achievements will highlight your ability to deliver results.

As you can imagine, Google knows a thing or two about hiring top talent. 

Back in 2014, their former head of People Operations, Laszlo Bock, dropped a gem: the perfect way to showcase your wins.  It goes like this: 

“Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z].”  

Sounds simple, right?

Yet, even though I’ve been in tech recruitment since 2012, this powerful formula remains a rare sight on developer resumes. So, if you want to really stand out from the crowd, it’s time to back up those accomplishments with some hard numbers.

4. Enrich descriptions of the things you’ve done with “power words.”

Power words are not just buzzwords. They’re tools to ensure your descriptions are infinitely more compelling to the readers you’re trying to impress. From our research, here are some excellent, standout examples, handpicked from over 1,000 software engineering job listings:

“Automated, complex, concurrent, core, distributed, fault-tolerant, fully responsive, highly available, large-scale, maintainable, multi-threaded, reliable, resilient, resource-intensive, reusable, robust, scalable, secure”

5. Personalise your resume with a short cover letter.

Love ’em or hate ’em, cover letters have staying power.  

Think of them as your chance to go beyond bullet points and show the hiring manager there’s an actual human behind that impressive resume. Don’t just dump random thoughts onto the page. Here’s how to make your cover letter count:

• Channel Your Inner Storyteller: Connect the dots between a few key projects on your resume and the company’s mission. “Being part of [project] ignited my passion for [field] – which aligns perfectly with your work on [company initiative].”
• A Sprinkle of Personality: IDEO’s Virginia Martinez nailed it: “…what matters most is that you show a little personality. After all, we want to hire you, not your resume.”
• Do Your Homework: Show you’re serious. Mention a recent win for the company, or a problem they’re facing that your skills can solve.

Oh, and a pro tip for you. Keep it short and sweet – no one wants to read a novel.

ALWAYS Read the Job Description

Sending out the same resume and cover letter to every job you apply for? 

That’s a surefire way to get ignored, and that’s everyone’s time wasted. Instead, you need to read every job description you apply for carefully, break it up, and adapt your resume accordingly. And don’t worry, this doesn’t take as much time as you think – when you know what you’re doing.

Think of the job description as a treasure map – it hides the exact skills and qualities the company’s desperate for. Your mission? Decipher those clues, read between the lines, and tailor your resume to scream, “I’m the perfect fit!”

Let’s say you’ve got this generic line in your resume:

“Collaborated on cross-functional projects to achieve company goals.”

That’s fine, but how does it prove your fit for the specific job? Here’s how to adjust it:

• Job Ad Emphasises Teamwork:  Maybe they mention “tight-knit team” or “highly collaborative environment.”  Tweak your line to: “Led daily standups and facilitated communication across design and marketing teams to deliver a seamless product launch.”
• Job Ad Craves Creativity: They might use words like “innovative” or “out-of-the-box thinking.” Adjust your example to: “Devised a creative social media campaign that boosted brand engagement by 25%, exceeding quarterly targets.”

Small edits like this in your resume make a HUGE difference. Show them you’re not just sending out a generic resume, but you’ve taken the time to tailor your experience to their unique needs.

Right, now back to the tips.

You Want Your Resume to Be Competitive

6. Don’t overly detail your history; your resume is a marketing tool, not a bio. 

You need to find the balance between conveying enough information that explains why you’re the best fit for the job and the most valuable choice for the company you’re applying to, while also not being too short and unhelpful. 

It’s a balancing act of giving the recruiter/hiring manager what they’re looking for and not boring them or wasting their time. This boils down to writing a brief overview of your relevant skills, knowledge, experience, and achievements.

Think of those job description keywords we talked about earlier? This is where you weave them in. Show how your past successes directly translate to the skills they need. 

That’s the sweet spot – enough detail to prove your value, without overwhelming the reader with your entire career history.

7. Write a pithy summary or write no summary at all – no soft skills or buzzwords. 

Adding “passionate,” “proactive,” “good team player,” “results-driven,” “hard worker,” and other cliche resume words serves little purpose, as recruiters see them in virtually every resume/summary section.

The experience and accomplishments you add to your resume should showcase that you’re a hard worker, so there’s no need to add “hard worker” to your resume.

This is essentially the show, don’t tell approach. Let your facts and experience do the talking without wasting the limited time or space you have just telling the recruiter what you are. Did you streamline a process, boost a metric, or spearhead a successful project? 

Those are the stories that grab attention. These are stories a recruiter wants to read. 

Describe what makes you unique and sets you apart in 3-4 sentences.

8. Incorporate relevant keywords.

Remember those Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) – the AI systems that are filtering resumes before they even get to the human recruiters? Well, they’re the gatekeepers of your resume, and statistics show around 75% companies are using them.  

Therefore, you need to structure and write your resume in a way that gives these systems the greenlight, thus progressing your resume to the next, human stage. This is an automated process, so if you’re not getting through, your resume won’t be seen.

To get past them, you’ve got to sprinkle in those job description keywords like magic dust. The keywords they’re looking for. Here’s how:

• Become a Keyword Ninja: Analyze the job ad. What skills and experience are they obsessed with? Weave those exact words into your skills section, bullet points, and even your summary (if you have one).
• Don’t Just Stuff, Strategize: Keywords need context. Instead of just listing “JavaScript,” showcase how you used it: “Built responsive web interfaces with JavaScript and React, increasing site performance by 20%.”

Think of it like a treasure hunt – the job description is your map, and the keywords are the hidden gems that will unlock the next level (aka, the interview!).

9. Show your “passion.”

Statistics show that there’s an estimated 28.7 million developers and programmers out there in the world. They are all your competition, and they’re going to secure your dream job if you don’t show you’re in this. Remember, you’re against people who code for fun. They spend their evenings coming up with new ideas, debugging projects, and volunteering their time on online communities.

Everyone is passionate in their own way, but you need to showcase this in your resume if you’re looking to stand out. Some examples of how to do this include mentioning your open-source projects, providing a link to your active tech blog. 

You can also include a link to your stunning GitHub, Stack Overflow, or HackerRank profile, especially if you’re using a digital resume solution.

10. Don’t describe your responsibilities. 

And finally, focus on your wins and what makes you, as a professional developer, great at what you do. Be real, nobody wants to set and read a list of the basic generic duties that every developer has to do. The recruiter already knows this.

They know you code. Debug. Test. Work with others and work individually. They know you write documentation. 

What makes you stand out?

Metrics.

What have you done to change the game? What results have you achieved with your work? What problems have you solved? What mentorship programs have you been a part of? What skills do you bring to the table outside the norm? 

Remember, and this is most important, it’s not WHAT you know, but HOW you apply what you know, and how you affect those around you (both peers and management) with those skills.

Oh, and top tip: don’t forget to link your LinkedIn profile, so a recruiter or hiring manager can verify you, your experience, and ensure you are who you claim to be. That’s always a good general tip!

Wrapping up

Remember, resume trends change, and what works for one company might not click with another.  But with these tips, you’ve built a solid foundation. You’ve turned your resume into a tool that highlights your unique skills and value – the kind that hooks a recruiter’s attention.

Now, it’s time to get out there and shine. You might not land your absolute dream job with this first resume update, but you’re already miles ahead of the generic application pile, and success will come.

Keep refining, keep tailoring, and those exciting interviews will start rolling in. Best of luck!

Whether you are a Software Engineer, an Android Developer, or a QA Tester, there are always plenty of exciting projects to join that will help you grow professionally.

The interview process — central to securing these opportunities — depends on the level and type of position, of course, and varies from company to company. However, there are a few factors all employers pay attention to when interviewing that we will cover below.

This Makes Sense

The times when one could land a job by solely being equipped with the right set of technical skills are long gone. More and more often, being actively involved in the recruiting field, we see refusals occur because of a lack of “soft skills.” A lot of developers fail here, but there are ways to improve your abilities in this area.

Here are a few tips from our Relocate.me team on how to “sell yourself” on a (remote) job interview:

First, always do your homework well before the interview. Peruse info about the company (e.g. CrunchBase, TechCrunch, VentureBeat) and its team, look through the company blog, and make sure you have complete knowledge about the role.

Another good idea is to search for “typical” interview questions your target company might ask and practice answering as many as possible. Also, try to glean information from any contacts you might have that are currently working for this particular company. It could be a great opportunity to learn more about the company’s interview process, its focuses, and that kind of questions you should be prepared for.

Try to positively impress an interviewer at the beginning of your conversation. Talk about the weather or something abstract. You can also mention that you’re going to visit the city where the team is based (you may be invited for an on-site interview) or that you know a few developers from the team, etc.

Treat your interviewer as if he/she was sitting across from you. Don’t forget about eye contact.

Another important factor is finding a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed during your call (no cats walking across your Mac, noise in the background, etc.). If, during the interview, the internet connection becomes weak, ask your interviewer to recall a few minutes later so that you can fix the problem or switch to Skype.

If you’re considering job relocation and English is expected to be your working language, spare no effort in improving it. Mastery of the language is essential for getting hired by prestigious product companies abroad.

Talk about the business component of your product (at least in a few sentences), point out what problems it solves and what your audience is.

Try to secure an interview at a few world’s top technology companies such as Facebook, Skype, Amazon. You will gain invaluable interviewing experience and boost your confidence.

Prepare interesting questions to ask about the company. For instance:

1. Are you an Agile-based company?
2. What problems has your team encountered while integrating Agile?

1. Do you plan to build an Android app?
2. How many clients visit your website using a mobile app? What is your strategy for mobile development?

1. Do you write Unit Tests?
2. What restrictions does your business put on the code creation process? How are your Unit Tests going?

Practice giving a brief summary of the jobs you’ve held. Tell only about relevant experience that you gained at each. You should also be able to describe your weaknesses (acknowledge them beforehand).

It’s paramount to be prepared for varied interview questions. Here are 7 most common ones you should be ready for:

1. Tell us about yourself. (It’s a good idea to start from the beginning and tell interviewers how you fell for programming, what University you graduated from, where you worked first, what technologies you’ve learned and practiced, and what you liked most about your job. However, don’t go deep into details on any one facet — keep it simple).
2. What interesting tasks have you worked on at previous jobs?
3. What problems have you encountered on your past projects?
4. How did you solve these problems?
5. Tell us about your dream company.
6. What do you do to grow professionally?
7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of your main programming language?

And last, but not the least, avoid political, religious and any other delicate topics during the interview.

Passion For Programming

Companies are looking for “passionate” candidates to join their teams. Thankfully, proving your credentials as a passionate programming enthusiast is relatively easy nowadays, and I’d single out several markers that will show you’re on the level:

• An active GitHub profile either with your own project or contributions to open-source projects.
• A StackOverflow account with questions asked and answers provided.
• Home projects that somehow facilitate people’s lives or show off new technologies that haven’t been introduced yet.
• Participation in local/global communities (e.g. Python Geeks, Rails Girls, JS Enthusiasts).
• Taking online courses (Coursera, Standford online courses, Codeschool.com, etc.).
• Your own technical blog (preferably in English).

These indicators show recruiters and hiring managers that you’re truly keen on programming.

Be Yourself

Very often, good candidates are refused for the following reasons: “too reserved”, “didn’t reveal himself/herself”, etc. You’ve probably come across company descriptions like “informal culture” or “we don’t wear jackets, we boldly share our opinions and focus more on ‘personality’ rather than qualification.”

Don’t be intimidated by such descriptions. Just be yourself — this is the best recommendation to successfully pass an interview at any company.

Passion For Product

You’ll never get hired by Google if you say nothing about their product and don’t offer your own ideas for its enhancement. For some reason, most potential hires neglect this recommendation. Naturally, it is only fair that leading companies hire those candidates who have taken the time to learn about their products and proven to be experienced specialists.

You don’t have to be delighted with the product, but, there are still a few steps you should never neglect:

• Download their app(s), and install them on your phone/tablet.
• Read an engineering blog.
• Offer a few technical improvements.
• Share your thoughts in regards to modifying the product’s UI/UX.
• Understand the monetization mechanism of product in question.
• Analyze the competition and ask your interviewers what makes their company different from the rest. On the flip side, you should be ready for an employer to ask you that very same question.
• Tell your interviewers that you’d like to gain new experience and work exactly with this product, collaborate with their entire development team, and make the product better (it’s important to say it all sincerely).

General Programming

A lot of product companies actively use the tasks on General Programming — algorithms, data structure, etc. And yet, most candidates don’t expect to get a task with algorithms. After the interview, they often regret that they lack even a day or two to get properly prepared. However, what’s done is done, and the time to get ready has come and gone.

That’s why it’s always best to ask about all technical tasks beforehand — ask your recruiters, visit Glassdoor, etc. Get as much information as you can beforehand!

In addition, there are thousands of books available that are exceedingly helpful (Cracking the Coding Interview, for example).

Thanks for reading this far. You’re welcome to share your thoughts on this topic in the comments.

Good luck!

With more than 30M companies and 20M open jobs listed on LinkedIn, it’s no wonder that 90% of recruiters use it for hiring purposes. Obviously, those who are recruiting for tech roles aren’t an exception.

So, having a powerful LinkedIn profile is more than important for finding a decent job, both with relocation and not. Polish yours up today with this quick guide.

Step 1. Headline and summary

Apart from a profile picture, these will be the first things every recruiter sees. 

Start with the headline. Use the following formula:

Position+Company | Your primary skills (keywords) | Zing (something that differs you from other candidates)

✓ Software Developer at Amazon | NodeJS, React, Ruby, Rails, AWS | Agile Evangelist, Public Speaker

✗ Junior Software Developer at Amazon

Note: If you’re a junior professional aiming to get a mid-level position, better omit the ‘Junior’ part, as well as the words like ‘aspiring’.

Polish the summary. It shouldn’t be too short (consider writing at least 40 words), but don’t overdo it with the length. Avoid buzzwords like ‘team player’, ‘familiar with’, ‘thought leader’, etc. Include relevant keywords. Since you’re looking for a job with relocation, don’t forget to add the words ‘relocate’ or ‘relocation’. For more tips and expert advice, check out this article. 

Opposite strategy. Recruiters strongly rely on keywords and boolean search when looking for prospects. For example, here is one of the boolean search strings for finding a Python developer: (programmer OR developer) AND python AND (mysql OR postgresql) AND (django OR flask) AND (chef OR puppet OR sentry). 

So, if you want to be reached by the most determined recruiters only, better omit the primary keywords from the headline and summary of your profile. If you’re a Java developer, don’t use the word ‘Java’ — mention Spring, Hibernate, and other relevant technologies instead.

Additional resources. If you have a GitHub/Behance/Dribble/whatever profile you’re proud of, add it as a custom website under your contact info.

Bonus tip: Never state that you need visa sponsorship in the headline and/or summary of your profile. This won’t increase your odds of finding and getting a tech job offering relocation.

Step 2. Filling other sections

Generally speaking, all parts of your profile should be filled and contain the right keywords. That is especially true for the Experience, Education, and Skills sections.

Experience. Simply stating the company and your position is not enough. Describe what you achieved in each position, not your tasks or duties. Do this in a bulleted form. Use active verbs (‘reduced’, ‘developed’, ‘achieved’, etc.) and prove your accomplishments with numbers when it’s possible.

For example:

• Designed, built, and launched to the Google Play Store XYZ, a React Native-based Android app for free textbook rental.
• Achieved over 5,000 downloads and 300+ positive reviews in less than six months.

Courses and certifications. If you’ve completed any relevant ones, take the time to mention them, especially if you’re only making the first steps towards an IT career. It’s one of the ways to show potential employers that you’re committed to continuously learning and growing your skillset. 

Step 3. Final touches (settings)

Let recruiters know that you’re up for a new challenge. Click on the ‘Career interests’ section of your profile, and choose the appropriate status. (‘Actively looking’ might be the best choice.)

Turn on the visibility of your profile. Go to ‘Me’ > ‘Settings&Privacy’ > ‘Edit your public profile’, and switch on ‘Show’ for all the components.

Profile URL. Personalize your profile URL — if available, your name+surname is the perfect option. 

✓ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-smith

✗ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-smith-468rff715f48

Bonus tip: Try switching your location to one of your potential destinations. That will make local recruiters pay attention to you. Moreover, you can combine tourism with a job search. If you’re visiting one of your possible destinations, don’t waste a chance to go on a couple of interviews.

And the last but not the least, if you’re in search of work abroad, make sure your profile is completed in English. 

Voila! Your profile is now ready for the job search.

Even if you’ve been dreaming about your new job, (with relocation or not), for months, and have a reliable agency or person to help you, it’s still a crucial affair. To choose the right location, company, and position, you need to possess as much information as you can. That’s why I always tell candidates: Don’t be shy to ask questions while talking to recruiters and/or hiring managers. To help you concentrate on the most important things, we’ve gathered 25 questions you need to ask your future employer before making that final move.

As here at Relocate.me we help tech specialists to find decent jobs overseas, some of these questions refer to job relocation. BTW, if you’re looking for tech jobs with relocation, browse them here.

Technical questions

1) What technologies (languages, frameworks, libraries) are used on the project?

2) Is the app monolithic or microservice? What patterns are implemented?

3) Does the team employ CI and CD practices? Are container technologies used in the project?

4) Is the code reviewed by other team members before deployment?

5) Who is responsible for maintaining the project’s documentation? How often is it updated?

9) How is the code tested? Which amount of code is now covered by tests? What bug trackers are used?

10) If the server failover happens in the middle of the night, who will be responsible for fixing the issue?

Apart from these, find out as much as you can about the operating systems, databases, APIs, build tools, IDEs, version control systems, etc. You need to know exactly what you’re going to work with. After all, your interest in a particular project directly depends on the tech stack, right?

The project, the team, and the company culture

11) What is the ratio of development and maintenance?

12) What methodology is used — Kanban, Scrum, Agile, Waterfall?

13) How many people does the team include?

14) To whom will I report? Will I be reported to?

15) Will I have any career advancement opportunities? Do you have a job rotation program?

16) Do you organize any hackathons or workshops? Do you pay for conferences and courses outside the company?

17) Will I have a mentor? Will I have to mentor somebody else?

18) How flexible is the schedule? Is it possible to work from home? How many (paid) days off are allowed?

19) Will I have to go on business trips? If so, how often, and what will be my destinations?

20) Do you hold any corporate events? If yes, how often do they take place?

21) What will my relocation package include?

It’s important for any person to work in a friendly environment with an appropriate schedule and growth opportunities. (For expats, it’s even more important.) Make sure the company you’re going to move to is exactly such an environment.

The hiring process

22) How many stages will the interview process include? How will it proceed?

23) What does a test task look like?  Will there be any deadlines for performing the test task?

The hiring process may vary from company to company, from project to project, and even from candidate to candidate. Nobody will tell you everything in details, but it’s important for you to know at least the basics to be timed perfectly.

Other important questions

24) What is the salary range for this job? How flexible is the salary, and how often will it be reviewed?**

25) Can I talk to some of the team members personally?

The recruiter’s answer and reaction to the 25th question will show you whether all they’ve told you about the company was the truth

**Don’t get ahead of yourself — better wait for the hiring manager to bring up the salary discussion.

Changing a job and relocation is not an easy process, and it would be a pity to spend time and effort on the wrong company and position. Save this checklist, and ask these questions during every call to identify your perfect employer.

If you have other interesting questions to ask, please write them in the comments below

Résumé trends change very fast, especially in tech. In spite of that, there are some elements that remain relevant to this day.

Since the launch of the Relocate.me job board, over 3,000 résumés have been received and forwarded to European technology companies. Below are the conclusions we came to based on our experience.

Résumé Size

Your résumé should be one page (unless it absolutely needs to be longer). Why? Recruiters and hiring managers usually spend only 10 seconds viewing any given résumé. Thus, it’s highly recommended to list all your professional skills right on the first lines of your CV to capture their attention.

Résumé File Format

Don’t let the wrong file format be your CV’s downfall. ‘Word is not the king, it was in 2003,’ says Bernardo Sulzbach. It should be a PDF by default unless you’re asked about another one, e.g., a DOC file or some other format.

No CV Titles, Use Your Name Instead

There is no silver bullet for an effective CV title. Just try to avoid any titles at all. Recruiters are skilled at learning what you’re all about by reading the content in your résumé. By including a specific title, you run the risk of throwing them off and reducing your chances of being offered an alternate role.

Don’t Look For Easy Ways

The ‘Export to PDF’ option on LinkedIn isn’t the same as crafting a good CV – in fact, these are two entirely different things. Even if your LinkedIn profile contains enough info about you, sending it as a PDF will hardly grab recruiters’ attention. Most of the companies you’ll apply to actively check LinkedIn to see reviews on a certain candidate, find common contacts, etc. It’s still a good idea to add a link to your LinkedIn profile to the cover letter, but don’t rely on it as your CV.

‘Sweets’

A good CV should have something to differentiate it from a boring wall of plain text. Try employing a good sense of humor, self deprecation, or some interesting numbers and facts: e.g., over 3M lines of code were covered with unit tests, 5 reasons why employers should hire YOU, etc. These simple things will make your CV stand out among the rest.

Where Is The Passion?

It’s no secret that every company wants passionate and enthusiastic employees who live for the job. Hence, it’s advisable to show this ‘passion’ in your CV:

• Add links to your GitHub/Bitbucket/StackOverflow profile(s) (after making sure their content is worth it, of course).
• Talk about your participation in various open source projects.
• Add certificates, training courses on Coursera, etc.
• Include a reference to your technical blog.
• Let them know if you ever took part in programming competitions.
• Have you ever organized any meetings/workshops and thematic conferences? It’s also worth noting.

Achievements

It’s always a good idea to talk about the tasks that you were performing while working on a project in the perfect tense (developed, implemented, optimized, etc.). In doing so, you’ll enable an employer to measure your worth in concrete terms. Plus, very few candidates put their achievements on the résumés, so it’ll help you stand out. I’d suggest that you use the following expressions:

• Accomplished X by implementing Y which led to Z…
• During my work on this game, I solved several interesting problems…
• The most challenging tasks were…

Describing Your Work Projects

There’s no need to describe all your projects. Pick two or three and provide a good overview. Very often, screening CVs from our Relocate.me tech job board, I come across project descriptions that go like this:

Since 2009: Huffingtonpost.com, Software Developer

Brevity is key, indeed. However, The Huffington Post is the largest news portal in the USA and one of the TOP100 most visited websites in the world. The company was acquired by AOL which is a huge corporation as well. These are the facts that I would definitely mention in the CV.

When describing a project, you should choose 2-3 sentences that would best tell about the tasks you completed. Give a few links to the website/App Store/Play Market (if any) along with other interesting facts like:

• The number of visits per month.
• Startup Of The Year Awards.
• Top 5 in downloads on the App Store during the last 3 months.
• The application is a market leader in X category.
• And so on and so forth.

Personal Projects

To write a good CV, you should talk briefly about the projects you may have done ‘for fun’ and all those interesting things you were doing whilst working on the project along with its social use (even banal enrichment of an owner can be presented in a favorable way that will enhance your résumé).

Summary

You have two choices: write a good summary or write no summary at all. As it typically goes in the beginning of your CV, make the opening lines count. Write a few sentences about your job activity and prove your professionalism. It’s not a simple task (especially when you’re limited by the number of characters). But, if you manage to write a catchy opener, you’ll get +5 to your karma.

Here’s an example of a poor résumé summary:

I am a 24-year-old senior developer with 2 years commercial experience in Android development and about 4 years in Java. A focused, goal-oriented, fast learning, responsible team player. Strong understanding of programming methodologies, able to develop and integrate Android apps using different modern frameworks and approaches.

Let’s take that same information and craft a much better summary:

I’m a passionate and agile-minded software engineer who is scrupulous about the details. Having started coding in Java during my 2nd course at University and learning ‘Thinking in Java’ by Bruce Eckel almost by heart, I’ve been totally committed to Android development for the past 2 years. I am a big fan of low-level things like memory management, multithreading, etc. and believe that TDD will change the world for the better.

‘80 level’ summary is when you’re capable of describing yourself with a single sentence, so-called ‘self-identification’. Here’s an example:

CTO, grown from LAMP developer with huge passion in UX/product management.

Listing Your Technological Proficiency

This is where most tech applicants don’t show restraint. They commonly list all the technologies they’ve ever worked with, even on a casual basis. Don’t do that. Instead, mention those ones that you feel confident with and demonstrate your superior knowledge. For example, Java (expert), C++ (basic), PHP (proficient), JavaScript (mother tongue). I can assure you, employers won’t judge you on these criteria alone. But, if you overload your CV by listing too much, it’s liable to work against you in the long run.

Don’t write that you’re proficient with Microsoft Office suite or an advanced user of Linux, CorelDRAW, Fortran. Agile, Scrum, and Project Management shouldn’t be listed among your technical skills either. Do you think that the more you use words like ‘Agile’ and ‘Scrum’ in your CV, the better it will be? Sorry, that’s not true. Recruiters perform a ‘quick scan’ of most résumés, and can easily identify the mindset of its author and see whether he/she is truly ‘Agile’.

One final note here: don’t forget to update your résumé every few months as your technology skills change and grow.

Your Work Experience Section

All your projects and professional experience from 3-4 years ago won’t be of interest to your potential employer. Even if you used to work with the required technologies, a lot of time has passed since then. Therefore, if you want to make your CV really good, get rid of outdated facts and talk about those projects that have a true value to your employer.

Trimming The Fat From Your CV

You can eliminate all the tables in your CV and get straight to the point. Don’t use headings that go as follows:

• Main tasks and job responsibilities
• Name of employer
• Dates of employment
• Project type and description
• Used technologies

Instead of writing a telephone number, give your actual number. Instead of including date of birth, use your age. The list goes on, but the general idea is that it’s not worth writing general phrases that pretty much everyone else uses. Don’t describe your hobby in details. A photo is not a must either. For technology companies, your ‘portrait’ on GitHub comes before your photograph, indeed.

Forget about Yahoo!

Don’t give recruiters the impression that you’re stuck in the past. If you are still using Yahoo or Hotmail, it’s time to create a Gmail account, or, alternatively, tie an email to your website.

The Finishing Touches

Remember that there’s no one CV and cover letter that will suit all your needs. Always assess the situation first and modify your CV and cover letter, taking into account the exact company/position you’re applying for and your own desire to work there.

You’ve probably all heard of Europass. Having launched the Relocate.me tech job board, our team gets a lot of developer resumes every day, and somehow many think the Europass CV is essential to get hired by European technology companies.

What is the Europass?

The Europass was established by the European Union to assist European citizens to make their skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood throughout Europe with a portfolio of five documents, one of which is a CV.

30 European countries are currently participating in the Europass Initiative.

Despite this, one often hears the Europass CV doesn’t give any benefits to applicants for tech roles. Moreover, its template is ranked even lower than a standard (short and plain) one. On the other hand, lots of software engineers (both in and outside the EU) believe that by using the Europass CV they’re one step closer to landing a job in different European countries.

For you, as a recruiter, the primary questions are what companies your tech candidate has worked for, when and how long, what he/she was doing for each company and which technologies/tools were applied. In this regard, the Europass CV is utterly worthless. Why?

First off, its template is rather generic and faceless. Consequently, many good developers have been overpassed just because their expertise wasn’t expressed in a proper (clear and comparable) way.

Companies like Spotify receive thousands of resumes regularly. And one doesn’t have to do the sums to see how much time on average is spent on screening each one of them. I guess it takes 7–10 seconds per resume and the screening is very brief. So if you want to snag a job at a hot tech company, your CV should ‘strike’ its recruiter immediately. A unique CV template may well give you a few seconds more while the Europass one can take a few seconds off. The key is the ‘content’ of your CV and whether you’re a good match for the team and its product.

Let me stress the following — the Europass CV is not obligatory to get hired by European tech companies. There’s no need to use it, thus. It may be helpful as a simple CV builder, however the internet is now teeming with such things and some of them can be a good alternative to the well-known Europass.

So, why is the Europass CV template NOT the best choice if you want to get tech jobs in Europe?

• The Europass logo in the header takes a decent amount of space on your resume.

• Every single word counts in your resume, so there is no strict need to headline it ‘Curriculum Vitae’. You can simply add ‘CV’ or ‘Resume’ to the title of your document (preferably PDF) and save a bit more space.
• The photo is not required for most of the tech roles. Recruiters can easily source the web and find your photograph if it is needed. By cutting it from your resume, again you can save some space as well as avoid any subjective judgments.
• I cannot fail to mention that there’s neither icon for GitHub, Stack Overflow and other almost must-haves for software engineers nor Dribble/Behance for designers.
• ‘Jobs applied for’ section is not required as well. I’d suggest adding ‘Which company I’m applying for and why’.
• The work experience section could be a little bit better too.

It doesn’t allow you to add enough information about your company and the project you’re working on. You can only shortly describe what type of problem your software/app is solving and a few details about the project (e.g. some numbers why you can call it a ‘high-traffic’ website). There is no space to mention your main technology stack.

• There’s no need to mention Business or Information Technology (IT) sector as it’s obvious for software developers.
• The ‘Personal skills’ section of your CV often can take at least half of A4 page. However, there is no real added value for describing you as a team-player or the most pedantic person in a team in terms of the quality of code.

• You don’t have to put your mother tongue, either. The most progressive tech companies are currently checking 2 languages — your English and how good you’re dealing with required programming languages.
• Communication, organization, managerial, and digital competence can be structured in 1–2 sentences. That’s more than enough. And this is also not mandatory to mention at all. You’ll never find ‘bad’ skills in any resume, and the required ones such as a team-player, open-minded, fast-learner will be carefully checked during the interviews.

The Europass CV is not something you necessarily need to use and it can hardly increase your chances of getting a great tech job in Europe. In our next article, we’ll share the best practices and tips from recruiters/hiring managers of European technology companies on how to raise the bar for your resume.