How to explain a gap in your CV as an Expat Accompanying Partner
When you're writing a CV/Resumé and need to explain an expatriate assignment as an accompanying partner without having been formally employed during that period, it can feel overwhelming, and you may struggle to find the right words to demonstrate your transferable skills (soft skills), experiences (hard skills), and any informal roles (such as volunteering) you took on.
Here's how you can
frame it:
1. Add a Section
for Expatriate Experience/International Relocation
This allows you to
present the experience in a positive light, focusing on the personal growth,
cross-cultural understanding, and unique challenges you navigated. Highlight
any activities, responsibilities, or achievements that helped you develop
valuable skills.
For instance, you can
emphasize:
Cross-cultural
communication: Adapted to living in a new culture and worked with individuals
from diverse backgrounds.
Problem-solving and
adaptability: Managed the logistics of international relocation, including
finding housing, schools, or healthcare, and adjusting to a new environment.
Networking and
relationship-building: Built and maintained social and professional networks,
often across different cultures and languages.
2. Highlight
Volunteer Roles and Informal Experiences
Even if you weren’t
employed, many expat partners take on volunteer roles, participate in community
groups, or support organizations. These experiences can showcase leadership,
project management, organizational skills, and the ability to work in diverse
teams.
Volunteer positions:
If you were involved in local organizations, list any key roles and
contributions that allowed you to develop professional skills.
Initiatives or
projects: Any community initiatives, fundraising efforts, or event coordination
can demonstrate project management and organizational abilities.
3. Emphasize
Transferable Skills
Focus on the
transferable skills you developed during your expatriate experience, even if
they weren't in a formal job setting. These could include:
Emotional intelligence:
Navigating cultural differences and supporting family or others through the
transition.
Resilience and
flexibility: Balancing personal challenges while adapting to a new country and
way of life.
Multilingualism: If you learned or improved a second language,
that’s an asset to showcase!
Educational: all courses that you completed during this period
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