Chinese Resume 📝 The Ultimate Guide to Writing Your CV in Chinese!

Expert Tips and Tricks for Writing the Perfect Resume in Chinese

Resume in Chinese

When writing a resume, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.

And it can be even harder in a second language.

So that’s why we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about writing your resume in Chinese.

Whether you’re studying Chinese and want to secure that dream internship, or you’re already working and are looking for something new, we’ve got you covered.

We’ll cover some important ground like how to structure your resume and some key vocabulary to help make you stand out against your candidates.

This guide is especially useful if you plan to work or live in China and want to apply to work for a Chinese company.

First things first, let’s learn on how to say resume, or CV, in Chinese

Resume || 简历 || jiǎnlì

Chinese C.V. – Where to Start?

Chinese C.V. – The Structure & What to Include

Chinese C.V. – Helpful Resources

Chinese C.V. – Is it worth it?

Chinese C.V. – FAQ’s + Template Download

Chinese C.V. – Quiz

Resume in Chinese – Where to Start?

It is important first to highlight a couple of differences between Chinese and Western resumes.

Here’s just a couple of points on the layout to get us started, there are of course a couple more which will be pointed out along the way.

Layout Western ResumeChinese Resume
LengthOne to two pagesOne page (at most two pages)
DateTime duration – “day-month- year” Time duration must be included – “year-month-day”
Self-PortraitNot requiredTypically required – headshot image
Order of experienceChronological – most recent to earliestChronological – most recent to earliest
Chinese C.V.
Typical Chinese Resume

Quite often you will find that Chinese resumes resemble an application form, like the one to the right.

However, you can absolutely still exercise freedom and creativity, as long as it’s done tastefully, like these examples.

If you’d like to go for the more standard version, however, you can download our free template:

FREE DOWNLOAD ALERT – Download a CV template here.

👉 As with any resume in any country, it’s important to play to your strengths and highlight the skills and experience that make you suitable for the position.

CV in Chinese – Structure & What to Include?

In this section we’ll look at each part of the resume in greater depth.

Remember that this is a generalized approach and you can adapt this format to whichever way best showcases your skills.

Personal Information

Educational Background

Work & Internship Experience

Awards

Skills or Certifications and other

Self Evaluation

Personal Information –  个人信息 (gèrén xìnxī)

As to be expected, you’ll be expected to provide some standard personal and contact information, including:

EnglishChinesePinyin
First and last name姓名 xìng míng
Email address邮箱yóu xiāng
Phone number电话diàn huà
Address地址dì zhǐ

However, whilst the trend in western countries is leaning more towards privacy and more anonymous style resumes to avoid discrimination, you might notice that some Chinese application forms may request the following information:

EnglishChinesePinyin
Academic credentials学历xué lì
Gender性别xìng bié
Date of birth出生日期chū shēng rì qī
Nationality国籍guó jí
Passport number护照号码hùzhào hàomǎ
Academic degree学位xué wèi
Language ability语言能力yǔ yán néng lì
Salary expectations期望薪水qī wàng xīn shuǐ
Health status健康状况jiàn kāng zhuàng kuàng
Marriage status婚姻状况hūn yīn zhuàng kuàng

Psst… Do you have a Chinese name to put on your resume yet? If not, check out our Chinese name generator!

You might (rightly) think this information is private, but it’s not unusual in China and some people even include their height and weight on their resumes!

If faced with prying questions on an application form, you can leave some sensitive information out, but this may come up in the interview and it’s best to be prepared.

Note: Expected salary tends to be written in terms of monthly (not annual) salary. Make sure to write the expected figure in RMB to avoid confusion.

Complete Guide to Chinese Universities || Which Are The Very Best Thumbnail

Complete Guide to Chinese Universities || Which Are The Very Best

With over 2,500 Chinese universities, there is plenty to choose from, but which are the best? We reveal the top Chinese Uni’s and how to get into them.

Educational background – 教育经历 (jiàoyù jīnglì)

As with western resumes, you should list your educational experiences from newest to oldest.

Typical things to include are:

EnglishChinesePinyin
The college/university attended大学dà xué
The degree completed学位xué wèi
Doctorate degree博士bó shì
Master’s degree硕士shuò shì
Bachelor’s degree学士xué shì
Major专业zhuān yè
Relevant courses主修课程zhǔ xiū kè chéng
Special programs项目xiàng mù
Study abroad experience留学经历liú xué jīng lì
Marriage status婚姻状况hūn yīn zhuàng kuàng

As for GPA, this can be simply written as ‘GPA’ – it’s used in China too.

Tip: Align the name of your University to the left and attending dates to the right. See the photo as an example.

If you are still studying at University, put the date you started and the end date as 至今 (zhìjīn). This simply means until the present time.

Work & Internship Experience – 工作与实习经历 (gōngzuò yǔ shíxí jīnglì)

Chinese C.V.

Work and internship experience can often be a deciding factor in who gets to the interview stage, especially if you apply for a job that requires industry knowledge and know-how, so it’s important this section is up-to-scratch.

EnglishChinesePinyin
Company name公司gōng sī
Duration of employment就职时间jiù zhí shí jiān
Company location地点dì diǎn
Department部门bù mén
Position title职位zhí wèi
Job responsibilities职责zhí zé
Accomplishments业绩yè jì

Remember, if you give the exact address of a previous work location, give the address in the order of biggest to smallest, meaning country, province, city, street address, etc.

With each workplace listed, you’ll need to elaborate on are your responsibilities and accomplishments from relevant tasks. Whilst this can be quite the challenge in Chinese, the best strategy after writing your resume is to get a Chinese friend or teacher to proof read it for you.

Tip: Cover letters are less common in China so try to concisely sum up the experience you’ve had.

Use sub-headers such as “position” (职位), “responsibilities” (职责), and “accomplishments” (业绩) for a structured and polished style with clear indications as to where the information lies. 

How to Apply for Jobs in Chinese || Words And Phrases You Need to Know Thumbnail

How to Apply for Jobs in Chinese || Words And Phrases You Need to Know

Check out this step-by-step language guide to finding and applying for a job in China. Includes all the Chinese words and phrases you’ll need.

Awards – 获奖情况 (huòjiǎng qíngkuàng)

Chinese C.V.

This section might not be necessary, but it is good to list any awards or scholarships you have gained at your University or work, including any competitions you participated in and trophies you were awared.

Some words that might be useful are:

EnglishChinesePinyin
Awardsjiǎng
Scholarships奖学金jiǎng xué jīn
Competition比赛bǐ sài
3rd place三等奖sān děng jiǎng

Skills, Certificates and Others – 技能/证书及其他 (jìnéng/zhèngshū jí qítā)

Skills are highly important to list!

Some things to include in this section are other foreign languages you are proficient in. It is useful to state any standardized exams you have taken such as HSK and the level of test taken or level you think are at.

You might also want to include in this section any software programs you are highly familiar with such as Canva or WordPress.

Some useful vocabulary that might help include:

EnglishChinesePinyin
Foreign Language外语wài yǔ
Language Ability语言能力yǔ yán néng lì
Beginner初级chū jí
Intermediate中级zhōng jí
Advanced高级gāo jí
Proficient in熟练shú liàn
Software软件ruǎn jiàn
To use (formal)使用shǐ yòng
Website网站wǎng zhàn
New to the job market? Here’s some ideas for potential careers in China!

Self evaluation – 自我评价 (zì wǒ píng jià)

In some Chinese resumés this section is called “hobbies and interests” (兴趣爱好: àihào xìngqu).

This last section normally outlines why you think you are a good fit for the company or position in question through your interests, experiences and skills.

In this way, and unlike in western resumes, this section is much more informal and personal.

Typical things to list here include:

EnglishChinesePinyin
Hobbies爱好ài hào
Interests兴趣xìng qù
Personal characteristics个人特点gè rén tè diǎn
Personal experiences个人经验gè rén jīng yàn

List your interests in a way that the company you are applying for might find appealing and remember to put a positive spin on things, such as describing how boxing taught you the importance of self-discipline.

Hobbies and interests are also a great way to advertise the fact that you posses certain characteristics the company is looking for, such as:

Do you know what you’ll write on your Chinese resume?

Strong ability to solve problems

解决问题能力较强

jiě jué wèn tí néng lì jiào qiáng

Strong communication skills

沟通能力很强

gōu tōng néng lì hěn qiáng

Remember to back up your claims with examples!

Strong ability to adapt

具备较强的适应能力

jù bèi jiào qiáng de shì yìng néng lì

Excellent organization abilities

优秀的组织才能

yōu xiù de zǔ zhī cái néng

Pays close attention to detail

十分关注细节

shí fēn guān zhù xì jié

Try and point out your strengths to the company that you might think will be useful for the position you want to apply to.

👉 For students with little work experience, this might be a great time to mention any volunteering experience or clubs or sports you’ve participated in over the years.

Sports in Chinese 🥎 The Complete Guide To All Your Favourites Thumbnail

Sports in Chinese 🥎 The Complete Guide To All Your Favourites

Your Definitive Guide to 32 Sports in Chinese In our never ending quest to bring you the best content on the web when it comes to studying Mandarin, we continue today as we teach you 32 sports in Chinese. Of…

Resume in Chinese – Helpful Resources

Chinese C.V.
Desktop – Wonder C.V.

If you are still struggling to write your resume and you don’t know how to structure it, we’d recommend visiting the website WonderCV.

Although it is in Chinese, it was recommended to us by a local and is a great way to get started.

WonderCV is a platform that helps you build your resume according to your experience and requirements.

You can create an account using your WeChat and use their templates to create a resume. Bear in mind, you only get one free choice, if you would like to use another template you might have to pay.

We’ve also written some guides for cover letters, emails and what it’s like working in a Chinese company ⬇️

12 of the Best Resources to Learn Chinese | Our Complete List Thumbnail

12 of the Best Resources to Learn Chinese | Our Complete List

We are lucky enough to have access to more resources than ever before and it’s all at our fingertips but what are the best resources to learn Chinese?

Resume in Chinese – Is It Worth It?

Ultimately, if you are looking for a job in China, having a resume in Chinese will enhance your chances in bringing you closer to the interview stage – it is definitely worth it!

Having your resume in English and Chinese can impress your employers and increase your chances that HR or headhunters will find you- who wouldn’t want a multilingual pro like you?

Although it can be a bit daunting to prepare, even if you are at beginner’s level it is worth having a go. 加油!

So there we have it – your complete guide on how to write a CV in Chinese – feeling confident?

If not – drop us a comment below with any questions or concerns, but first and foremost, download our templates below to and get practicing!

Resume Quiz

Welcome to our super quick Occupations Quiz! Enter your First name and email to begin. Don't worry you can unsubscribe at any time!

First Name
Email
作家 (zuò jiā)

旅行社 (lǚxíng shè)

秘书 (mì shū)

老师 (lǎo shī)

服务员 (fú wù yuán)

警察 (jǐng chá)

招待员 (zhāo dài yuán)

水管工人 (shuǐguǎn gōngrén)

科学家 (kē xué jiā)

摄影师 (shè yǐng shī)

药剂师 (yàojì shī)

售货员 (shòu huò yuán)

护士 (hù shì)

Resume in Chinese || FAQ’s

How do you write a resume in Chinese?

Hopefully this guide will help you!

If you are still not sure feel free to pop a comment down below to ask any of your questions.

How do you say resume in Chinese?

Resume in Chinese is 简历 (jiǎnlì)

Is the format the same as a Western resumes?

Not quite! Chinese resumes are more direct, and brief – ideally no more than two pages.

Hopefully this guide will help you identify the key differences!

Another difference is instead of reference letters, the self-evaluation section is more popular and common in China.

If I’m a beginner can I still write a resume in Chinese?

Yes! – have a go, it is a good way to practice and learn Chinese as you are describing yourself.

Is it necessary to have a resume in Chinese?

Yes – if you want to apply for a job in China it will definitely be beneficial to your career!

Should I ask my Chinese friend or teacher to review it?

If you are unsure of any word or sentence structure, we would totally recommend asking your friend or teacher for advice.

Want more from LTL?

If you wish to hear more from LTL Mandarin School why not join our mailing list.

We give plenty of handy information on learning Chinese, useful apps to learn the language and everything going on at our LTL schools!

Sign up below and become part of our ever-growing community!

.

9 comments

Leave a Reply

You will get a reply from us
Your email address will not be published. Name and Email are required.

  1. Graham
    Reply

    Thanks for the templates 🙂 Hoping to get a job in China next year

    1. Juliette Pitt
      Reply

      Thanks Graham! Good luck! We’re happy to hear you like the templates.

      LTL

      1. Siv Meng
        Reply

        Thanks for your helping

  2. This is super helpful – thank you so much for the FREE templates

    1. Juliette Pitt
      Reply

      No problem! Happy to hear you like the templates 🙂

      LTL

  3. Aubry
    Reply

    I have never seen a Chinese CV before, great resource thanks. Do they usually ask for a cover letter?

    1. Marine Colliot
      Reply

      Hi Aubry, thank you for asking. Usually Chinese company do not ask for a cover letter, they will mostly be interested in your CV. However if you are applying for a job in a foreign company in China they could ask for one.
      – Marine

  4. how can i work in China

    1. Max Hobbs
      Reply

      Broad question there Tim, get yourself on LinkedIn and set the filters to China. There are loads of teaching jobs in China which is an easy route in. Start networking and building contacts.

      Good luck 🙂

      LTL

Ask us a question!
  • LTL Avatar Alexander Krasnov
    Alexander Krasnov , Student Advisor

    Welcome to LTL Language School!

    How can I help you?