笔译
CV & Resume Translation: Why a Literal Chinese CV Reads as Unpolished Abroad
Translating a Chinese CV literally usually backfires. Here's the difference between a faithful translation (for work permits and official filing) and a localized rewrite (for job hunting), the real convention gaps — personal details, length, GPA, company and job titles — and our firm line against inventing experience.
Contents
The usual mistake when turning a Chinese CV into English isn't linguistic — it's carrying the Chinese CV's conventions across intact. The result is a document that is perfectly correct at home yet reads as unpolished abroad, and is sometimes awkward for a recruiter to even process. Here's what actually differs.
Two different jobs — decide which you need
- Faithful translation: your CV rendered exactly as written. For work permits, professional registration and official filing, where it must correspond to the original.
- Localized rewrite for job hunting: restructured to the target market's conventions. For actually applying to jobs.
They serve different ends: one has to match the source, the other has to be understood in thirty seconds. Decide which you want before ordering — this is the most common misunderstanding.
Real differences between conventions
- Personal details: Chinese CVs commonly state age, gender, marital status and political status, sometimes with a photo. In the US, UK, Canada and Australia these are generally discouraged (tied to anti-discrimination hiring practice), and many employers have to handle photo CVs separately.
- Length and genre: a job-hunting resume is typically 1–2 pages; an academic CV can run long (publications, projects, teaching). Some European contexts use the Europass format. Don't use an academic CV's conventions for a corporate application, or the reverse.
- Grades and qualifications: don't convert your GPA — keep the original grading scale (see Transcript & Diploma Translation). Use official renderings of degree names, with a short explanatory note where useful.
- Company and job titles: if the company has an official English name, use it rather than inventing one, and keep job titles identical across all your documents (including your employment certificate).
- Dates and names: keep dates unambiguous, and match the passport spelling of your name (see name spelling on translated documents).
One firm line
We translate what you wrote. Polishing the phrasing is fine; we don't invent experience, inflate seniority or reshape timelines. CV falsification is grounds for dismissal — and in some countries visa revocation — so this protects you as much as us.
Do you need a certification seal?
Ordinary job applications generally don't need a certified translation. It may be required when the CV supports a work permit, a professional qualification assessment or official filing with an institution (see Certified vs Notarized Translation). Follow the receiving body's requirements.
Tell us the purpose (job hunting / work permit / study), the destination country and the language direction, and we'll quote for what you need.
