1.3 The Vietnamese CV Problem — Before & After
The Vietnamese CV Problem — Before & After
Same student. Same experience. Two completely different impressions. This is what most students from Vietnam submit — and what international readers actually see when they look at it.
❌ Before — the typical student CV (Vietnamese convention)
A wall of text, no visual hierarchy, irrelevant personal details, duty-based bullets, and a skills section full of red flags.
| ❌ BEFORE | ✓ AFTER |
|---|---|
| LAN NGUYEN | Born: 15/03/2003 | Female | Single Ho Chi Minh City | 0912 345 678 | nguyenthilan2003@gmail.com + professional photo | LAN NGUYEN Ho Chi Minh City | lan.nguyen@email.com linkedin.com/in/lannguyen | +84 912 345 678 |
| OBJECTIVE “I am a hardworking and dedicated student with good communication skills and a passion for learning…” | (removed entirely — international CVs lead with what you offer, not what you want) |
| EDUCATION FPT University — Business Administration GPA: 8.2 | EDUCATION FPT University — Bachelor of Business Administration, 2021–2024 GPA: 8.2/10 — Top 10% of cohort Relevant coursework: Digital Marketing, Consumer Behaviour |
| EXPERIENCE Marketing Intern, ABC Company (Jun–Aug 2023) • Responsible for managing social media accounts • Assisted with the organisation of company events | EXPERIENCE Marketing Intern | ABC Company (Jun–Aug 2023) • Grew Instagram following by 340% in 8 weeks by redesigning content strategy and posting schedule • Coordinated logistics for company conference (200+ attendees) |
| SKILLS Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Hardworking, Teamwork, English | SKILLS Languages: Vietnamese (native), English (IELTS 6.5 — B2) Tools: Google Analytics, Canva |
Clean hierarchy, no irrelevant details, a specific achievement (340%) in the first bullet, numbers everywhere, real tools not “Microsoft Word,” leadership shown not just stated.
The five differences that matter
Before: photo included (standard in Vietnam). After: no photo.
Why: in the USA, UK, and Australia, photos introduce unconscious bias. Companies actively avoid them. A photo on your CV signals you built it for the wrong market.
Before: date of birth, gender, marital status. After: name, city, email, phone, LinkedIn only.
Why: international CV standards exclude all personal demographic information. Including it suggests unfamiliarity with the market.
Before: generic “I am hardworking and dedicated…” paragraph. After: removed entirely.
Why: an objective tells the reader what you want. International CVs lead with what you offer. Use your cover letter for context and motivation.
Before: “Responsible for managing…” (duty language). After: “Grew Instagram following by 340%…” (achievement language).
Why: duty language describes what you were asked to do. Achievement language shows what you produced. Recruiters hire results, not job descriptions.
Before: Hardworking, teamwork, Microsoft Word. After: real tools (Google Analytics, Canva) and a verified language level.
Why: soft skills listed without evidence add no information. Every applicant claims to be hardworking. Real tools and certified scores are verifiable and differentiating.