When applying for a job position, the topic of citizenship on resume comes up quite often; whether it should be included in a resume or not. Well, there is no one answer to this as it depends on various factors.
As a foreign national applying for a job in the US, you might be curious as to whether including your nationality in your resume is important or if it will give you an edge over your competitors, especially if it is not included as a requirement.
Citizenship on Resume; Should your Nationality be Included in your Resume?
As stated at the beginning of this article, the question of whether or not your nationality should be added to your resume is not a yes or no question.
This can be very tricky because in some employment situations, adding your nationality on your resume might result in you losing a job position, while in other situations it might be the determining factor of you securing the job position.
The following factors should guide your decision on whether to include citizenship on resume or not according to the employment situation.
When Applying for A Federal job
If you are applying for a job position in any branch of the federal government, then adding your citizenship on resume is a requirement. Resume for a federal position differs from that of a corporate resume.
Your citizenship and Social Security Number (SSN) which is required by law is listed at the top of page one of your resume.
Resume for a federal position includes more details than its corporate counterpart. Extra information to include in a federal resume includes:
- Social Security Number
- Salaries for every job ever held
- Names of all former supervisors
- Phone numbers of all former supervisors
Note that you must have original work papers to secure a job.
When Applying for a Corporate Job
When applying for a corporate or civilian job position, you are not required to include citizenship on resume. Instead, focus on your qualifications and experience regarding the job position you are applying for.
When preparing your resume for a corporate job position, avoid adding unnecessary information that is not required of you or that is not related to the job position. Examples of Non-essential information that should be excluded:
- Gender
- Age
- Citizenship
- Religious beliefs
- Height
- Weight
- Eye color
- Marital status
Format for Preparing a Resume
- Header containing contact information (name, phone number, email address website or online portfolio) so that employers can reach you.
- Resume profile which is a brief and relevant introduction about yourself, job experience, skills and goals. This should not be more than five sentences.
- Work experience should contain the title of your job position, the job responsibilities, the name of the organization you worked for and employment dates. Note that experience should not be older than 15 years.
- Educational achievements come in next. Mention all your degrees, name of the institution(s) and location. If you are lacking in job experience you can add a course work you have done in that field.
- Next add your skills. Be sure to look through the job requirement properly to avoid adding unnecessary skill set that is not relevant to the job.
- You can then proceed to including additional achievements like foreign languages, awards, internship, publications, certificates and licenses.
Whilst including citizenship on resume has its perks, for instance it could boost your chances of getting the job if you are perceived as possessing intercultural capacity and language skills, it can also give you an edge over your fellow applicants if the employers see you through your resume as a means of penetrating a new market. But on the down side, it might reduce your chances of securing the job due to discrimination.
In as much as it is against the law to discriminate based on citizenship, realistically, it does happen. This is why it is better to not include citizenship on resume so long as it is not stated as a requirement.
