Taiwan is a vibrant and exciting place to work – it’s no wonder thousands of ex-pats flock to the country to start their new life! But with everything Taiwan has to offer, it’s also no wonder that the job market can become very competitive.

But here’s the good news: if you’ve been applying for jobs in Taiwan as a foreign worker with no results, the problem might not be you. It could be your resume.

If you’re wondering how to optimize your resume for Taiwan, you’re in luck: we’ll go over Taiwanese resume formats and provide several examples of Taiwanese resumes to get your job search back on track.

The 3 Popular Taiwanese Resume Formats

In most countries, you’ll find three main types of resume format mentioned. There are exceptions to this, but, thankfully, Taiwan isn’t one of them! That means when it’s time to create your resume, you’ll need to choose between those three resume formats: reverse chronological, functional, or combination.

But what exactly does that mean? What makes any of those different? And how do you know which of them is best for you and your goals?

Let’s break the 3 popular Taiwanese resume formats down.

Is a Reverse Chronological Format Right for Your Taiwanese Resume?

Reverse chronological resumes are the most popular and most common resume format – in Taiwan and internationally. You more than likely already have experience with this type of resume. You might even already have a reverse chronological resume ready to go!

As the name suggests, a reverse chronological resume focuses on your work experience, and details this information in reverse chronological order – meaning your most recent or current job is listed first. Hiring managers like reverse chronological resumes because they can easily understand what you’ve been doing and what results you’ve achieved at your previous roles. A reverse chronological resume is usually the best option for any Taiwanese resume, because the format is somewhat universal.

Is a Functional Format Right for Your Taiwanese Resume?

Where a reverse chronological resume highlights your work experience, functional resumes place focus on your skills. These resumes are often used in speciality industries where an exact skillset or certification is a requirement. Hiring managers in those industries are more open to functional resumes because they allow them to see your skills more quickly and easily, meaning they can identify whether you’d be a good fit for the job more efficiently.

While functional resumes certainly have their place in many job searches, they aren’t a typical resume format for Taiwan. Unless the job posting specifically asks for a functional resume, you’re likely better off opting for a reverse chronological resume.

Is a Combination Format Right for Your Taiwanese Resume?

As the name suggests, a combination resume combines the reverse chronological and functional resume by highlighting which skills you gained at each stage of your career journey. These resumes can be useful because they explain your skills to the hiring manager, rather than simply listing them in a separate section of the resume.

How to Write a Taiwanese Resume

The format for a Taiwanese resume is similar to most resume formats in the Western world. If you’re from the US or Europe, for example, and you’ve already written a resume, turning your resume into a Taiwanese resume should be fairly straightforward.

But what if you’ve written your Taiwanese resume and you aren’t getting any responses from employers? It might not be an issue with the format of your resume, but with the content. Let’s take a look at the typical Taiwanese resume sections and how to optimize your Taiwanese resume for the best results.

Work Experience Format for a Taiwanese Resume

In most resumes, your work experience section is the most important part of your resume: this is where you demonstrate the impact you can bring to a company, and it’s more than likely the first place a hiring manager will look when they first scan your resume. In short, if your work experience section is lacking, you’ll find it extremely difficult to make it to even an initial screening stage interview.

So how do you make sure your work experience catches a hiring manager’s eye? Generally, the key is to include metrics – especially numbers. Whenever possible, tell the hiring manager exactly how you improved each workplace you’ve had. Including things like increasing revenue or another metric by a specific percentage, for example, is an excellent way to quickly set yourself apart.

Taiwanese Resume Summary Format

A resume summary should be concise and to the point. Generally speaking, you can use the following format to write your Taiwanese resume summary:

• Begin with your job title or position, including years of experience you have more than 5
• Follow with a brief statement summarizing your experience, expertise, and career goals
• End with your most recent relevant achievements and skills

A summary that follow this format would look something like this:

Format to List Skills on Your Taiwanese Resume

When listing your skills on your Taiwanese resume, you can usually opt to simply list each relevant skill within your resume template. VisualCV’s resume templates include skill bars for each skill, so you can indicate your level of experience or proficiency with each skill.

While your skills section doesn’t need to go in-depth, it’s actually one of the most important parts of your resume – especially when it comes to ATS software. Applicant Tracking Systems look for specific keywords in resumes, filtering the best of the bunch to the next step (usually, being seen by an actual hiring manager). Carefully read each job description, looking for the exact skills (such as softwares, certifications, or other specific requirements) listed. Then, be sure each of those skills are clearly listed in your skills section!

10 Taiwanese Resume Examples

Taiwanese Resume Example for Data Engineering

Sales Taiwanese Resume Example

Taiwanese Resume Example for Accountants

Writer Resume Example for Taiwan

Taiwanese Resume Example for Executives

Taiwanese Software Engineering Resume Example

Taiwanese Designer Resume Example

Project Management Resume for Taiwan

Retail Taiwanese Resume Example

Taiwanese Resume Example for Teachers

Is a Taiwanese Resume Format Different from An American Resume Format?

No, the format of an American resume is essentially the same as a Taiwanese resume. However, you should expect to include a photo of yourself and more personal information than is typical of an American resume. Read each Taiwanese job description carefully to understand what information they’re looking for on your resume.

How to Convert a European CV to a Taiwanese Resume

The formats of a Taiwanese resume and a European CV don’t differ greatly. The main difference you’ll find is that, for a Taiwanese resume, you should include some additional information (such as your marital status, which is unusual or sometimes even outright banned in Europe) and, potentially, a photo of yourself.

How Long Should my Taiwanese Resume be?

Should I Add a Photo to my Taiwanese Resume?

It’s considered optional to add a photo to a Taiwanese resume. While photos used to be standard (and often required) in resumes in Taiwan, this practise is beginning to decrease in popularity. A general rule of thumb is to include a photo if you’re applying for a customer-facing role. Otherwise, it’s up to you.

Is it a Good Idea to List Marital Status on a Resume for Taiwan?

Yes, including your marital status is standard in a Taiwanese resume. Additional information, such as whether or not you have children (and their ages if you do), and your gender are also common. However, if you’re concerned about possible discrimination for including this information in your Taiwanese resume, and you’re applying for a large company (or a Taiwan office of a Western company), these days it’s likely that you can opt out of including this information.

Should I List My Nationality on a Taiwanese Resume?

If you’re applying for a job in Taiwan as a foreigner, list your nationality and visa status. This way, employers can easily gauge whether you’ll be able to work long-term and whether they need to sponsor a visa.

Can I Lie on My Taiwanese Resume?

As always, you should never lie on a Taiwanese resume! Lying on a resume only ever results in disappointment for both yourself and your employer.

If you’re thinking of lying on your resume because you don’t know how to make your experience shine, a better option is to consider resume writing services. VisualCV’s professional resume writers are well-versed in Taiwanese resumes and can make sure your resume stands out in all the best ways.