I have encountered a few new expats Down Under (including myself not too long ago) who are in need of resume assistance, I've decided to start up my own 'business' so to speak, as a resume doctor. At the moment, I'm not providing resume assistance for profit, but for exchange.  This has been one of my first steps in redefining my identity as an expat.

At times, a re-invention of self is required when one moves abroad. Actually, I should say most times, whether it is wanted or not, we end up becoming different persons to an extent when we move abroad. I've lived in 5 different countries in the past 4 years, and while I've enjoyed all of the experiences, I've certainly felt like a fish out of water at times. The fact that I'd end up in Australia would never have occurred to me, and the first time around, I wasn't too pleased with my destination.

You see, my husband is from Adelaide, South Australia, and my first time here, I came over on a 4 month working holiday visa before heading over to New Zealand to get married and await a spousal visa together. Adelaide seemed small, life was in transition, and I didn't like it. So while I was in New Zealand I decided I had to undergo an attitude change and make the best of my new home, if I wanted to be happy. I started a food blog and met a few people that way, began looking for activities and groups to join in my new home, and even began a Facebook group for Expats in Adelaide (which has now grown to 60 members and has monthly meet ups).

As you can guess, I've had to revise my Resume/CV quite a few times over the last few years, which got me to thinking. It's not always easy knowing how to re-write your resume for job hunting in a new country. Should the format be the same? What are prospective employers looking for as far as content goes? If you are writing in a language new to you, how do you avoid mistakes in grammar which could take away from the overall view of yourself you are presenting?

I wanted to help others, but didn't necessarily want to begin a business for profit. In the end, I decided on offering my services by way of exchange. On my blog, http://expatresumedoctor.blogspot.com I not only advertise my service but also offer tips for interviewing and profile writing tips.  My services include:
a) A generic sample resume
b) Review of your resume, including suggestions on content, general proofing including grammar (which can be helpful for those who are non-native speakers of English)
c) Suggestions on where to begin looking for work (recruitment agencies specific to the industry you are looking to work in, local companies, etc)

For a complete review and revision of your resume, I only ask in exchange for 2 to 3 items to be purchased off my Amazon.com wish-list. While I am settling into life in Australia, fixing up our home, planning to buy a car, and beginning a new job myself, buying books and DVDs seems a frivolous expenditure for myself, but works well as an exchange for the services of a resume doctor. Beginning a new business also adds a greater sense of confidence to this new expat. 

I've learned that being an expat is an excellent opportunity to develop interests and talents you've always had but perhaps never put into action. This lets you create something of your own in order to gain independence and keeps you busy and meeting new people.

Being an expat is an excellent confidence builder if you treat it as an opportunity, and beginning a small business of your own is a good way to action this.