
Best ways to craft a Brazilian resume in 2026
Are you planning to get a job at a US or foreign company’s local office as a Brazilian? It’s time to fix your Brazilian resume to land the job of your dreams!
In this guide, we’re going to discuss everything that you want to know about Brazilian resumes.
What is the general name for a Brazilian resume document?
The Brazilian resume document is known as the Curriculo. It is different from the resume format of North America and gives a detailed account of a professional career.
The word used for Brazilian CVs in Portuguese in Currículo Lattes, which is similar to a North American CV. This document is mostly used to get career opportunities in academia, research, or scientific domains.
What is the length and format used for Brazilian resumes?
The Brazilian resumes used the standard A4 paper size with 8.27 by 11.69 inches in dimension. Moreover, the Brazilian resume format includes the use of modern and clean resume fonts like Calibri or Verdana.
These resume documents include a 1-inch margin on every side to create a clean look. Moreover, the resume length in Brazil is approximately two to three pages for highly skilled employees.
However, the resume length can be increased depending on the experience and content of the resume. The job seekers in Brazil are advised to save and submit their resumes in a PDF format.
Moreover, they can also submit a resume in a Word document format only if it is required by the employers.
What is the resume language used mostly in Brazil?
The Brazilian resumes mostly use the following kinds of languages, such as:
- Portuguese
- American English
- Spanish
However, the primary language of the resumes in Brazil depends on the kind of organization you’re targeting. If you want to work at an international, US, or multinational firm, then your resume should use English.
Such Brazilian resumes are required to be written in American English with the use of US spellings and grammar rules.
Want to apply for a job at the local office of a foreign company in Brazil? You might need a professional English-language resume for that. It’s time to get in touch with certified writers at ProResumes to get the job you want!
What are the parts of a Brazilian resume?
The Brazilian resume or specifically the curiculo has a unique structure unlike the North American one. It consists of the following resume components, including:
Professional Headshot
It is important to understand the cultural nuances that affect the resume requirements of any organization. Attaching your picture to your resume is considered wrong in North America to eliminate any bias.
However, using a photo in a resume is considered a common practice in many countries of Latin America. Many employers in Brazil want the job seekers to attach their pictures for the following roles:
- Client Communication
- Management
- Marketing
Moreover, ensure that the photo you attach includes a professional look, attire, and a neutral background. Avoid attaching random pictures or casual headshots to avoid any kind of bias.
Job seekers should ensure that the attached picture is either recently shot or 3-6 months old. Attaching a very old photo might turn into negative impressions or elimination by the recruiter.
Personal Details
This is the top bar or header information section in a resume. Many job seekers mix a Brazilian resume format with a North American one and get eliminated by the Brazilian recruiters.
The distinguishing factor of the resumes in Brazil from the North American ones is the mention of personal details. Following are the list of elements included in such a resume:
- Full name of the candidate (It is advised to avoid mentioning any pet names.)
- Personal phone number of the candidate.
- Nationality of the candidate.
- Residential address along with the Brazilian postal code, known as CEP.
- Date of Birth of the applicant.
- Marital Status
- Number of children (It is now considered an optional requirement due to the rise of young and unmarried job applicants.)
Pro Tip: Research the job description in detail to figure out if additional details like marital status or DOB are required. Moreover, add all the details if the requirements are unknown.
Career Objectives
The professional summary section is often known as the Objetivo Profissional in Brazil. This part of the resume is also considered as an elevator pitch and should be limited to 2 or maybe three lines.
Moreover, the best way to write the resume objective is to avoid any kind of generic statements or resume buzzwords. It should be able to answer the following questions regarding the candidate:
- What value can you offer?
- What is the target role?
- How do your skills align with organizational goals?
Pro Tip: It is significant to tailor your professional summary according to the specific job.
Education
The resumes in Brazil give significance to your educational experience and are represented in the chronological resume format. The education section includes the following details:
- Name of the Degree
- Applicant’s Degree Program
- Name of the Educational institute
- Location of the Educational institute
- Start and End Dates
- Graduation Dates
- Graded point average (GPA)
Work Experience
The expertise section is structured in the reverse chronological format with the latest employment experience at the top. The experience section is significant to let the Brazilian recruiters know about your achievements.
You can turn your responsibilities into quantifiable achievements for a resume document in Brazil by using:
- Numbers, percentages, or metrics.
- Industry-specific vocabulary.
- Action words (Implemented, optimized, achieved, managed, improved, reduced, developed, and more).
Moreover, job seekers can mention their employment gaps along with solid reasons. The majority of Brazilian recruiters are understanding and open-minded when it comes to employment gaps in resumes.
Skills
The skills part of a resume in Brazil should contain the following parts:
- Hard skills: Include an applicant’s technical expertise, methodologies, and the expertise in using various tools or software.
- Soft skills: This component is used to highlight the experiences and areas where you used your non-technical expertise as a professional.
Language proficiency
You have to define the proficiency levels of your native and second or third language. Moreover, even if you’re applying for a multinational company, it is important to highlight fluency in Portuguese.
Moreover, resume writers at ProResumes advised to avoid the use of words like conversational or basic to highlight your level. The best way to highlight language proficiency is to use the CEFR scale.
However, Brazilian job seekers can also use terms like advanced, fluent, or intermediate to describe their language proficiency.
Additional Sections
The following are the additional sections that can be utilized in the resumes used in Brazil:
- References: In Brazil, job seekers are required to list at least 2 to 3 references within their resumes. Brazilian recruiters demand for references to inquire about a candidate’s credibility.
- Volunteer Work
- Publications
Best advice for crafting Brazilian resumes
Here’s a checklist to ensure that your resume checks all the resume writing standards in Brazil:
- It uses Portuguese for local and American English for foreign or multinational jobs.
- The main resume font is within 10 to 12 points and is readable for the recruiter.
- The resume is free of grammatical and spelling errors and shows consistency in resume tense.
- Includes a photo, marital status, and nationality if required by the employer.
- It quantifies the achievement of the candidate instead of listing their work duties.
- It uses clear formatting, language, and skills to ensure ATS-friendliness.
Want to overcome the frustrating ATS scans? Get your professional resume crafted according to the ATS guidelines.
| Resume Writing Standards | Checklist |
| Profile photo | Yes |
| Paper size | A4 |
| Spellings/ Language | American English, Portuguese & Spanish |
| Resume Length | 1-3 pages |
| Document name | Curriculo, CV |
| Personal Data | Yes |
| Hobbies | No |
| Country-specific Trend | Language proficiency level required |
| References | Yes |