Resume for Remote International Jobs: A Guide for LATAM Candidates

Working remotely for a US, European, or Canadian company from Brazil or elsewhere in LATAM is now a mainstream career path — not an exception. Thousands of developers, designers, analysts, and marketers have discovered that their location doesn’t have to limit their market.

The problem: the resume format that works for local Brazilian platforms like Gupy or VAGAS.com doesn’t work for Greenhouse, Lever, or Ashby. The expectations, the systems, and especially the writing style are different. This guide covers what needs to change.

Brazilian/LATAM resume vs. international resume: the differences

You’re not just translating a document — you’re rebuilding your professional presentation for a different cultural context.

• Photo: in Brazil, a photo is still common on resumes. In the US and most of Europe, photos are prohibited or strongly discouraged to prevent discrimination. Leave it out.
• Personal data: national ID numbers, date of birth, marital status — none of this belongs on an international resume. Include only name, professional email, LinkedIn URL, and optionally GitHub or portfolio.
• Location: city, country, and time zone only. Example: São Paulo, Brazil (UTC-3).
• Length: in the US, one page is standard for fewer than ten years of experience. In Europe, two pages are accepted. In Brazil, two to three pages are common — but internationally that signals a lack of focus.
• Date format:write “Jan 2022 – Mar 2024”, never “01/2022 – 03/2024.” The dd/mm/yyyy format is not internationally standard.

Resume vs. CV — which term to use?

In the US and Canada, use resume — a short, results-focused document of one or two pages. The term CV (Curriculum Vitae) is reserved for academic or medical applications and can run to dozens of pages. In the UK, Europe, and most English-speaking countries outside North America, CV is the standard term for what Americans call a resume. Use whatever term the job posting uses.

International ATS systems you’ll encounter

Remote-first international companies use different systems than Brazilian ATS platforms. The most common globally:

• Greenhouse — popular in mid-to-large US startups
• Lever — focus on tech and high-growth companies
• Workable — used by European companies and global startups
• Ashby — growing fast among tech startups
• BambooHR — common in companies with structured HR teams

These systems work like Brazilian ATS — they parse the file, extract information, and score against job keywords. The difference is they expect English keywords and standardized section names: Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills. The ATS resume template guide applies directly to this international format.

How to position your location

Many remote companies filter candidates by time zone, not geography. A company based in New York can hire someone in Brazil or Colombia without issue — as long as there’s enough schedule overlap for meetings. UTC-3 to UTC-5 overlap well with US Eastern and Central time.

The correct header format: São Paulo, Brazil (UTC-3)— this immediately signals that you understand how distributed work functions and that you’re in a compatible time zone.

Writing in English, not translating from Portuguese or Spanish

Word-for-word translation is one of the most damaging mistakes. Native-English recruiters immediately spot literally translated text, which undermines credibility before the interview.

The standard that works: write directly in English using the pattern international recruiters expect — action verb + scale + result:

Led a team of 8 engineers, delivering 15% faster sprint velocity through improved backlog refinement and async communication practices.

Note the pattern: past tense verb (“Led”), concrete number (“8 engineers”), measurable outcome (“15% faster”). This is what both ATS systems and international recruiters are looking for.

Keywords that signal remote-work fluency

Beyond the technical keywords for your field, international remote postings use specific vocabulary that signals you already know how distributed work functions:

• remote-first, async communication, distributed team
• self-managed, cross-functional collaboration
• time zone overlap, documentation-driven
• tools: Slack, Notion, Jira, Confluence, Figma, GitHub, Linear, Loom

Embed these in your experience descriptions — not in a generic skills list. “Coordinated cross-functional sprints across 3 time zones using Notion and Slack” is far more convincing than listing “Slack, Notion” under Skills.

Where to find international remote jobs

• LinkedIn— use the “Remote” filter and set location to “Worldwide” or your target country
• We Work Remotely — one of the largest boards exclusively focused on remote positions
• Remote.co — curated vacancies from established remote-first companies
• Wellfound (ex-AngelList) — startup-focused, many open to international applicants
• Himalayas, Remotive — niche boards with strong LATAM-friendly listings

Ready to build your international resume from scratch? Run your current resume through our free ATS checker first to see how it scores against international standards.

Frequently asked questions