Foreign trade

Foreign trade specialist CV: example and template

This example is for foreign trade, export and import specialists at manufacturers and trading companies, and for sales assistants and graduates with languages who want to work with customers abroad.

The employer wants to know which countries you work with, how you handle orders and documents, how you work with the customs agency and freight forwarders and which languages you speak. We show you how to describe this on your CV.

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Example CV: foreign trade specialist

All the details in this example are fictional. Treat it as a model of layout and wording, and replace the content with your own experience.

Oliwia Szymanska

Foreign trade specialist

Gliwice +48 123 456 789 oliwia.szymanska@example.com

Professional profile

Foreign trade specialist with 5 years at a manufacturer of industrial valves. I handle orders from customers in 18 countries and component imports from Asia: quotes, confirmations, export documents, certificates of origin and work with the customs agency and freight forwarders. Time from order to dispatch is 4 days shorter, and document complaints have fallen almost to zero.

Work experience

Foreign trade specialist

03.2022 - present

Industrial valve manufacturer, Gliwice

  • Orders from about 120 customers in 18 countries in Europe and the Middle East.
  • Quotes, confirmations, export invoices and certificates of origin.
  • Component imports from Asia, contact with the customs agency and sea freight forwarders.
  • Delivery terms under Incoterms, letters of credit and documents for the bank.
  • Time from order to dispatch 4 days shorter, Intrastat returns with accounting.

Sales assistant

07.2020 - 02.2022

Trading company, Katowice

  • Handling orders from German customers.
  • Correspondence and shipping documents.
  • Entering data in the ERP system.

Education

Master's degree, German philology with business German

2015 - 2020

University of Silesia in Katowice

Skills

  • Handling foreign orders
  • Export and import documents
  • Certificates of origin
  • Work with the customs agency and freight forwarders
  • Incoterms and letters of credit
  • ERP system

Training

  • Customs procedures training, 2023
  • Incoterms 2020 rules training
  • Documentary letters of credit training, 2022

Languages

  • German: C1
  • English: C1

Additional information

  • Driving licence category B

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary to carry out the recruitment process, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR).

How to write a foreign trade specialist CV

Professional summary

Write which countries you work with, whether you handle exports, imports or both, which documents you prepare and which languages you speak. Add a result, for example shorter lead times. The employer is looking for an accurate person who knows the documents and can deal with customers abroad.

Sales assistant with 2 years of experience at a trading company. I handle orders from German customers, keep up correspondence and prepare shipping documents. I speak German and English at C1 and am looking for work as a foreign trade specialist.

Experience: duties and achievements

Describe the countries, customers, orders, documents, customs, freight forwarding and payments. Show results in numbers. Add systems and your work with accounting.

Weaker: Handling orders.

Better: Orders from about 120 customers in 18 countries in Europe and the Middle East.

Weaker: Imports.

Better: Component imports from Asia, contact with the customs agency and sea freight forwarders.

Weaker: Results.

Better: Time from order to dispatch 4 days shorter, Intrastat returns with accounting.

Skills worth listing

List order handling, documents, customs, freight forwarding, Incoterms and systems. In your soft skills show accuracy, communication in foreign languages and organisation.

Professional skills

  • Foreign orders
  • Export documents
  • Certificates of origin
  • Customs and forwarding
  • Incoterms
  • ERP

Personal skills

  • Accuracy
  • Communication
  • Organisation
  • Cultural awareness
  • Independence

Training

List training in customs procedures, Incoterms and letters of credit. Give languages with their level, because in this job they are an everyday tool.

Your first job in foreign trade

Graduates of languages, economics and international relations often start as export assistants. On your CV show your languages, placements and time abroad.

Add Excel skills and willingness to learn the documents. The rest is usually taught on the job.

Tailoring your CV to the job offer

A manufacturer looks for export handling and documents, a trading company for imports and customs, and a freight forwarder for work with many customers and carriers. Move to the top what the job ad is about.

The most common mistakes on a foreign trade specialist CV

Questions and answers

What should a foreign trade specialist put on a CV?

Countries, customers, orders, documents, customs, freight forwarding, payments, languages and training.

How does a specialist differ from an export manager?

A specialist handles orders and documents, and an export manager is responsible for sales, markets and the team.

Is knowledge of customs rules needed?

For imports from outside the European Union it helps a lot, even when a customs agency files the declarations.

Which results are worth giving?

The number of customers and orders, lead time, document complaints and turnover.

Create a foreign trade specialist CV in the builder

In the CV Majster builder you enter your details step by step and see right away what the document looks like. You can copy the wording from this page and adapt it to yourself. The finished CV as a PDF costs a one-off PLN 5, with no subscription, and you see the preview before you pay.

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See also

Resume examples for similar jobs

Career guide

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