RÉSUMÉ ENCYCLOPEDIA
(relevant only for résumés sent outside the U.S. and Canada)
A4 is the name of the standard metric paper size used for letters and documents (and résumés) everywhere in the world except the U.S. and Canada. It’s important for e-mailed MS Word documents and PDFs, as well as for paper.
A4 paper is 21.0 cm x 29.7 cm, which is 8.268" x 11.693". It’s a little narrower and a little longer than U.S. letter size—so it doesn’t quite fit in most things designed to hold U.S.-letter−sized sheets. If you send your U.S.-letter−size résumé to someone outside the U.S. or Canada, it will be a bit of a nuisance for them to handle and file along with other paper. Even if you e-mail it, it will be a bit of a nuisance to print out. You don’t want your résumé to be a nuisance—if you’re sending it outside the U.S. or Canada, you should send it in A4 size, even if it’s an electronic document. (I can provide electronic documents in A4 size.)
Another reason to use A4 size for your international CV is that it shows that you are aware of international standards, and willing to work with them. (Many Americans aren’t.) An international employer will appreciate that.