Week 6 How to write a resume
Education – interests – key skills – references – work experience • Explain those words. Education: schools, university, other training and qualifications
interests examples: do you like reading, dancing, football, etc? key skills a few lines summarising what you're good at and what makes you special references former bosses, teachers or other people who would be willing to confirm that you are a good candidate
work experience previous jobs and what your role was • What sort of document can you find this information on? You can find this information on a CV.
How to write a resume? • What do you need to write a resume? You need a word processor, a printer, quality paper and a friend. • How many steps are mentioned ? (be as precise as possible) 7 steps are mentioned: Contact , State objectives , Write your work history, List education , No jibber jabber , have someone proofread your resume, Print and send • Should you use the passive voice in a resume? No you should use an active tense. • What shouldn’t you mention? You shouldn’t mention bar tricks. • Should you send your resume immediately after you’ve typed it? No, have a friend proofread it first.
At some point in your life, you'll have to GET OUT (se lever) of bed, put on some clean CLOTHES (vêtements) and get a job. Sad, we know, but hey, you may not look so hot in PERSON we can help you look good on PAPER. First you will need a word PROCESSOR (traitement de texte), a laser printer, QUALITY resume paper and a friend to PROOFREAD (corriger) your work. Step 1 Contact : List your contact information starting with your name, home ADDRESS, telephone number and EMAIL. Step 2 State objectives :These are your objectives for EMPLOYMENT. More simply, say what kind of CAREER (carrière) you are looking for. Step 3 Write your work history: Create a section to list your work experiences in REVERSE (inversé) chronological history, giving dates, COMPANY (société) names, occupation and brief description of RESPONSIBILITIES. Use an active tense, writing in first person with I-me-my REMOVED (enlevés). Don't say I supervised a cast of thousands, say supervised cast of thousands. Step 4 List education : List your educational BACKGROUND (formation, bagage), training courses and any accolades RECEIVED. Tell them about professional SKILLS (compétences) you have such as word processing or CREATING spreadsheets. Leave out bar tricks. Step 5 No jibber jabber : A resume should be tightly WRITTEN. No flowery extra words. Keep the resume cleanlooking. Keep some white SPACE (espace) and avoid using multiple fonts. Image isn't everything but it HELPS. Step 6 : Before you send a resume have someone PROOFREAD your resume to check grammar, spelling and OVERALL (d’ensemble) style. Find someone you can TRUST (faire confiance à) to offer honest, constructive CRITICISM (critique). Everyone needs an EDITOR. Revise. Step 7 Print and send Print with a laser PRINTER (imprimante) and some high-end paper. SEAL it up (cacheter, fermer) along with a COVER letter to introduce yourself and DROP (déposer) it in the mail. Wow ! Don't forget POSTAGE (frais d’affranchissement) ! Done ! Now, with your skills and a killer resume, just LIE BACK (detendez-vous) and wait for the interview CALLS ( appels) to come.
Vocabulary jibber-jabber charabia/baratin
excellent CV
flowery
fleuri/ à fleurs
set of computer letters
font
police
talking too much
high-end
haut de gamme
elaborate, ornate
killer resume
un CV d’enfer
top quality
Say whether the following statements are right or wrong and justify with a quote from the text It's necessary to use Word 2010. Right/ Wrong _______you will need a word processor___________________________________________________ You can print your resume on any sort of page. Right/ Wrong _______quality resume paper / some high-end paper________________________________________ You will mention the last job you had before the first. Right/ Wrong _______reverse chronological history_____________________________________________________ Don't forget to mention who hugged you. Right/ Wrong _______any accolades received_____= award___________________________________________ Always start a sentence with I. Right/ Wrong __________I-me-my removed_______________________________________________ It's advisable to ask someone you know well to control what you wrote. Right/ Wrong _________friend / someone you can trust__________________________________________________ Send the resume and cover letter in two separate envelopes. Right/ Wrong ____________________Seal it up along with a cover letter___________________________
William Bailey 113 Westfield ct W Apt D Indianapolis IN, 46220 (317) 765-9987
[email protected] EXPERIENCE : 8/2005 – Present Stein Electronics Noblesville, TN Home Theater Installer/ Sales Professional Responsible for customer service in a high-paced retail environment. Communication skills with customers and fellow employees are crucial. Leadership and coaching skills are also focused on while assisting employees with job development. 2/2002-7/2002 and 5/2005-7/2005 Calcutta Video Movie Club Nashville, TN Customer service associate Primary responsibilities include assisting customers, operating cash register, returning movies to shelves. Communication skills were at the forefront of skills needed for that position, as interaction with people from various backgrounds occurred everyday. Organizational, leadership and decisionmaking skills were also critical as employees frequently worked alone or in small groups without managerial assistance. Supervised a cast of thousands. EDUCATION Graduated 05/1999 Ball State University INTERESTS Yoga, swimming, skiing, classical music, theatre, current affairs
Translation •
Si vous voulez travailler dans le service comptabilité, vous devrez être capable de créer des feuilles de calcul.
•
Même si vous êtes expert en tours de passe-passe, inutile de le signaler sur votre CV : Cela n'intéresse en rien votre futur employeur.
Translation • •
•
Si vous voulez travailler dans le service comptabilité, vous devrez être capable de créer des feuilles de calcul. If you want to work in the accounting department, you will have to be able to create spreadsheets.
Même si vous êtes expert en tours de passe-passe, inutile de le signaler sur votre CV : Cela n'intéresse en rien votre futur employeur.
Translation • •
• •
Si vous voulez travailler dans le service comptabilité, vous devrez être capable de créer des feuilles de calcul. If you want to work in the accounting department, you will have to be able to create spreadsheets.
Même si vous êtes expert en tours de passe-passe, inutile de le signaler sur votre CV : Cela n'intéresse en rien votre futur employeur. Even if you are a bar-trick expert, no need to mention it in your CV: It will be of no interest to your future employer.
1) Complete this text about a CV using the words listed below: •
Education – experience – font – margins – bold letters – contact numbers – interests – languages – surname – forename – attractive – useless This is probably one of the worst CVs I’ve ever seen. It’s completely useless. There is nothing that makes this candidate attractive . First of all the margins are wrong; they should be one inch wide, not 1.5 inches. The typing style or font should be Arial or Times New Roman. Moreover, the candidate uses bold letters everywhere as if he were advertising a product. The section that deals with his education doesn’t indicate the date of his graduation and he never gives the names of the companies that he worked for when describing his experience. How can we reach him when he hasn’t even left a contact number? He seems to have forgotten that in English your forename comes first, and your surname comes second when you present yourself. His name is Franz Liszt, not Liszt Franz. He indicates that he speaks languages but he omits his level. The only thing that he seems to have developed are his interests but the fact that he’s a soccer fan won’t get him very far in this company.
Sort out the letters to find one word to replace the definition ASSETS / AVANTAGES ATOUT
CURRICULUM VITAE DATE OF BIRTH
JOB RECRUITER REFERENCE COVER LETTER APPOINTMENT RENDEZ-VOUS FORENAME APPLICATION DEMANDE CANDIDATURE
Compiling a CV • an achievement • something important that you've managed to do accomplissement/ réalisation • job history • a list of the different jobs you've done antécédents professionnels • a layout • the way you've arranged information disposition • to draft something • to write something that you will improve on and finish later on faire le brouillon de
1. about the involves. Think what job Think about what the job involves It's important to get a good idea of the kind of work you would be doing so that you can include relevant information in your application. 2. sort of chosen about Think it. be what person would to do Think about what sort of person would be chosen to do it. 3. your job Identify the that skills description. match Identify your skills that match the job description. Don't forget skills such as teamwork, creativity and leadership. 4. a Decide on layout. Decide on a layout Make sure the layout is clear, with plenty of space. 5. previous your experience. Review Review your previous experience Think about the things you've done in the past which might help you with this job. 6. describe Find language your suitable to experience. Find suitable language to describe your experience. Use strong, positive words. Be truthful, but don't be afraid to show off your talents! 7. the CV. version first of Draft your Draft the first version of your CV Try to keep it short - many employers prefer CVs to be two pages maximum. 8. for your CV Check mistakes. Check your CV for mistakes Employers won't be interested in you if your CV is full of errors!
• Think about what the job involves. - It's important to get a good idea of the kind of work you would be doing so that you can include relevant information in your application. • Think about what sort of person would be chosen to do it. • Identify your skills that match the job description. - Don't forget skills such as teamwork, creativity and leadership. • Decide on a layout - Make sure the layout is clear, with plenty of space. • Review your previous experience - Think about the things you've done in the past which might help you with this job. • Find suitable language to describe your experience. - Use strong, positive words. Be truthful, but don't be afraid to show off your talents! • Draft the first version of your CV. - Try to keep it short many employers prefer CVs to be two pages maximum. • Check your CV for mistakes - Employers won't be interested in you if your CV is full of errors!
What makes a good CV • a recruitment consultant someone who helps people to find jobs and companies to find staff • first impressions the immediate views and feelings that people have about you • to stand out from the crowd to be more noticeable than other people • concise short and to the point because it has only necessary words and information • relevant directly relating to the job you're applying for • clarity the quality of being clear and easy to understand • impact to have an important or noticeable effect on someone
What makes a good CV • With CVs, first impressions are everything. For some vacancies, employers receive an enormous number of applications, so it's important that your CV stands out from the crowd. • Firstly, it should look good, well-presented with a clear layout and lots of white space so that the information can be located easily. • Secondly, you should select your points carefully so that your CV is concise and relevant. Try to keep it to one page if you can. Use the spell check on your computer. Use appropriate phrases, perhaps from the job advertisements to express your achievements and abilities. • To sum up then, key words are clarity and impact. A good CV can go you a long way to getting you that all important interview.
What makes a good CV
• Employers don't care what CVs look like. (True / False) • The consultant says CVs should look good. • Companies only receive a few applications for each position. (True / False) • The consultant says For some vacancies, employers receive an enormous number of (a lot of) applications. • You should spread your points out on the page. (True / False) • It should have a clear layout and lots of white space. • You should include as much information as possible. (True / False) • You should select information carefully. • It is better to focus on key facts. (True / False) • Your CV should be 'concise and 'relevant' - only put in information which you think is important for the job. • The most important features are that it is easy to read and looks good. (True / False) • Clarity and impact are very important. • A good CV will guarantee a good job. (True / False) • It won't guarantee a good job, but it could help you get an interview.
Vocabulary •
• • • • • •
education schools, university, other training and qualifications referees former bosses, teachers or other people who would be willing to confirm that you are a good candidate personal details nationality, age etc. profile a few lines summarising who you are, what you're good at and what makes you special additional skills things you can do that weren't part of your formal training, such as languages, computer skills etc. interests do you like reading, dancing, football, etc? professional experience previous jobs and what your role was
CVs 3: Organising Information Although there are different views on how to organise a CV, most prospective employers would expect to see the following headings Education Referees Personal Details Profile Additional Skills Interests Professional Experience Jasper Bergfeld, a German graduate, is compiling his CV. He has collected the relevant details but now he must organise them. Look at the following points and decide which heading Jasper should put them under. Example: University of Stuttgart - degree in Business Information Management: answer = 'Education‘ • Fluent in English: Additional Skills • Nationality - German: Personal Details • Concept AG - Assistant Project Manager: Professional Experience • Excellent communication skills: Profile • Full driving license: Additional Skills • Diploma in English with Business Studies: Education • Skiing and windsurfing: Interests • Computer literate: Additional Skills • Able to work on own initiative and under pressure: Profile • Responsible for customer service: Professional Experience • Dr H. Mayer, University of Bath: Referees
• to be keen to do something to want to do it a lot • communication skills the ability to interact well with other people • reliable dependable, trustworthy • vacations American-English for holidays or time off work • managing a budget making sure that an agreed amount of money is spent wisely to complete a task or project • current affairs news about what's happening around the world at the moment • to have committed a driving offence to have done something illegal while driving • to have a clean driving licence to have a driving licence that doesn't contain any record of illegal driving • to have a working knowledge of something to have a basic understanding of a topic
• She is married: Falsesection two says her marital status is 'single' • She started working full-time when she left school: Falsesection 3 shows she went to university after school • She was not very successful at Hotel Primavera Falsesection 4 says she was 'Employee of the Year' there • She worked during her vacations: Truesection 4 shows she worked during two summers • She had financial responsibility when she worked for Eurostudy: Truesection 4 says her work included 'managing a budget' • She isn't interested in politics: Falsesection 6 says she's interested in 'current affairs' • She has never committed a driving offence: Truesection 6 says she has a 'clean driving licence' • She speaks French better than English: Falsesection 6 says she has 'fluent English', but only 'working knowledge' of French
