TOPIC 15. How to organize your resume
1. Read the sentences. Which of them are good ideas? Which of them are bad ideas?
When you write your CV:
a) Write a minimum of three pages.
b) Check your spelling.
c) Use a computer.
d) Say that you have a lot of qualifications, even if you do not have them.
e) Give information about your school and all your hobbies.
Read and translate these recommendations on writing a CV.
A resume or a CV (curriculum vitae) is a summary of your history and professional qualifications. Make sure your resume (CV) focuses on the kind of work you can and want to do.
If you have worked successfully in an area related to the job you are applying for, emphasize it. It sometimes happens that the most qualified people don’t always get the job. It goes to the person who presents himself/ herself well in person and on paper.
Here is how you should organize your resume:
1. Your name and address go at the top. The resume usually consists of the following sections: Personal, Education, Work, Experience, Interests and Skills, Hobbies.
2. Under Personal you say:
1) when and where you were born;
2) your marital status (whether you are married, single or divorced), your children;
3) your citizenship.
3. Under Education you describe:
1) the school you finished and the years of study (for example, 2002-2013);
2) higher education, the diplomas and degrees obtained, also mention the subject (e.g. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Physics);
3) any higher degrees, e.g. Ph.D., and the university which granted it.
4. Then comes Work Experience:
You always list the jobs, the years you worked, the positions you held and the addresses.
This should be presented in the reverse chronological order starting from the last job.
In case you have no work experience in the field, mention your summer jobs, extracurricular school activities, awards. Choose the activities that will enhance your qualification for the job you want.
5. Then come Interests and Skills:
Include the foreign languages you speak, computer skills, extensive travel, particular interests or professional membership, the clubs you belong to. This is your chance to let your future employer get some idea of your person.
6. The last is Hobbies:
It is good to mention here a hobby that can help get the job you are after.
It should be noted that a CV can be structured differently and may vary in length from one page to three or more.
Send your Resume, along with a Cover Letter and a Letter of Recommendation or Reference to a specific person. The person should appeal to your reader’s own needs. Briefly explain why you are approaching his company. Refer him to your Resume and ask for an interview.
Answer the questions.
1. In what cases do people have to write a resume?
2. Should the resume you write be a detailed personal history or a summary of your personal history and qualifications?
3. When you write a resume you usually emphasize that you have worked successfully in an area related to the job you want to get. Why is it important do you think?
4. How is a resume structured?
5. What do you begin with?
6. What do you write under Personal, Education, Work Experience, Interests and Skills and Hobbies?
7. Why is it important to present oneself properly in a resume?
8. Do you usually present all the information about yourself in the chronological order?
9. Why do you think it is recommendable to present the information in the reverse chronological order?
10. How important is it to mention your computer skills and your command of foreign languages?
4. Read and translate this sample Cover Letter. What information should you give in a Cover Letter?
COVER LETTER
30 June, 2008
Dear Mr Jones,
I am writing to apply for the job (position) of computer programmer advertised in the “Daily Telegraph”. I enclose my Resume and a Letter of Recommendation from Mr J. Donald of BT Group, London.
I have recently moved to your town for family reasons and feel that my qualification would enable me to be a productive member of your company. I can be reached anytime via e-mail at ……… or my cell phone, ……….
References on request.
I look forward to speaking with you about this employment opportunity.
(Yours) sincerely,
…