How to Write a Winning Resume
Module
| Topics: | “Looking for a job" "Applying for a Job" “A job interview” |
Unit 1
Ex. 1.Read the following information and answer the questions.
Where could you find work?
Look around you
A job search, like charity, begins at home. Of all the various job sources, the most convenient—and, at times, the best—are your relatives, friends, and neighbors. So if you're in the job market, don't keep it quiet; part of your campaign is to let as many people as possible know that you are job-hunting. It is often a good idea to give the people you know copies of your resume. It helps them in talking about you to people they think can help you, and in addition, they can speed up the decision process by handing in the resume for you.
Volunteer work
It may seem strange, but occasionally it can be profitable for you to work for nothing. Volunteer work, like temporary work, is a way of meeting people. The more people you meet, the greater the possibility that someone will be able to point you in the direction of your dream job. Volunteer work can also give you the opportunity to improve skills that are not yet sufficiently developed.
Job fairs
Attend all job fairs. Job fairs can save you both time and money, and you can meet and interview with numerous companies that attend the fair. Bring plenty of resumes, dress professionally, and plan on spending the day.
Direct personal campaign
You cannot claim to have done all that is possible to find work if you have not conducted a direct mail campaign. Your resume will be an integral part of this campaign, so once you have prepared the best possible resume, you are ready to start. It is a good idea to get involved in your own personal work-study program. Call the human resources director of the company you are interested in and explain that you are on a career finding mission. Make yourself available to assist one of their departments on a voluntary basis for a few weeks.
1. Are you looking for a job?
2. Do you agree with the saying: "A job search, like charity, begins at home"?
3. How could your friends help you find a job?
4. What do you think about volunteer work?
5. Would you like to work as a volunteeror not? Why?
6. How should you prepare for the job fair?
7. What do you think about your personal campaign?
Ex. 2.Match the English words and word-combinations from set A with their Ukrainian equivalents from set B. Make up sentences with these words.
SET A
| 1) It may seem strange;2) job sources; 3) to be job-hunting; 4) to speed up; 5) a decision; 6) to decide; 7) ajob search; 8) be profitable for; 9) to claim; 10) temporary; 11) an opportunity; 12) sufficiently; 13) to be involved in; 14) permanent; |
SETB
| a) Це може здаватись дивним;b) прискорити; c) вирішувати; d) бути залученим до; e) шукати роботу; f) достатньо; g) тимчасовий; h) бути корисним для;i)пошук роботи; j) можливість; k) джерела пошуку роботи; l) рішення; m) постійний; n) стверджувати; |
Ex. 3.Mark the sentences True / False.Correct the false sentences.
1) A job search, like charity, begins at home.
2) Let as many people as possible know that you are available to assist.
3) It is a good idea to give the people you know copies of your diploma.
4) Volunteer work, like temporary work, is a way of earning money.
5) The more people you meet, the greater the possibility that someone will help you with your dream job.
6) If you attend job fairs you can meet and interview with human resources directors.
7) You should conduct a direct mail campaign.
8) It’s a good idea to work for a company you are interested in on a voluntary basis.
Ex. 4.Mark the variant that is not mentioned in the text.
1) The job sources are
a) friends b) neighbors c) fellow students d) relatives
2) Job-hunting includes
a) volunteer work b) meeting friends c) conducting mail campaign
b) d) attending job fairs
3) Volunteer work can help you to
a) save money b) meet a lot of people c) find a dream job
b) d) improve skills
4) At job fairs people
a) interview with different companies b) present (?) their resumes
c) are dressed professionally d) make presentations
5) Direct personal campaign involves
a) work-study b) mailing c) job fairs d) volunteer work
Ex. 5.Translate the following sentences into English.
1) Найбільш зручне джерело різноманітних робіт – це ваші родичі, друзі і сусіди.
2) Дайте людям, яких ви знаєте, копії свого резюме.
3) Вони можуть прискорити процес прийняття рішення.
4) Для вас може бути вигідно попрацювати без заробітної плати.
5) Суспільна (на добровільних засадах) робота може також дати вам можливість покращити де-які навички.
6) Ярмарок вакансій може зекономити (зберегти) вам і час і гроші.
7) Ваше резюме буде невід’ємною частиною безпосередньої особистої кампанії.
8) Гарною ідеєю буде зайнятися (залучитися в) своєю особистою програмою дослідження робіт.
Ex. 6.A)Read the dialogue.
At the job fair
Job-hunter: Hello, I’m Alice Davidson.
Company representative: Nice to meet you, Ms Davidson. Do you know anything about our company?
Job-hunter: Surely. Your company has been in the world market since 1991 and it has a good reputation in our country as well as abroad.
Company representative: That’s true. What position are you applying for?
Job-hunter: I’ve got a Bachelor’s degree in Law.
Company representative:I see. Do you have any work experience?
Job-hunter: No, but I’m ready to assist on a voluntary basis to get some experience and improve my skills.
Company representative:Could you mention your strengths, please?
Job-hunter: I’m responsible and neat (исполнительный).
Company representative:OK. And weaknesses?
Job-hunter: Oh! May be stubborn at times.
Company representative:Sometimes it can be a positive feature! Have you any questions?
Job-hunter: No, but I would be the happiest person if I work for your company.
Company representative:Leave your resume and we’ll contact you in a week.
Job-hunter: Thanks. Good bye.
Company representative:It was nice to meet you. Bye.
Ex. 7.Imagine that one of your friends is looking for a job.
What would you recommend him or her? Don't forget to use speech patterns: I think you should..; You'd better..; To my mind..; As a matter of fact..; It is necessary... (You can use the given tips).
1. Write a good resume.
2. Dress officially.
3. Get information about the companies you are applying to.
4. Be ready to speak about your strengths and weaknesses.
5. Think of a few questions for the person you are talking to at the career fair.Here are some ideas to get you started.
- Where are you from? Where did you go to college? (People love talking about themselves!)
- How did you get started at this company?
- What’s your favorite thing about this company?
- What types of entry-level candidates are you looking for?
6. Give short positive answers.
Ex. 8.Be ready to speak up about the process of job seeking:
- job sources;
- volunteer work;
- job fairs;
- personal campaign.
Unit 2
Ex. 1.Read the article and try to guess the meaning of the words print in italics. Consult your dictionary if necessary.
Applying for a job
There was time when job seekers could simply visit a potential employer and be interviewed, but that time has long since passed. In this complex world where distance, time, and sheer numbersdiscourage personal involvement, the resume and letter of applicationhave become the most essential ingredient in both the job search and hiring process.
Due to rapid development of business activities and creation of joint stock companies in our country, there increases the necessity of knowing how to make these documents in English, as the English language has become the language of business communication.
A strong resume is one of your best bets for getting a potential employer's attention. The success of your job campaign is completely dependent on the effectiveness of your resume. A good resume results in interviews; an inferior one is simply discarded.
Resume is a summary of ID data, objectives of an applicant, education, employment, professional skills and occupations. It must have a page size. The main idea of any resume is to create a favorable impression on a potential employer.As such, your resume must represent you in the clearest, most forceful manner.
Nowadays employers receive hundreds of resumes each day. If a resume is more than two pages long, it will be immediatelyrejected, as will those that appear cluttered and don't invite easy reading. Spelling or grammatical mistakes are never tolerated. So your resume must show immediately that you have the ability to organize information and present it in a clear, concise manner. You must instantly communicate to the reader that you know where you are going with your career, and that you have just the right background to make you a valuable staff addition.
Curriculum Vitaediffers from resume by its size and higher position that is applied for.
Ex. 2.Match the English words and word-combinations from set A with their Ukrainian equivalents from set B. Make up sentences with these words.
| Set A | Set B |
| job seeker | особисті дані, інформація |
| sheer numbers | наймання |
| to discourage | миттєво |
| hiring | людина, яка шукає роботу |
| due to | цінний |
| bet | негайно |
| inferior | гірший (за якістю) |
| to discard | підґрунтя, підготовка, освіта |
| ID data | перевантажений неорганізованою інформацією, плутаний |
| immediately | велика (абсолютна) кількість |
| to reject | стисла біографія |
| clutter(ed) | ставка, умова в парі |
| concise | супроводжувальний лист |
| instantly | заважати, відбивати бажання |
| background | поповнення штату |
| valuable | стислий |
| staff addition | відкидати |
| CV (curriculum vitae) | відхиляти |
| letter of application | завдяки |
| objectives | переконливий |
| skills | справляти враження |
| forceful | терпіти, ставитись толерантно |
| to create an impression | сприятливий, прихильний |
| favorable | цілі |
| to tolerate | навички |
| applicant | претендент |
Ex. 3. Answer the questions.
- What was the process of job seeking in the past?
- What are essential ingredients in both the job search and hiring process?
- Why does the necessity to know English increase?
- What language is the language of business communication?
- Why is a strong resume needed?
- What are the results of a good / inferior resume?
- What is a resume?
- What is the main idea of a resume?
- Why is it so important to know how to make a resume?
- Are spelling or grammatical mistakes tolerated?
- What must a resume show to a potential employer?
- What is CV and how it differs from Resume?
Ex. 4.Put questions to get such answers.
- Job seekers could simply visit a potential employer and be interviewed.
- Due to rapid development of business activities there increases the necessity of knowing how to make documents in English.
- The resume has become the most essential ingredient in the job search.
- The success of your job campaign is completely dependent on the effectiveness of your resume.
- Your resume must represent you in the clearest, most forceful manner.
- Nowadays employers receive hundreds of resumes each day.
- It will be immediately rejected.
- Your resume must show that you have the ability to organize information.
- You should have the right background to make you a valuable staff addition.
Ex. 5.Translate the following sentences into English.
1) Раніше шукачі роботи відвідували потенційного працедавця і з ними проводили співбесіду.
2) Резюме і супроводжувальний лист є найбільш важливою складовою процесу пошуку роботи та прийняття на роботу.
3) Англійська є мовою ділового спілкування.
4) Сильне резюме може привернути увагу потенційного працедавця.
5) Резюме – це стислий виклад ваших особистих даних, інформації про освіту, (попередню) роботу, професійні навички.
6) Головна ідея резюме – створити прихильне враження на потенційного працедавця.
Ex.6Be ready to speak about the following:
- Job seeking in past and at present.
- Business activities and communication nowadays.
- What is a resume?
- A strong resume.
- An inferior resume.
Ex. 7Do you know how to write a winning resume? Read the information below and be ready to make a resume of your own.
How to Write a Winning Resume
Your resume brings your skills, talents, and experiences before your potential employers in a written form designed to engage their interest. It is your entry pass to a successful job search. Every resume must identify and describe the writer.
It mustinclude:
• Your name, address, and telephone number
• Objectives
• A description of your educational history (educational background)
• A description of your work history (work background if any)
• Work-related honors or citations
• Publications, if any
It mayalso include:
• A summary of qualifications
• Your job objective or career goal
• Description of your work history
• Memberships in any professional organizations
• Foreign languages, if any
• Information on hobbies, only if they relate to your career choice or show personal success.
• Military service, if any
• Willingness to travel or relocate
It should notinclude the following information:
• Reasons for leaving past jobs
• Past salaries or present salary requirements
• Personal data - height, weight, marital status, number of children
• Health status
• Names of spouse or children
Ex. 8.Study the example of the resume and the CV and define the parts they consist of . Pay attention to the differences in their writing.
RESUME
| Name: | Emily Alison Brown |
| Address: | 47 Putney Hill London SW 16 4QX |
| Tel.: | |
| Date of birth: | 15 July 1980 |
| Objective | To secure a part-time position that offers a variety of tasks, in which I could use my secretarial skills and knowledge of foreign languages. |
| Education 1997-2002 | South Thames College, London. Secretarial Courses; Typing Grade 3. |
| 2003-2004 | Oxleigh Secretarial College, College Road, Oxleigh. Secretarial Skills Refresher Course. Typing ( 60 w.p.m. ). Book-keeping Grade One. Word-processing. |
| Employment 2005- to present | Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. Secretary to the Sales Manager. Taking shorthand; typing and filing correspondence, maintaining diaries, office support, etc. |
| Special Abilities: | Fluency in Spanish, studying German; profound computer skills;driving license. |
| Interests: | Classical literature reading, independent travel, modern jazz and swimming. |
| Other Occupations | Regularly work as a volunteer for the Red Cross. |
| References | References are available on request. |
CURRICULUM VITAE
| Name: Address: Tel.: Education and Training December 1991 – April 1996 Qualifications: April 1997 Employment 1996 up to present Position: Responsibilities: September 2003 up to present Position: Responsibilities: December 1999 – August 2003 Position: Responsibilities: April 1998 – November 1999 Position: Responsibilities: July 1996 – March 1998 Position: Responsibilities: Skills Computer skills Languages Interests Social / cultural Sporting Countries visited References | Maria Ivanova 55, Zlatoystovska Street, Flat 134 Kyiv (095) 292 52 22 Kyiv National Linguistic University, Department of German Languages Higher education diploma: teacher of English and German Computer training courses (Microsoft Training Center, Kyiv) The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Free-lance interpreter and translator Translating from / to English and German (commercial contracts, legal documents, etc) English language teaching at the Department of English Lexicology of Kyiv National Linguistic University Tutor of English Practical English and German for the third year students, Stylistics Norton Rose Translator and interpreter Translating from / to English and German (commercial contracts, legal documents, etc) Water House, Translating and Interpreting Department. Translator from / to English and German. Interpreting, audit documents translation from / to English and German. British Petroleum Translator and administrative assistant Translating from / to English , administrative duties performance Good typing skills, strong organizational skills, ability to work under pressure, customer-oriented, good time management Software skills: MS Office, Word, Excel, Visio, Outlook, Internet Explorer, Opera, Power Point, Access, Nero, Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, Acrobat Reader, ABBYY FineReader. Native Ukrainian, Russian, professional level of English and German Travelling, classical literature, world history, jazz music Swimming, skiing UK, the USA, Germany, Russia, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan are available on request |
Ex. 9Look at a sample CV below. How would you improve it? What do you think is missing?
| Peter Frost 21 Turncote Road Newcastle N11 7GP Email: [email protected] Status: Single Date of Birth: 11 October 1993 Personal Statement I am a good team player who is hard working and highly motivated. Education 2012 - Sheffield University – Msc Chemistry Sept 2005 – June 2012 Chaucer School Newcastle A levels in Biology, Chemistry and French 11 GCSEs in Mathematics (A), Statistics (B), English Literature (A),English Language (B), Science (A), Additional Science (B), French (B), History (B), PE (B), Food Technology (C), RE (C) Work Experience Customer Service Assistant – BestFoodEver, Newcastle I was part of a team responsible for replenishing stock and dealing with customer enquiries. Voluntary Events Steward – Reading Festival (working for Oxfam) My team worked 8 hour shifts including one overnight. Voluntary Work (part-time) – Leonard Johns Hospice I worked voluntarily at the Leonard Johns Hospice. Chaucer School - Lunchtime Supervisor in the dining hall Skills Teamwork – As part of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award six of us organised a five day expedition in Scotland. Communication – My communication skills developed through volunteering at the Leonard Johns Hospice. Problem solving - Studying for a Chemistry degree requires analytical, numerical and problem solving skills. IT – I have excellent IT skills. Interests and achievements In 2012 I completed the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. I love football, walking and reading. References Professor John Smith Sheffield University Sheffield S11 7HT Email: [email protected] Ms Katie Brookes BestEverFoods Handsworth Road Newcastle N13 9FN |
INDIVIDUAL WORK I: Ex. 1, 2
Ex. 10Read the information about writing a cover(ing) letter .
COVERING LETTER
A covering letter confirms a resume.
The aim of the covering letter is to find out whether any vacant position are available yet or to inform what position you are interested in.
The letter should contain:
- The source of information (newspaper advertisement (the date), employment agencies’ proposals;
- Brief data about education, professional skills focusing special attention on the requirements of the advertisement;
- The list of the presented documents (reference (recommendation), resume, etc.);
- The willingness to present the full information and to attend an interview;
- Thanks for attention;
- Hope of receiving a positive answer.
Ex. 11Match the parts of the letter (a-i) with their positions in the letter.
| a.I have experience of dealing with customers and liaising with a despatch department, as I do this in my present post. However, I am very interested in working as an Office Administrator as this would give me the opportunity to be responsible for a team of staff. b.Yours faithfully, c.I come from France but I have been living in England for the last four years. I did an official management course at West London College of Further Education and since then I have been working as the office manager for a mail order company in central London. d.I am enclosing my resume and hope that you will find my experience and qualifications suitable for the post. I look forward to hearing from you. e.I am writing to apply for the post of Office Administrator as advertised in The Standard on 9 July. f.12 July g.26 Weymouth Road London WS 8GD h.Dear Sir/Madam, i.LVS Catering Chepstow Place London WII 9GL |  |
Ex. 12Read this letter and complete it with the prepositions