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CVs

 
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Mariana



Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Posts: 26
Location: Bavaria

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2003 11:25 am    Post subject: CVs Reply with quote

Hallo, I'm still applying to various jobs, mostly in Japan, but I'm wondering what is the best form of CV to send to employers in eikaiwa? English format, listing skills, achievements, interests etc, or Japanese format, just listing education, qualifications, work experience and so on? I did read somewhere on this forum (I think), that that was how the Japanese themselves write their CVs, but the British format has been drilled into me so often, that I'd just like someone to reaffirm that for me, because I don't feel very confident with my applications at the moment. I'm still holding out for the JET programme, but since they don't let us know whether or not we've been successful until it's so late, I don't like the idea of just sitting on my laurels and risking being turned down without at least one other job offer to fall back on. I'm applying to individual eikaiwa rather than to any of the big organisations like Nova or Geos.
Any information appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Yrs
Mariana.
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cafebleu



Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Posts: 404

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2003 12:57 pm    Post subject: CV info Reply with quote

Hi Mariana,

Two years ago I sent a detailed 5 page curriculum vitae cold (that is, without the school having advertised for a teacher) to schools that I found through the Japanese telephone company NTT`s Townpages on the internet. I was lucky as coincidentally one school was looking for a teacher.

I was applying from outside of Japan so maybe it is helpful to be detailed in that case. However, now that I have been working here for a couple of years my cv is only two pages. Remember one thing - you don`t know who is looking at your cv. It could be a Japanese person or a native English speaker, but if it is a Japanese person then maybe they are not going to want to plough through too much detail.

On the other hand, if you are seeking sponsorship from a school and need the school to sponsor you before you come over, then Immigration wants to know as much about you as possible. Hope that helped and good luck!
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cafebleu



Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Posts: 404

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2003 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, I forgot to write some essential info. For me, this format has worked.

Personal info - name, dob, marital status (sorry this is Japan), address, tel no, email address.

Qualifications - what, which university/college.

Work History - relevant part-time work (relevant to the job you want that is) and full-time work.

Skills - language abilities, computer literacy, driver`s licence, etc.

Interests - hobbies, participation in community events or whatever.

Referees - four are good but if you can`t have three names. I think two is too few.

Maybe this format is not what you require but good luck!
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2003 1:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cafebleu has listed some very good things to put on your resume/CV. I would caution against having one over 2 pages. I would also make it in English only, but use wording appropriate to a person with limited English skills. In other words, do not use buzzwords from the 80's, and avoid any abbreviations.

In addition to what cafebleu has suggested, I would also add to that list the following:

place of birth
photo (passport style and size) embedded on the resume if possible
nationality (redundant but sometimes required)
visa status and expiration date
College name and city/state (whatever), Degree, year granted
Work history -- keep it in bullets, name/city/state of company, say what you did, NOT your skills, year you started/finished

Keep those "skills" to a list of things ONLY related to teaching. A scuba diver's license is useless. Football coaching certificate likewise.

Hobbies are optional. So are referees. One key point. DO NOT WRITE "Reference on request" or some such thing. If you can't provide the names and contact info on the resume, don't even mention they are available.

I've looked at a good number of resumes, and at the risk of getting flooded with more, I'd be willing to give you an appraisal.
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Reesy



Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 31
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2003 5:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glenski makes some good points. However I would have to disagree with the following:

"One key point. DO NOT WRITE "Reference on request" or some such thing. If you can't provide the names and contact info on the resume, don't even mention they are available."

Considering that the original poster was thinking of sending out CVs to a number of prospective employers, I would not recommend listing your references. I would even say it is preferable to not list references on CVs at any time and to instead state "References available upon request".

The reason that "Reference on request" is included on resumes is to ensure that you (the applicant) is given adequate time to inform the referee (reference) that "XYZ Company/Organization" will be contacting them to discuss your candidacy for a particular job. This not only shows consideration to your reference but also ensures that 5, 10 or 100 employers will not be bothering them to discuss your application. Your references may not be so willing to be your reference in the future if they are being pestered at all hours by prospective employers. I speak from experience on this one.

Another important point about being given time to inform a reference that an employer will be contacting them is that it gives the referee the opportunity to review your CV, research the employer, and review the job posting. All of this will contribute to your reference being able to speak more competently on your behalf and increase your chances of securing the position.

Any decent company with sound recruiting practices will not expect you to list references on your CV. A CV should be a list of selling points that will interest potential employers and propel you through an INITIAL screening process. References are not a selling point and do not contribute to your getting through this process successfully. References are meant to confirm the employers' initial conclusion that you are a reasonable risk as an employee. Only if you get through initial screening and perhaps even an interview do references become important. Therefore, it is a good idea to let potential employers know that "references are available upon request" should you get through intitial screening.

So, to make a long story short, I agree with all of Glenski's sound advice but would strongly disagree with his thoughts on including references on CVs. "References available upon request" is a perfectly reasonable thing to write ona CV and I recommend that you do so.

Hope that this helps and happy hunting!

Reesy
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2003 7:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reesy,

Interesting way you interpreted my comments. In a way, you and I agree very much.

I was saying that people should not write References available upon request for this reason. Any professional who has references doesn't need to "tease" the prospective employer. If I were hiring someone, I would automatically expect candidates to have at least one reference. Reading "available" makes me slap my forehead and say, gee, I certainly hope so! To me, that kind of blank, open-ended phrase on a resume is useless.

I otherwise agree with you that unless you are answering an ad that openly asks for references, you should not put them on the resume for all the reasons you stated.
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Mariana



Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Posts: 26
Location: Bavaria

PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2003 6:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you everybody for all your wonderful advice! I'm working on improving my CV right now!
Yrs gratefully,
Mariana. Smile
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