Job Discussion Forums

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

Ok, it's time to get serious and send out applications! Now I've got a problem with how to write my cv. I've worked in mechanical engineering for nearly 10 year and did a few office jobs to pay for my living while I studied.
All in all it makes a pretty long cv and most of it is not relevant for a teaching position.

Any tips on how to handle this?

Is it really necessary to describe every single job I had in detail? Can I just summarize the "mechanical engineering part" of my life?

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

Obviously, you don't have to write much for non-teaching job descriptions. A single bullet will do. Even if you have had 10 jobs in those 10 years, that amounts to 2 lines each, with a space between. that's half a page. I have a similar problem with non-teaching work experience, but mine goes back more than 20 years. You can bet I don't even include all of those jobs.

If you have ANY teaching-related work experience or volunteer work, put that in a separate section before your non-teaching stuff. That way, an employer won't have to wade through mech engr job descriptions to find it. If you feel like listing office work separately, too, go for it, but if it was only part-time stuff, I'd say leave it out. Employers don't really care about much other than teaching-related work experience anyway. Who knows? You might have better luck ending your resume with a section on personal interests, one of which might catch his eye and lead to a positive experience.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

Thanks Glenski! I already decided to leave out all the office jobs I had while studying. It will look like I studied full-time, but if someone asks I can explain. Which school would be interested in my customer service/call-center experience anyway?

The whole thing just makes me pretty nervous, cause I have seen a few jobs I really would like to have and this is not the time for experiments!

Do you know if there are differences for this in different countries? Like in Germany you just can't leave out stuff, they would feel like you have s.th. to hide or are lying!

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Hello dagi

This page might come in handy as well.

It's packed with constructive tips

and sound advice.

http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html

Jizzo T. Clown · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject:

Write a Functional Resume, one that highlights your transferrable skills, rather than your work experience.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Some more tips if you plan to work in Asia. Ignore the "Japanese employer" title for now.

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=19922

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

D.O.S. · Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:16 pm Post subject:

Meh! More bad advice.

Add it in. But explain what it meant, what it did and bring it up in your interview.