Job Discussion Forums

[RazzleDazzleRozzle]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and am currently looking for TEFL jobs in Japan. Does anybody have any tips on how to write a good resume?

Is there a special format I should use?

Should I only include teaching experience or would it be beneficial to include other jobs I've had as well?

[Glenski]

First tip is to use the search function here. Yours is a common topic.

Second, keep in mind that if you get a Japanese reviewer, expect the level of English to be low. So, write simply, avoid jargon and buzzwords, and keep sentences short & simple. In fact, on a resume it would be better to use bullets instead of paragraphs or sentences.

Third, include some additional information on the resume, compared to what you are used to. Employers here often need a bit more, and even though it might seem discriminatory, the info is still needed.
Name (as it appears on your passport)
mailing address
email address
phone number (only one, please)
fax number if you have one
nationality
date and place of birth
visa or passport status (and expiration date)
marital status
education
work experience
photo of you (business attire, shoulders and up shot, neutral background) embedded on the resume, top corner

Anything else will depend on how much space you have, but keep it to 1-2 pages. Don't write an "objective" on the resume.

Don't abbreviate anything except USA, UK, or CELTA.
Include city/state/country for each school & employer.
Don't list the total years you attended university. Just the graduation date will do.
List job experience time frames as month/year to month/year.

How much teaching experience do you have? Hard to answer your question about listing other work without knowing that. Are you a fresh college grad, for example?

[RazzleDazzleRozzle]

Thanks for the advice Glenski.

I have 6 months' experience teaching English in Thailand as a volunteer and have worked in admin in between. I graduated two years ago.

[Glenski]

With that kind of work experience, list everything, but don't make more than 2 bullets for each non-teaching work experience.

Yours will be a 1-page resume, so add to the bottom a bulleted list of personal interests (and describe them in 5-10 words each).

[RazzleDazzleRozzle]

Should I include details of my TEFL certificate? So far I've written a summary in bullet points of all the units it consisted of but it's taking up a lot of space.

[Conor_Ire]

The photo is very important!! Big happy smiley face!

[Glenski]

[seklarwia]