Job Discussion Forums

Sinobear · Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269 Location: Purgatory

Okay, okay. Now I can contribute to this thread. My school is desperate for a foreign teacher to replace the one who had to return home for medical (MEDICAL - not MENTAL) reasons. I tried to find a candidate from these forums. No luck. I've placed an ad on the website of a well-known Chinese publication asking for a "native speaker, who is available immediately". I've received over 200 messages - most of which are from non-native speakers, a vast majority telling me that they're available in January or even only in the spring. What gives? Can people not read? I'm not the type to mince words or try to b.s. We need a teacher, native speaker, ASAP. I thought I was a patient person (you can see my tome in the China - Job Related Forum), but for the love of *^#%#&^!!!! "Dear Sir/Ma" is not the way to apply for a job! I am a "sir", but certainly not your mother! I'm not your friend, either, so telling me, "Hey, buddy, I will be the bestest teacher money can by" is not going to get me to call you.

Argh!!!!!! Where's the millions of schools looking for teachers? Where's at least one qualified applicant who can read and write at a level that compares to my grade six students, who's serious about a great job in a beautiful city?

Thanks for allowing me the rant.

Cheers!

deezy · Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:29 pm Post subject:

Glenski, my main area in recruitment was IT, and Management recruiting, so I'm not totally au fait with recruitment of teachers, although I've successfully recruited them. I was 'lucky' with my last recruitment job, in that most of the interviews were telephone interviews, which I thought at the time stank, as I still think the best interviews should be face-to-face. But after a year's experience interviewing people on the telephone, I find that, now that I am recruiting teachers, after selecting a candidate from a resume, the ONLY way to suss them out is with a detailed telephone interview. I am fortunate enough that I can 'intuit' the 'unspoken' messages and nuances, and I have to say that if I feel one teacher is more qualified than another, I still choose the one who sounds like he/she will 'fit' into the team and be adaptable, flexible, etc. Whoever. Works for me. A teacher's got to have the right attitude to work in China. I've met some doozies!

As for Merlin's words, and yours....you're both right. That's not me sitting on the fence, - you both have valid points, although I'm not keen on his attitude but then I'm not recruiting him...he aspires to greater things methinks. He comes across as an "I'm right and everyone else is wrong" type of person, but that's just 'my' perception of him. There is an element of 'selling yourself' in a resume, in fact I believe it's one of the toughest sales jobs and most people are not up to it. It's hard for some to 'blow their own trumpet', and selling yourself in writing has to be done in a subtle way.

My husband is teaching young graduates in Melbourne, and one of his courses is to get them prepared for the big bad world 'out there', explaining the need for good resumes, role-playing interviews, etc. Most of his students were rather disinterested, but three who listened, and followed the advice, wrote decent resumes, and GOT JOBS. They first practiced sending resumes out to me, pretending that I was the recruiter, and I responded in the way I would if they were genuine candidates. The others will not get jobs if they continue the inertia.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Merlin,

A bit of unsolicited advice--I can tell you from my own experience that employers read posts on this forum and offer some folks who post here jobs.

Of course you can say that you aren't interested in anyone who has a job to offer who reads posts on Dave's--he/she may not fit your "special" employer paradigm. Fair enough.

On the other hand, you have presented some pretty undesirable characteristics in your posts--narcissism, unreasonable stubbornness, intolerance of authority, lower than adequate empathyand lack of teamwork skills. Those are not characteristics most employers are looking for. You might want to consider opening your own school--or your own website.

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

merlin · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:55 am Post subject:

Look, it's simple:
I'm making more than one resume/CV. It's not rocket science. each for a unique type of employer.
Resume #1
Emergency resume. Break Glass only in an Emergency. Name. Photo. Passport. BA+CELTA
Resume #2
Chronological Resume Showing dates and palces of TEFL Experience. Nothing fancy. Nothing impressive. This will get me the job I currently have and probably resembles your resume, Glenski. It has got me job offers in the past with various institutions who frequent this board but in the end that I turned down for reasons of my own. i.e. I didn't see them as moving up to bigger and better things but just laterally for short-term gain.
Resume #3
Add Magic.
In it I show myself as a relatively informed but at the same time unique applicant. Complex issues. Some Jargon but not too much. It's the resume I've been sending out from my Resume type #2 job and don't particularly have any pressing need to move because I'd be trading employer tweedle-dee for employer tweedle-dumb.

Is it so difficult a concept to grasp? Three? There are three and more different ways to write a resume/CV, not just "the best" way? Do I have to break it down in such simple terms step-by-step for those unable to grasp the concept?

For the OP: I don't claim that I had figured out at the start of the thread, so this thread has been useful. I've decided to just agree to disagree about the privacy issue in the OP.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

I agree with the posters that have said to focus on your most recent experiences, say the last ten years. I left school about 16 years ago but I still ınclude the name of my school. It is quite a famous public school in the UK. I leave it on because maybe one day the old school tie network might help me out. Do you think I should leave it on? I have to admit that in the past I have employed people with a 'famous 'school on their CV.

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

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Merlin,

Your denial is so deep it would take a forklift to lift you out of it.

First off--Who says number of posts equals Narcissism Quotient? Some of us are writers, communicators, with a vast educational experience. You just aren't one of us.

Problems with authority--oh no, not our friend Merlin--he only thinks HE should be setting the parameters for folks who hire teachers--and if they don't accept that--well, they just aren't special enough for Merlin.

Escess of empathy? Give us a break. You only empathize with that guy in the mirror. That's what narcissists do.

Show you the team first? Merlin, wake up. You aren't hiring them. They are hiring you.

And, it goes without saying that you missed the boat on the different CVs. The point of different CVs is that they are tailored to different jobs and different employer requirements--NOT that they come in 3 sizes!

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

MR, take a deep breadth and forget about Merlin for the moment. Can you answer my question a couple of posts before. I'm genuinely interested in your opinion.
Regards in advance

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

dmb, sorry. I really had no opinion in regard to your question, and also saw/see no indication that it was directed to me.

What can it hurt to leave it on your CV? (I assume it occupies very little space....)

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

No need to apolgise. The question wasn't directed at you but at posters in general who may or may not have an opinion about it.(but with experience and knowledge in recruitment)
But you did give an opinion and suggested not to remove it. Just the answer I was looking for(How often does that happen)
Many thanks. I can now sleep easily tonight knowing I don't have to get up in the morning and change my CV

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

???????

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

I went to Yale for five years. Do I need to specify that it was the name of my high school? Laughing

If not, imagine the opportunities!

AsiaTraveller · Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2004 1:11 am Post subject:

dmb,

I'd definitely include the name of your school. Any time you list a degree or certificate, you should list the school/institution that granted it. Otherwise, somebody might think you're covering something up. Cool

I've received jobs in the past based solely on one of the schools I've attended. A fellow alum hired me one time. Another time, a corporate recruiter told me that she'd "had good luck" placing people from that school -- and that she hadn't looked at any of my job experience after that.

Whatever the reason, a good name is a good name. Use it or lose it!