Job Discussion Forums

[carolynv]

Hi,
I need some resume advice if anyone has the time to offer a few tips.

When applying for jobs abroad, should I include a photo, or only upon request?

Also, I've seen some sample cv's which include marital status. Is this a good idea?

A little background: I'm a new teacher, I have bachelor's in an unrelated field, and I recently received my CELTA, grade B.
I have one year's experience as a volunteer teacher, teaching classes to adults of various levels twice a week in NYC; I also have tutored one to one under the same program. I've also participated in english/spanish language exchanges with several people- should I include this as well?

I've never lived overseas, but have traveled a bit. Is this worth including?

All of my other work experience is unrelated to the esl field.

I'm single woman from the US, enthusiastic, and excited to pursue a job abroad. I'm shooting for central or eastern Europe, or latin America. I basically want to get my resume out there and see who might be interested in employing me. What do you think my prospects are with my experience?

I'm working on my resume now, and would appreciate any advice anyone has to offer.

Thanks!

[thrifty]

Entry level job. Your CV is irrelevant. Will you work cheap and can you start soon.

[Glenski]

Disagree with thrifty. You still have to get your foot in the door, and that means a resume.

carolynv,
Putting a picture and marital status on a resume is peculiar to some countries. Japan for one. Don't know about others, do it depends on where you plan to apply.

[anospi]

[tedkarma]

Asia - in particular - likes to have a photo and personal information such as marital status on your resume. If you don't include it, your resume/CV will appear incomplete.

Information on what to include is at:

http://tefldaddy.com/Resumes_and_CVs.htm

You might ask on the specific board for the area where you would like to work.

[spiral78]

Sending a CV in advance won't get you far in Central/Eastern Europe. You have to be there on the ground. There are a few reasons for this: many schools have been burned in the past by teachers who misrepresented themselves in some way, or simply never showed up. The job market's pretty full for the more 'desirable' areas (Poland, Czech Rep.). You need a CV, of course, but sending it in advance is not going to likely generate anything in Europe.

That said, there are jobs and if you are willing and able to go there and look around, you'll certainly find a decent job.

I disagree with an above poster: one page is enough for an introductory CV, in my opinion. I'm a second-career teacher with 8 years of experience and an MA in the field, and my RELEVANT experience fits easily on one page.

It's pretty standard in Europe to include a photo and marital status info. There's at least one good legal reason for marital status info to be included: if, as in my case, you are North American but are married to an EU national. I would counsel that you include both, if only to conform to convention.

Luck!

[carolynv]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I really appreciate it and find it very helpful. Naturally, I don't expect anything more than an entry level job, because I am just starting out.

Spiral78,
How does one go about looking for a job in-country?
Do you visit schools in person?
Are there any places in particular that you know of where this method might be more successful? Hope I'm not bugging you with too many questions!

peace,
c

[spiral78]

Looking for a job in-country takes some investment in both time and money. 'The most common way is to take a certification course in the country where you want to teach, and then start looking for work when you finish. The advantage with this approach is that the certification centre can provide you with contacts for schools and often, for housing, and other logistical things.

I think you wrote that you are already certified, so it's a bit more difficult in that you'll probably have to choose a country and go there, then make the contacts. This is definitely do-able, especially if you are going to choose a larger city, like Prague or Budapest.

In any case, you should have a round trip flight ticket and enough money to support yourself for two or three months. Even if you find work very soon, it is common for a landlord to want one month's rent as a security deposit and the first months' rent in advance. Also, most language schools pay monthly, at the end of the month worked.

Once you are in a city, you can of course make phone calls and/or personal visits and try to set up appointments with the schools. The best time of year for most European countries is end August to early September, since most contracts are mid Sept thru June. There is generally a smaller hiring boom in January. However, you'll find that there is usually some work to be found almost year-round, excepting only August, when all of Europe is essentially on holiday.

You should find it easy to locate expat centres in any major city, and many native English-speakers are kind enough to help newcomers get oriented in 'their' city.

[Justin Trullinger]

Never like the idea of sending a photo. I understand that it's standard practice in some places, but I really don't like it. Does my appearance have something to do with my ability to teach? Please. Most places in Latin America don't ask for a photo, which I prefer...but I do know schools who have been surprised by the appearance of their teachers upon arrival.

I guess I can see why marital status is relevant to a job that requires you to relocate, and can certainly have an effect on visa proceedings...but it still seems more personal than professional data to me.

At the end of the day, find out whatever is standard in the places you're applying to, then include it. I may not like some of the things they ask for, but if you want the job...sometimes you gotta do what they want.


Best,
Justin

[anospi]

[thrifty]

They often expect their a teacher to look like a teacher even if as the OP is, not a teacher.

They also often expect a teacher to act and behave like a professional, even though they often aren't.

Odd.

[Justin Trullinger]