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nattyos84
Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Location: England
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 Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:43 am Post subject: Tailoring a resume |
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Hi
I'm preparing my resume to apply for teaching jobs in South Korea next year (both through public avenues and private) and was just looking for some tips please.
I currently work in online marketing at management level but am finding it really hard to suitably 'big up' my skills (managing team members, training, presentatons, creativity etc) to sell myself for a teaching role.
All the advice I have read has said to not include anything that does not relate to teaching, but as I have never had any experience of teaching this will mean an extremely slimmed down CV. My friend who is a teacher has offered to look at it for me but I dont currently feel like there will be much for her to read!
I was just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and could share their wisdom with me  ? It would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Nat |
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koreatimes
Joined: 07 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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English teaching in Asia doesn't move you up much. It's not like a corporate office job where you could retire. Many schools are looking for someone straight out of college, with no experience.
If you are worried about pay, you have to start off at the same rung as everyone else. Whether or not you have 10 years or zero doesn't matter. |
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FastForward
Joined: 04 Jul 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I was wondering the same thing. I have taught refreshers and training classes at one of my previous jobs, does that count as teaching experience? If I don't include all my work experience, my resume would be my name and then my degree....Seems a little slim. |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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I personally only had around 1 year of experience doing anything close to teaching. All my other experience was in my actual profession, which has almost nothing in common with teaching here [or anywhere else].
What I would suggest is doing what the US Labor Department calls a qualification resume. Instead of focusing it on your individual jobs [dates, titles, duties] listed chronologically, do sections broken down by type of responsibility.
So on mine, I had a section under 'public speaking,' which is obviously really important as a skill here -- if you're shy in front of groups, you're gonna be suffering big-time looking out at a room of 25 or 30 kids. And I listed bullet points relating my experience speaking and communicating information.
Then I had sections on organization and writing, both theoretically useful, which I 'massaged' somewhat to enhance their relevance to teaching and education. I can almost promise you that everyone has done things in their work that relate to big, macro-scale ideas like those.
For example, training is great, that's teaching of a type, use it! Creativity is essential here, you'll use it to come up with ways to get students motivated [at least in theory].
Then I just had quick sections on work history and education, at the bottom, only 1 line per place. I took the key stuff and put it at the top under a major section called summary of qualifications.
Things to remember are, don't fitz up the doc with a bunch of fussy fonts and weird formatting. Simple is good. If you are doing anything aside from Times NR, 10-12 pt font, basic bullets, ask yourself why, and then stop.
1 page, only, always. Unless you are applying for a Uni job, and even then.
Pay attention to your rec letters and make sure they sound good and follow the rules, they matter a fair bit over here.
Don't freak out about it too much. Relax. You can do it. |
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DaHu
Joined: 09 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 1:32 am Post subject: |
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| If you're breathing and have a college degree, that's all you need to list. Oh, and why you really love Korea. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 3:49 am Post subject: |
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| koreatimes wrote: |
English teaching in Asia doesn't move you up much. It's not like a corporate office job where you could retire. Many schools are looking for someone straight out of college, with no experience.
If you are worried about pay, you have to start off at the same rung as everyone else. Whether or not you have 10 years or zero doesn't matter. |
If you have no experience or not much direct teaching experience you will start at the lower rung of the pay ladder (kind of normal...).
However it is completely false that this will happen if you have relevant experience. It is even less true if you have said experience and actual qualifications.
Of course if you have that 5-10 years of teaching experience and credentials and apply to a PS program...well you will likely have a harder time being placed as PS programs are entry-level and aim to hire assistant teachers.
Some Hakwons will pay you more for your experience and qualifications but you need to find them (research) or to have contacts.
Universities will definitively pay you for your experience if it is referenced, relevant and if you have the qualifications.
At the end of the day your experience, like anywhere else, will benefit you if it is relevant to the field of work you are applying in.
Another way to put that experience to work is to get to Korea work one year, even if it is a lower paying job and network while there. Making contacts will open up all sorts of possibilities....
As for tailoring your resume it is simple:
In the experience section use only the jobs you did that are relevant to education: tutoring, teaching, working at day camps, working as a TA.
If you have none, then put up your past 2 recent jobs if you were there any significant lenght of time (would show reliability).
Do not go back to your jobs as a part time teen serving fries. Those are irrelevant and will clutter your resume.
In the education section list only your UNIVERSITY DEGREE(S) and relevant certificates. Some people clutter their resume with their ENTIRE educational history, including high school. That is useless as the employer is not interested in which high school you went to or when you gradudated from there.
If you have projects or achievements you feel are interesting and linked to education, include them at the end of your resume as a list.
Include references or at least indicate that references will be provided upon demand.
Finally, your resume should not exceed 2 pages, should be well presented and error free.
As someone who worked on numerous hiring committees (in Korea and Canada) I can tell you the fastest way to get an application tossed on the no thank you pile is for the person selecting applicants to open up a cluttered resume that is 3,4,5 pages long....
Typically your resume will be glanced at for a few seconds, perhaps a minute and then a decision will be made on your status: lets contact this person or no thanks.
Good luck. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 3:50 am Post subject: |
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| FastForward wrote: |
| I was wondering the same thing. I have taught refreshers and training classes at one of my previous jobs, does that count as teaching experience? If I don't include all my work experience, my resume would be my name and then my degree....Seems a little slim. |
Slim is better than filled up with all sorts of irrelevant crap!
You can certainly include your training classes in the experience section as those are relevant. |
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nattyos84
Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:28 am Post subject: |
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| koreatimes wrote: |
English teaching in Asia doesn't move you up much. It's not like a corporate office job where you could retire. Many schools are looking for someone straight out of college, with no experience.
If you are worried about pay, you have to start off at the same rung as everyone else. Whether or not you have 10 years or zero doesn't matter. |
Hi
I wasnt actually looking to get anything but entry level teaching as I have no actual teaching experience. I just wanted some guidance on how to tailor a non teaching CV to make it relevant.
So am slightly confused by your response? |
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nattyos84
Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Location: England
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:29 am Post subject: |
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| Modernist wrote: |
I personally only had around 1 year of experience doing anything close to teaching. All my other experience was in my actual profession, which has almost nothing in common with teaching here [or anywhere else].
What I would suggest is doing what the US Labor Department calls a qualification resume. Instead of focusing it on your individual jobs [dates, titles, duties] listed chronologically, do sections broken down by type of responsibility.
So on mine, I had a section under 'public speaking,' which is obviously really important as a skill here -- if you're shy in front of groups, you're gonna be suffering big-time looking out at a room of 25 or 30 kids. And I listed bullet points relating my experience speaking and communicating information.
Then I had sections on organization and writing, both theoretically useful, which I 'massaged' somewhat to enhance their relevance to teaching and education. I can almost promise you that everyone has done things in their work that relate to big, macro-scale ideas like those.
For example, training is great, that's teaching of a type, use it! Creativity is essential here, you'll use it to come up with ways to get students motivated [at least in theory].
Then I just had quick sections on work history and education, at the bottom, only 1 line per place. I took the key stuff and put it at the top under a major section called summary of qualifications.
Things to remember are, don't fitz up the doc with a bunch of fussy fonts and weird formatting. Simple is good. If you are doing anything aside from Times NR, 10-12 pt font, basic bullets, ask yourself why, and then stop.
1 page, only, always. Unless you are applying for a Uni job, and even then.
Pay attention to your rec letters and make sure they sound good and follow the rules, they matter a fair bit over here.
Don't freak out about it too much. Relax. You can do it. |
Thanks Modernist this is really useful. Would you mind discussing further in PM? |
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ssuprnova
Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: Saigon
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| Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:45 am Post subject: |
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Don't waste your time. Instead get a friend with a nice camera (maybe even a studio) and some knowledge of Photoshop to have a few pictures taken in formal attire.
Also, rally your younger siblings/cousins/whathaveyou. Pretend you're helping them study (bonus points if you can get an asian-looking kid involved) - make sure they're smiling. Have someone snap a few "candid" shots. That'll be proof of your "Tutoring experience - 2 years" on the resume.
This set of pictures will be worth more than years of experience for most positions that you see posted online (assuming you're a young-ish, fairly attractive Caucasian). |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 3:41 am Post subject: |
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| ssuprnova wrote: |
Don't waste your time. Instead get a friend with a nice camera (maybe even a studio) and some knowledge of Photoshop to have a few pictures taken in formal attire.
Also, rally your younger siblings/cousins/whathaveyou. Pretend you're helping them study (bonus points if you can get an asian-looking kid involved) - make sure they're smiling. Have someone snap a few "candid" shots. That'll be proof of your "Tutoring experience - 2 years" on the resume.
This set of pictures will be worth more than years of experience for most positions that you see posted online (assuming you're a young-ish, fairly attractive Caucasian). |
Yeah ok...
Follow THAT advice instead of actually learning how to tailor a resume which would of course benefit you later on down the road when you apply for another job.
good grief... |
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ssuprnova
Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Location: Saigon
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| Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:56 am Post subject: |
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| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
Yeah ok...
Follow THAT advice instead of actually learning how to tailor a resume which would of course benefit you later on down the road when you apply for another job.
good grief... |
Thanks, captain donkeyhat. I was just giving the op advice regarding his question in the original post:
| Quote: |
| I'm preparing my resume to apply for teaching jobs in South Korea next year (both through public avenues and private) and was just looking for some tips please. |
Geez, another Bruce you are. Talking about everything except what's relevant to S. Korea. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:33 am Post subject: |
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Advice was given by me and others on how to tailor a resume for a teaching job in Korea.
You said take some made up pics of you 'teaching' and do not worry.
That is a sure way to end up in hakwon hell...but hey to each his own! 
what is relevant to Korea in the OPs case?
Building an ESL tailored resume.
Question asked and answered. |
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