Writing-a-CV-for-a-job-application

1WritingaCVforajobapplicationACVorrésuméandacoveringlettertoapotentialemployerareparticularkindsofprofessionalwriting.Inprofessionalwriting,thewriterneedstoidentifytheprecisepurposeofaletterordocumentandtoconsidertheknowledge,needsandexpectationsoftheaudience,andhowtoselectappropriatecontent,formatorgenreandstyle.WhenwritingaCV,studentscanthinkabouttheprocessofjobapplication:Whatjobstheymayseekandwhattheyhavetoofferanemployer(theirqualifications,training,skillsandexperience),andwhattheemployeroremployingorganizationmaybelookingfor.Theywillneedtoconsiderthepurpose,conventionalformatandstyleoftheirdocuments.Theprecisecontentwillnecessarilydependoneachperson’sbackground.CVorrésumé?ACVisacurriculumvitae(Latinforcourseoflife),adocumentgivingdetailsofyourqualificationsandthejobsyouhavehadinthepastthatyousendtosomeonewhenyouareapplyingforajob.Arésumé(Frenchwordforsummary)isoftenashortersummaryandonlymentionsexperiencewhichisdirectlyrelevanttothepositionappliedfor.ThetermCVisthenormalonetouseinBritain,IrelandandNewZealand,whilerésuméisnormalintheUSorCanada.InAustralia,Indiaandothercountriesthetermsareusedinterchangeably.However,arésumémaybeorganizedmorefreelythanaCVbecauseofconventionalandculturalexpectationsindifferentcontexts.Arésumé(egintheUS)oftenbeginswithastatementaboutthewriter’spersonalemploymentgoal,followedbyalistofpersonalaccomplishments(theseareselectivelywrittenfortheparticularjobandsomayomitsomebackgroundinformation,leavinggapsinthechronology).ACV(eginBritain),incontrast,hasamorestandardizedformatwithamorecompleteeducationalandworkhistory(thereshouldnotbeanygapsinthechronology).ACV(orrésumé)mayalsovaryfromoneprofessiontoanother:Anartist’sormusician’sCVmayincludelonglistsofartexhibitionsandpublicperformances,whileascholar’swillhavelistsofarticlesandbookspublishedandresearchfundingreceived.Withthesedifferencesofemphasisinmind,itisnotdifficulttoadaptthebasicinformationtodifferentformats.WhatisthepurposeofaCV?Theusualwaytogetaprofessionalpostorajobinalargercompanyororganizationistogothroughanapplicationprocedure.ThisnormallyinvolvesrespondingtoanadvertbycompletinganapplicationformandsendinginaCVandacoveringletter.Thenthereisaninterviewofshort-listedcandidatesandtheofferofanappointment.Sometimesthereisalonglistforafirstinterview,fromwhichashortlistismadeforafinalinterviewfromwhichajobofferismade.ThisprocessmeansthatthepurposeoftheCVandcoveringletteristobeamarketingtooltoopenthedoorforaninterview.Afterthat,gettingthejobdependsontheinterviewperformance.Inthissystem,itisnotnecessarilythecasethatthebest2personforajobisappointed.Morelikelythepeoplewiththebestorrather,themostappropriateCVsandcoveringlettersareaskedtoattendaninterview;thenthepersonwhoperformsbestintheinterviewisofferedthejob.StudentsornewgraduatessometimessendtheirCVs–unasked–directtoemployers(ienotinresponsetoanadvertisedvacancy).Thisoftenmeanssendingoutlargenumbersofidenticaldocumentsinthehopeofgettingaresponse.However,thiscanhaveanegativeeffect:Theemployermaynotevenreadsuchunsoliciteddocumentsbecausetheymaynotbelookingfornewemployeesandthedocumentsarenottailoredtoanyparticularjob.Unlessthewritercanimmediatelyestablishaconnectionwiththeemployerinaletter,thiskindof“shotgun”approachisprobablyawasteoftime.WhyareCVsimportant?WritingaCVisimportantindevelopingEnglishskillsforprofessionalwriting:Thereareaspectsofemployment,reflection,languageandcommunicationskills.•CVsarerelatedtofindingajob,gettingpromotionanddevelopingafuturecareer.WhilemanystudentsmaythinkaboutdevelopingtheirCVdocumentsinChinese,theabilitytowriteaCVinEnglish–andtointerpretotherpeople’sCVswritteninEnglish–canbeausefulskillbothinChinaandinternationally.•ThinkingaboutaCVhelpsstudents(andexperiencedprofessionals)toreflectontheirskillsandabilities,onwhattheycandonowandonhowtheymaydevelopinthefuture.•ThetypicallanguageusedinCVsisusefulemployment-basedlanguageand,becauseaCVisbasicallyamarketingtool,thinkingthroughthepurposeofaparticularCVandaparticularaudienceisanimportantaspectofcommunicationinbusinessandelsewhere.StudentsmaythinkthatatthisstageoftheircollegestudyitistoosoontothinkaboutCVs.However,iftheyconsidertheabovereasonsandiftheyrealizethataCVisoftenneededforwork-placementpositionsorinternships,theywillunderstandthatthesoonertheygiveseriousthoughttothis,thebetter.HowareCVsread?AlargecompanyororganizationwillreceivehundredsofjobapplicationsandthepersonsiftingthroughtheCVshasmanyotherthingstodo.Crucially,thismeansthatthedocumentsareoftenreadveryquickly(perhapsinafewseconds).Thereaderknowsthejobrequirementsandnecessaryqualifications,soCVsandcoveringlettersaresortedoutrapidly.•Thosethatdonotshowthatthecandidatesmeetthebasicrequirementsforthejobwillberejectedimmediately(theadvertandjobdetailsspecifytheminimumrequirements,sopeoplewithoutthesearewastingtheirtimeapplying).3•Anydocumentsthatlookdifficulttoread,arebadlypresentedorhaveobviouserrorswillberejected(manyjobsneedgoodcommunication).•Anydocumentsthatstandoutvisuallyorhavecontentwhichisimmediatelyinterestingwillbekeptforconsideration