Our opinion about last film watched in class : Big Hero 6
(By Eva Cruz & Sara Hernando)
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
The theory of everything
The sentence I most liked from the film was this one:
"I'm trying to work out the mathematical probability of happiness"
"I'm trying to work out the mathematical probability of happiness"
Monday, 23 February 2015
ANSWERS FOR THE JOB INTERVIEW
Good morning, so tell me your name (.....) . Have you got your CV? (...) Thank you. Ok, very well. Tor start with:
"Tell me about yourself"
Well, I love going to the country side, swimming and playing chest; those things help me feel more relaxed . I also work as a volunteer in my free time at Profesores Sin Fronteras NGO. In addition to those interests and passions, my professional life is a huge part of who I am.
"What is your greatest strength? "
I think I'm a hard-working person, responsible and that takes its work really serious. Also, my work as a private teacher can give me extra point when dealing with children in need or difficult situations.
"How do you handle failure? How do you handle stress and pressure?"
"Tell me about yourself"
Well, I love going to the country side, swimming and playing chest; those things help me feel more relaxed . I also work as a volunteer in my free time at Profesores Sin Fronteras NGO. In addition to those interests and passions, my professional life is a huge part of who I am.
"What is your greatest strength? "
I think I'm a hard-working person, responsible and that takes its work really serious. Also, my work as a private teacher can give me extra point when dealing with children in need or difficult situations.
"How do you handle failure? How do you handle stress and pressure?"
I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful. I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment.
Would you rather be liked or respected?
On the job, I thing it should be a mixture of them. I find that children are happier to go to class if they see their teacher as a confident, as a person who are there for them so a teacher should be liked by his/her children. On the other hand there should be some respect as the figure of the teacher should not be taken as a friend, but as a mentor
"Describe your work style"
I consider myself as a competitive person, so everthing I do has to be perfect, that's why I try my best to achieve what is demanded from me .
"How are you different from the competition?"
I can offer creativity, hard work, perseverance, implication with the job and responsibility. I'm very good at languages, I'm very responsable and I always try to do the right thing.
"What strength will help you the most to succeed?"
I would say that the answer is perseverance. Everything can be achieved with perseverance, hard work and really interest in what you are doing.
"What did you like or dislike about your previous job? "
Before applying for this job I worked in an enterprise, in an office. I really liked the work environment there, everybody was concentrated doing their jobs so it made me be more focused in my labour . On the other hand, what I had to do was very monotonous, so I would like more creativity in my life.
"Describe your ideal boss"
I consider that an ideal boss should be responsible, perseverant, a person who makes you feel confident, who estimulates you; a person who could keep his/her problems away from you, a person able to deal with difficult situations or stress with cool head, and also someone that is kind to its subordinates.
"Why were you fired?"
I were fired because the enterprise was having economic problems, so they needed to make cuts. I was just a prospect, so I was prescindible then, which doesn't mean that I am not good in my job.
"What will you do if you don't get this position?"
Actually I really wanted to work here so if I don't get this position I would be very disappointed, but there's a lucky factor here , so I think I would try my best again for the next interview.
Thank you, that's all. We'll call you back when we make our choice
Thank you, that's all. We'll call you back when we make our choice
Monday, 16 February 2015
Interview Questions and Answers
- Tell me about yourself.
Try starting out by sharing some personal interests which don't relate directly to your work. Be ready to share three or four of the personal qualities, skills and/or areas of expertise which would help you to excel in the job for which you are interviewing. Ultimately, you will want to share several other strengths before the interview is over.
- What is your greatest strength?
The best way to respond is to describe the skills and experience that directly correlate with the job you are applying for. Be prepared to answer by making a list of the qualifications mentioned in the job posting. Then, make a list of your skills that match those listed.
- How do you handle failure? How do you handle stress and pressure?
The best approach to this kind of question is to identify some scenarios when you came up short on the job in advance of your interview. Choose situations where you took responsibility for your failure, learned from it and took steps to avoid recurrences of similar failures. Some examples:
-I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful.
-I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment.
- Describe your work style
When you are asked about how you work during an interview, it's important to impress the interviewer with your comptentency and accuracy, rather than just your speed.
- How are you different from the competition?
It's important to be able to share information on why you're the person who should be hired during job interviews.Make a list of the top five qualifications for the ideal candidate. Review that list and try to think of how you have applied those skills, qualities or areas of knowledge to make a strong contribution in your paid employment, internships, volunteer work, academics or activities.
- What is the biggest criticism you received from your boss?
Pick a performance area that is not central to the job you're applying for. If possible, pick an issue that you have addressed and improved upon.
- What strength will help you the most to succeed?
The best way to prepare to respond is to start with a careful examination of the key qualifications that your employer is seeking. Look for an essential qualification that corresponds well with one of your most prominent assets.
- What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
When you're asked what didn't like about your previous job, don't be too negative. The reason is that you don't want the interviewer to think that you'll speak negatively about the new job or the company when you're ready to move on, if you get this job.
- Describe your ideal boss
When the interviewer asks about what your ideal boss is like, it could be asked as a reflection upon your past supervisors (who was your best or worst boss) or in terms of your future preferences.
- Why were you fired?
Practice in advance what you'll say. Then keep it brief, keep it honest and keep it moving.That way, you'll get past the sticky issue of getting fired and can move on to your skills and why you're qualified for the job.
- Why should we hire you instead of the other applicants for the job?Why are you the best person for the job?
“What makes you the best fit for this position?” Your answer to this question should be a concise “sales pitch” that explains what you have to offer the employer.The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job.
- What will you do if you don't get this position?
The interviewer wants to know whether you are concerned about just the advancement opportunity or the company.
Try starting out by sharing some personal interests which don't relate directly to your work. Be ready to share three or four of the personal qualities, skills and/or areas of expertise which would help you to excel in the job for which you are interviewing. Ultimately, you will want to share several other strengths before the interview is over.
- What is your greatest strength?
The best way to respond is to describe the skills and experience that directly correlate with the job you are applying for. Be prepared to answer by making a list of the qualifications mentioned in the job posting. Then, make a list of your skills that match those listed.
- How do you handle failure? How do you handle stress and pressure?
The best approach to this kind of question is to identify some scenarios when you came up short on the job in advance of your interview. Choose situations where you took responsibility for your failure, learned from it and took steps to avoid recurrences of similar failures. Some examples:
-I react to situations, rather than to stress. That way, the situation is handled and doesn't become stressful.
-I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment.
- Describe your work style
When you are asked about how you work during an interview, it's important to impress the interviewer with your comptentency and accuracy, rather than just your speed.
- How are you different from the competition?
It's important to be able to share information on why you're the person who should be hired during job interviews.Make a list of the top five qualifications for the ideal candidate. Review that list and try to think of how you have applied those skills, qualities or areas of knowledge to make a strong contribution in your paid employment, internships, volunteer work, academics or activities.
- What is the biggest criticism you received from your boss?
Pick a performance area that is not central to the job you're applying for. If possible, pick an issue that you have addressed and improved upon.
- What strength will help you the most to succeed?
The best way to prepare to respond is to start with a careful examination of the key qualifications that your employer is seeking. Look for an essential qualification that corresponds well with one of your most prominent assets.
- What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
When you're asked what didn't like about your previous job, don't be too negative. The reason is that you don't want the interviewer to think that you'll speak negatively about the new job or the company when you're ready to move on, if you get this job.
- Describe your ideal boss
When the interviewer asks about what your ideal boss is like, it could be asked as a reflection upon your past supervisors (who was your best or worst boss) or in terms of your future preferences.
- Why were you fired?
Practice in advance what you'll say. Then keep it brief, keep it honest and keep it moving.That way, you'll get past the sticky issue of getting fired and can move on to your skills and why you're qualified for the job.
- Why should we hire you instead of the other applicants for the job?Why are you the best person for the job?
“What makes you the best fit for this position?” Your answer to this question should be a concise “sales pitch” that explains what you have to offer the employer.The best way to respond is to give concrete examples of why your skills and accomplishments make you the best candidate for the job.
- What will you do if you don't get this position?
The interviewer wants to know whether you are concerned about just the advancement opportunity or the company.
Friday, 30 January 2015
Multitasking
- Why aren't we capable of keeping doing just one thing?
- Is multitasking good for our brain? Give me at least two reasons
- Why is e-mail related to multitasking?
- Why is checking e-mail most of the time bad for us?
- What makes our brain "feel" exhausted?
- How much time shall we focus on a task and how much should we break?
- How can switching off mobile notifications help you?
- Is listening to music considered as multitasking? Why?
- How many methods do they describe to stop multitasking?
Monday, 26 January 2015
transcription
Transcription of ‘The Job Interview’
Peter: Alan this is Jack Campbell, the one i was telling you about
Alan: Oh, of course Jack, Hi
Jack: Mr Vance
Alan: Oh, Just call me Alan we like to cultivate a very casual atmosphere around here
Jack: I can see that Alan
A: Yes what can I tell you, do you have kids?
J: Actually, Yes. Two of them, good ones
A: Great, great. Why don’t you have a seat? Peter mentioned to me that you’re an avid CNBC watcher but he didn’t say whether you had some actual Wall Street Experience
J: Erm. I was a sales associate at EFOA: A broker, really? And now you’re in the tyre business
J: That’s right. And auto supply
A: In the retail end I understand
J: We get about 60% of our business from automotive service
A: And do you mind me asking what kind of sales you did in the last year, just erm, ballpark
J: We did 1.7 total revenue
A: One point seven...that’s great, and what do you project for this year?
J: I think we’re gonna have a better year, sales are up almost twenty per cent in the first quarter, and we just landed a major trucking company account
A: Oh you did? That’s terrific so that puts you just a tad over two million?
J: That’s right, and that would make us number one in our market. Excuse me, I’m gonna get a glass of water ... Look, I know our paltry little 2 million on sales is about what you spend in a year on office supplies, and some regional trucking company is nothing compared to a multibillion dollar merger
A: No no no, I’m not trying to mock the tyre business
J: It’s okay Alan, I get it. I’m in your shoes I’m thinking exactly the same thing but here’s the deal, business is business; Wall Street, Main Street it’s all just a bunch of people getting up in the morning trying to figure out how they’re gonna send their kids to college, it’s just people. And I know people
A: Oh, I’m sure you do
J: Take you for instance, Alan. You have certain energy about you, it’s an active kind of energy. I wouldn’t be surprised if you drank about sixteen diet cokes a day. You’re an excellent father, but you feel guilty about the time you spend away from home. You drink Bourbon, but you offer your clients scotch, and your wife decorated this office.
Peter: Haha, certainly seems to have your number
J: You’re a little tougher Peter. For one thing, you like expensive things
Peter: That’s easy, you’ve seen my car
J: You smoke Hoyo de Monterrey’s. You’re a scotch man, single malt. Not because its trendy but because you’ve been doing it the last four years and you like to stay with what works. You have two great loves in your life; your horses and this company. And you’re a man who prides himself in finding talent in unusual places
Peter: How would you know that?
J: Because I’m here, and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to get this job. I’ll start wherever I have to start, I’ll park cars if I have to, the biggest part of judging character is knowing yourself and I know this: I can do this Job, I can. Give me a chance Peter, I won’t let you down
Monday, 19 January 2015
MY OWN CV (REAL ONE)
SARA HERNANDO
PROFILE:
Young candidate studying Social Science Bachelor. Resourceful and knowledgeable about English and Spanish culture. Excelent common sense and responsability. Able to speak fluent English and basic French. Hard working individual and good worker in a team.
EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS:
2000 - 2013 Primary and Secondary school at Santo Angel de la Guarda
2013 - 1015 Bachelor of Social Science at IES Las Musas
2014 First Certificate of English (B2 level)
2014-2015 Third year studying French at the School of Languages (B1 level)
SKILLS:
- Fluent English, basic French
- Able to give and take instructions and maintain active listening during times of pressure
- Competent user of PowerPoint, Word, Outlook and Excel applications.
- Working with large quantity of children give me experience:
. Dealing with difficult behaviours; dealing with a wide range of people in sometimes
stressful situations
. Training/mentoring; I was given increasing levels of responsibility
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Second place in a literary competition in my city written in my mother tongue, 2012
RELATED EXPERIENCE:
2012 SUMMER : Summer in an international camp which gave me experience talking with other people in English exclusively
2013 SUMMER : Lived in France for two months .
2014 SUMMER: Working as volunteer on a summer camp in England , Porstmouth, which gave me experience dealing with difficult situations not in my mother tongue.
2014-2015: Working as teacher giving particular classes of French and English .
HONORS and ACTIVITIES:
- England : summer spent there twice
- France: lived for two months
- Winner of the second prize in Madrid Literary Competition
PROFILE:
Young candidate studying Social Science Bachelor. Resourceful and knowledgeable about English and Spanish culture. Excelent common sense and responsability. Able to speak fluent English and basic French. Hard working individual and good worker in a team.
EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS:
2000 - 2013 Primary and Secondary school at Santo Angel de la Guarda
2013 - 1015 Bachelor of Social Science at IES Las Musas
2014 First Certificate of English (B2 level)
2014-2015 Third year studying French at the School of Languages (B1 level)
SKILLS:
- Fluent English, basic French
- Able to give and take instructions and maintain active listening during times of pressure
- Competent user of PowerPoint, Word, Outlook and Excel applications.
- Working with large quantity of children give me experience:
. Dealing with difficult behaviours; dealing with a wide range of people in sometimes
stressful situations
. Training/mentoring; I was given increasing levels of responsibility
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Second place in a literary competition in my city written in my mother tongue, 2012
RELATED EXPERIENCE:
2012 SUMMER : Summer in an international camp which gave me experience talking with other people in English exclusively
2013 SUMMER : Lived in France for two months .
2014 SUMMER: Working as volunteer on a summer camp in England , Porstmouth, which gave me experience dealing with difficult situations not in my mother tongue.
2014-2015: Working as teacher giving particular classes of French and English .
HONORS and ACTIVITIES:
- England : summer spent there twice
- France: lived for two months
- Winner of the second prize in Madrid Literary Competition
MY OWN COVER LETTER
Flat 11C,
39 October Lane,
Madrid - Spain
Sara Hernando
M.A MartÃnez
Headteacher,
Brains Secondary School,
Thistle Avenue,
Madrid,
19 January 2015
Dear Ms MartÃnez,
I am writing to apply for the position of English Teacher, as advertised on the website.
During and since completing my career in Translation Studies I have been working as a prospect in a French company to gain experience developping my ability to work fluently in different languages. This experience has been invaluable in putting into practice some of the theory I learned in my degree.
I have also been working as au pair and english and french teacher, which gave me expirence working with children. In particular I have learned how to respond to a range of children's needs and to understand that their behaviour is not always a rational response to their circumstances.
I have also done the Pedagogic Adaptation Master, so that I could work as a teacher after finishing my degree in Translation.
I would very much welcome the opportunity of an interview to explain how I can
combine my enthusiasm for learning, and languages for the benefit of children.
Please find my CV attached.
Yours sincerely,
Sara Hernando
39 October Lane,
Madrid - Spain
Sara Hernando
M.A MartÃnez
Headteacher,
Brains Secondary School,
Thistle Avenue,
Madrid,
19 January 2015
Dear Ms MartÃnez,
I am writing to apply for the position of English Teacher, as advertised on the website.
During and since completing my career in Translation Studies I have been working as a prospect in a French company to gain experience developping my ability to work fluently in different languages. This experience has been invaluable in putting into practice some of the theory I learned in my degree.
I have also been working as au pair and english and french teacher, which gave me expirence working with children. In particular I have learned how to respond to a range of children's needs and to understand that their behaviour is not always a rational response to their circumstances.
I have also done the Pedagogic Adaptation Master, so that I could work as a teacher after finishing my degree in Translation.
I would very much welcome the opportunity of an interview to explain how I can
combine my enthusiasm for learning, and languages for the benefit of children.
Please find my CV attached.
Yours sincerely,
Sara Hernando
Friday, 16 January 2015
How to make a successful cover letter
Equally as important as CVs, cover letters give you the chance to stand out from the crowd. To impress employers, keep letters brief, relevant and positive
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter accompanies a CV (and/or completed application form). It's an opportunity to highlight what's in your CV and to provide real examples to support your ability to do the job. Some recruiters place more emphasis on the cover letter than the CV so it pays to take care with it.
What should I write in a cover letter?
Unless you are asked to apply by letter of application only, a cover letter should be brief and drive home the key aspects of why you are a good candidate. It should summarise what's in your CV, by emphasising your key strengths in relation to the job.
A cover letter should include a heading to make it clear which job you're applying for and, following the introductory paragraph, it can take the form of bullet points or short statements. It should also include your own name, address and contact details.
How do I start and end a cover letter?
Make it clear which job you're referring to by using a heading and an opening line such as, 'In response to your advertisement on the Prospects website for the role of..., I write to enclose my CV'.
If you're given a named person you should address the letter to that person and begin the letter, Dear Ms Jones, and end with Yours sincerely, Justin Smith.
If you don't know the name of the person, but have a job title, such as the HR manager, you should address the letter to the HR manager, and include Dear Sir or Madam, and end with Yours faithfully, Justin Smith.
A cover letter should always end positively and look ahead to the next stage, for example, 'I would be happy to provide further information at interview' or 'I look forward to hearing from you'.
How do I write a cover letter for a job that's not advertised?
This kind of letter is sometimes referred to as a 'speculative letter'. This means that you're writing to find out if there are likely to be any vacancies in the future. Your speculative letter should be welcoming and enthusiastic.
It's more difficult to write a speculative letter because you're not responding to a specific vacancy but, with some research about the company, you can find out about previous job advertisements and angle your letter accordingly.
If you've undertaken work experience at the company, you can draw on your knowledge of that.
Should I disclose my disability?
You're not legally required to do so but you shouldn't lie and say you don't have a disability if you do, as this would amount to giving false information and could result in you losing a job offer. If you decide to disclose a disability, you need only share information as far as it relates to the performance of the job.
If you need adjustments to be made to help you carry out your job, your employer may receive extra funding to make reasonable adjustments to the job role or the work environment.
The cover letter is an opportunity to explain your abilities and emphasise your job-relevant skills, experience and knowledge. Some applicants find that their disability has given them opportunities to learn additional skills or insights.
If you choose not to disclose a disability at the application stage, you may do so at a later stage.
Monday, 12 January 2015
MY OWN CV (FICTITIOUS)
SARA HERNANDO
PROFILE:
Young candidate seeking career on Translation Studies. Resourceful and knowledgeable about English and Spanish culture. Interniationally traveled . Excelent common sense and responsability. Able to speak fluent English, Spanish and French, and to converse in Italian. Hard working individual and good worker in a team.
EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS:
1997 - 2010 Primary and Secondary school at Santo Angel de la Guarda
2009 - 1012 Bachelor of Social Science at IES Las Musas
2008 First Certificate of English
2010 Certificate of Advanced English
2012 Certificate of Proficiency English - Complete studies in French at the School of Languages
2014 Third year studying Italian at th School of Languages
2015 Third year studying Translation and Interpretation at Universidad Complutense de Madrid
SKILLS:
- English, French and Spanish Proficient.
- Able to give and take instructions and maintain active listening during times of pressure
- Competent user of PowerPoint, Word, Outlook and Excel applications.
- Working with large quantity of children give me experience:
. Dealing with difficult behaviours; dealing with a wide range of people in sometimes
stressful situations
. Training/mentoring; I was given increasing levels of responsibility
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Participation in the school magazine with articles related with the learning of languages
- Second place in a literary competition in my city not written in my mother tongue, 2010
RELATED EXPERIENCE:
2012 SUMMER : Two months working in a summer camp in Canada, which gave me experience working with children in English and French exclusively
2012-2013: Working as teacher giving particular classes of Fench and English to 6 different children.
2013 SUMMER : Lived in France during three months working in an enterprise as an intern, while I was living with a family as part as a exchange.
2014 : Working as au-pair in Ireland taking care of three children. This gave me experience as I had to get on in English.
2014 SUMMER: Taked in my house the French girl of the previous year exchange
HONORS and ACTIVITIES:
- Ireland: lived with an Irish family for one year
- France: lived with a French family for three months
- Extensive travelling around Europe
- Winner of the second prize in Madrid Non-Spanish Literary Competition
PROFILE:
Young candidate seeking career on Translation Studies. Resourceful and knowledgeable about English and Spanish culture. Interniationally traveled . Excelent common sense and responsability. Able to speak fluent English, Spanish and French, and to converse in Italian. Hard working individual and good worker in a team.
EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS:
1997 - 2010 Primary and Secondary school at Santo Angel de la Guarda
2009 - 1012 Bachelor of Social Science at IES Las Musas
2008 First Certificate of English
2010 Certificate of Advanced English
2012 Certificate of Proficiency English - Complete studies in French at the School of Languages
2014 Third year studying Italian at th School of Languages
2015 Third year studying Translation and Interpretation at Universidad Complutense de Madrid
SKILLS:
- English, French and Spanish Proficient.
- Able to give and take instructions and maintain active listening during times of pressure
- Competent user of PowerPoint, Word, Outlook and Excel applications.
- Working with large quantity of children give me experience:
. Dealing with difficult behaviours; dealing with a wide range of people in sometimes
stressful situations
. Training/mentoring; I was given increasing levels of responsibility
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Participation in the school magazine with articles related with the learning of languages
- Second place in a literary competition in my city not written in my mother tongue, 2010
RELATED EXPERIENCE:
2012 SUMMER : Two months working in a summer camp in Canada, which gave me experience working with children in English and French exclusively
2012-2013: Working as teacher giving particular classes of Fench and English to 6 different children.
2013 SUMMER : Lived in France during three months working in an enterprise as an intern, while I was living with a family as part as a exchange.
2014 : Working as au-pair in Ireland taking care of three children. This gave me experience as I had to get on in English.
2014 SUMMER: Taked in my house the French girl of the previous year exchange
HONORS and ACTIVITIES:
- Ireland: lived with an Irish family for one year
- France: lived with a French family for three months
- Extensive travelling around Europe
- Winner of the second prize in Madrid Non-Spanish Literary Competition
Friday, 9 January 2015
How to make a successful CV
Personal details
Normally these would be your name, address, date of birth (although with age discrimination laws now in force this isn't essential), telephone number and email.
British CVs don't usually include a photograph unless you are an actor. In European countries such as France, Belgium and Germany it’s common for CVs to include a a passport-sized photograph in the top right-hand corner whereas in the UK and the USA photographs are frowned upon as this may contravene equal opportunity legislation - a photograph makes it easier to reject a candidate on grounds of ethnicity, sex or age. If you do include a photograph it should be a head and shoulders shot, you should be dressed suitably and smiling: it's not for a passport!
Education and qualifications
Your degree subject and university, plus A levels and GCSEs or equivalents. Mention grades unless poor!
Work experience
Use action words such as developed, planned and organised.
Even work in a shop, bar or restaurant will involve working in a team, providing a quality service to customers, and dealing tactfully with complaints. Don't mention the routine, non-people tasks (cleaning the tables) unless you are applying for a casual summer job in a restaurant or similar.
Try to relate the skills to the job. A finance job will involve numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills so focus on these whereas for a marketing role you would place a bit more more emphasis on persuading and negotiating skills.
All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-based culture. This involved planning, organisation, coordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales targets were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective communication amongst all staff members.
Interests and achievements
- Keep this section short and to the point. As you grow older, your employment record will take precedence and interests will typically diminish greatly in length and importance.
- Bullets can be used to separate interests into different types: sporting, creative etc.
- Don't use the old boring cliches here: "socialising with friends".
- Don't put many passive, solitary hobbies (reading, watching TV, stamp collecting) or you may be perceived as lacking people skills. If you do put these, then say what you read or watch: "I particularly enjoy Dickens, for the vivid insights you get into life in Victorian times".
- Show a range of interests to avoid coming across as narrow : if everything centres around sport they may wonder if you could hold a conversation with a client who wasn't interested in sport.
- Hobbies that are a little out of the ordinary can help you to stand out from the crowd: skydiving or mountaineering can show a sense of wanting to stretch yourself and an ability to rely on yourself in demanding situations
Any interests relevant to the job are worth mentioning: current affairs if you wish to be a journalist; a fantasy share portfolio such as Bullbearings if you want to work in finance.
- Any evidence of leadership is important to mention: captain or coach of a sports team, course representative, chair of a student society, scout leader: "As captain of the school cricket team, I had to set a positive example, motivate and coach players and think on my feet when making bowling and field position changes, often in tense situations"
- Anything showing evidence of employability skills such as team working, organising, planning, persuading, negotiating etc.
Skills
- The usual ones to mention are languages (good conversational French, basic Spanish), computing (e.g. "good working knowledge of MS Access and Excel, plus basic web page design skills" and driving ("full current clean driving licence").
- If you are a mature candidate or have lots of relevant skills to offer, a skills-based CV may work for you
References
- Many employers don’t check references at the application stage so unless the vacancy specifically requests referees it's fine to omit this section completely if you are running short of space or to say "References are available on request."
- Normally two referees are sufficient: one academic (perhaps your tutor or a project supervisor) and one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or summer job).
The order and the emphasis will depend on what you are applying for and what you have to offer. For example, the example media CV lists the candidate's relevant work experience first.
How long should a CV be?
There are no absolute rules but, in general, a new graduate's CV should cover no more than two sides of A4 paper. In a survey of American employers 35% preferred a one page CV and 19% a two page CV with the others saying it depends upon the position. CVs in the US tend to be shorter than in the UK wher the 2 page CV still dominates for graduates but I do see a trend now towards one page CVs: as employers are getting more and more CVs they tend not to have the time to read long documents!
If you can summarise your career history comfortably on a single side, this is fine and has advantages when you are making speculative applications and need to put yourself across concisely. However, you should not leave out important items, or crowd your text too closely together in order to fit it onto that single side. Academic and technical CVs may be much longer: up to 4 or 5 sides.
Normally these would be your name, address, date of birth (although with age discrimination laws now in force this isn't essential), telephone number and email.
British CVs don't usually include a photograph unless you are an actor. In European countries such as France, Belgium and Germany it’s common for CVs to include a a passport-sized photograph in the top right-hand corner whereas in the UK and the USA photographs are frowned upon as this may contravene equal opportunity legislation - a photograph makes it easier to reject a candidate on grounds of ethnicity, sex or age. If you do include a photograph it should be a head and shoulders shot, you should be dressed suitably and smiling: it's not for a passport!
Education and qualifications
Your degree subject and university, plus A levels and GCSEs or equivalents. Mention grades unless poor!
Work experience
Use action words such as developed, planned and organised.
Even work in a shop, bar or restaurant will involve working in a team, providing a quality service to customers, and dealing tactfully with complaints. Don't mention the routine, non-people tasks (cleaning the tables) unless you are applying for a casual summer job in a restaurant or similar.
Try to relate the skills to the job. A finance job will involve numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills so focus on these whereas for a marketing role you would place a bit more more emphasis on persuading and negotiating skills.
All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-based culture. This involved planning, organisation, coordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales targets were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective communication amongst all staff members.
Interests and achievements
- Keep this section short and to the point. As you grow older, your employment record will take precedence and interests will typically diminish greatly in length and importance.
- Bullets can be used to separate interests into different types: sporting, creative etc.
- Don't use the old boring cliches here: "socialising with friends".
- Don't put many passive, solitary hobbies (reading, watching TV, stamp collecting) or you may be perceived as lacking people skills. If you do put these, then say what you read or watch: "I particularly enjoy Dickens, for the vivid insights you get into life in Victorian times".
- Show a range of interests to avoid coming across as narrow : if everything centres around sport they may wonder if you could hold a conversation with a client who wasn't interested in sport.
- Hobbies that are a little out of the ordinary can help you to stand out from the crowd: skydiving or mountaineering can show a sense of wanting to stretch yourself and an ability to rely on yourself in demanding situations
Any interests relevant to the job are worth mentioning: current affairs if you wish to be a journalist; a fantasy share portfolio such as Bullbearings if you want to work in finance.
- Any evidence of leadership is important to mention: captain or coach of a sports team, course representative, chair of a student society, scout leader: "As captain of the school cricket team, I had to set a positive example, motivate and coach players and think on my feet when making bowling and field position changes, often in tense situations"
- Anything showing evidence of employability skills such as team working, organising, planning, persuading, negotiating etc.
Skills
- The usual ones to mention are languages (good conversational French, basic Spanish), computing (e.g. "good working knowledge of MS Access and Excel, plus basic web page design skills" and driving ("full current clean driving licence").
- If you are a mature candidate or have lots of relevant skills to offer, a skills-based CV may work for you
References
- Many employers don’t check references at the application stage so unless the vacancy specifically requests referees it's fine to omit this section completely if you are running short of space or to say "References are available on request."
- Normally two referees are sufficient: one academic (perhaps your tutor or a project supervisor) and one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or summer job).
The order and the emphasis will depend on what you are applying for and what you have to offer. For example, the example media CV lists the candidate's relevant work experience first.
How long should a CV be?
There are no absolute rules but, in general, a new graduate's CV should cover no more than two sides of A4 paper. In a survey of American employers 35% preferred a one page CV and 19% a two page CV with the others saying it depends upon the position. CVs in the US tend to be shorter than in the UK wher the 2 page CV still dominates for graduates but I do see a trend now towards one page CVs: as employers are getting more and more CVs they tend not to have the time to read long documents!
If you can summarise your career history comfortably on a single side, this is fine and has advantages when you are making speculative applications and need to put yourself across concisely. However, you should not leave out important items, or crowd your text too closely together in order to fit it onto that single side. Academic and technical CVs may be much longer: up to 4 or 5 sides.
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