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! Warm Up Work with a partner.

The article below gives advice on improving a CV. What advice do you think the article mentions?

" Reading Read the text. Does the text mention the ideas you discussed with your partner?

If you are looking to get the perfect job, the first

thing to get right is the Curriculum Vitae.
However, this is not as easy as it sounds. With
many people applying for the same position,
how can you be sure to make your CV stand
out? We spoke to one Human Resources
manager to get some tips on improving your
application.

1) Tailor your CV to the job you are applying for. It is amazing that so many applicants do
not take the time to adjust their CV to suit the position. If, for example, you are applying
for a marketing position, the recruiter will probably be put off by large amounts of
technical information.

2) Make sure your contact information is clearly presented and accurate. Think about
your email address. Does it sound professional?

3) Demonstrate that you are suitable for the job. Even if you do not have direct
experience, show that you have transferable skills.

4) Make sure that there are no gaps in the chronology of your CV. Employers are
suspicious of 'missing years'.

5) Try not to overload your potential employer with irrelevant information. A CV should be
one or two pages at most, and the text should be a legible size.

6) Avoid clichés. How many other applicants have written that they work well both
individually and as part of a team? Do you really need to tell everyone that you are a
people person?

7) Double check your spelling and grammar. Use your computer's spellcheck, but do
not rely on it to find all the mistakes. Ask a friend or family member to look over the CV
and give constructive criticism.

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# Vocabulary Choose the best explanation for each word or phrase in bold.

1) If you tailor your CV, you change it to suit the job.

you make changes to hide your weaknesses.
you emphasise your strengths.

2) If a CV puts you off an applicant, you delay deciding whether to accept the applicant.
the resume is too complicated for you to understand.
you don't want to take the applicant because of the CV.

3) Transferable skills can be used in more than one job.

mean you are willing change where you work.
mean that you want to learn new skills.

4) If there are gaps in your CV's chronology, you worked in a clothing store.
a period of time is missing from your CV.
there is too much 'whitespace' in your CV.

5) If a CV is legible, the grammar and spelling are good.

the design of the CV is good.
you can clearly read the text.

$ Analysing a CV

Imagine that you and your partner work for an agency that helps people find jobs.

Read through the CV. What are the good and bad points about the CV? How could the applicant improve the CV?

Make notes below.

Curriculum Vitae Analysis

Good Points

Bad Points

Suggestions for Improving the CV

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Target Structure: Reading and Discussion

Vocabulary: Business
Level: Upper-Intermediate and above
Time: 1 hour, depending on discussion
Preparation: None

Suggested Teaching Method

Many recruiters will receive hundreds of CVs for just one or two jobs. How can an applicant make his or
her CV stand out from the crowd?

This worksheet looks at advice for improving CVs. The layout of CVs and the information contained
within will vary from country to country. However, these differences will make a good basis for
discussion. An example CV is included with the lesson for your students to analyse. Note that it has
deliberate spelling / grammar mistakes!

! Explain the title, or elicit the meaning. Students can work with a partner, discussing the opening question. After a
few minutes, you could write some suggestions on the board.

" Explain the reading talk. Students should read through the text at a brisk pace.

# Students can work in pairs. Go through the answers with the group.

$ Assign new pairs or groups of three. Explain that their job is to give advice on improving a CV.
Give out one CV to each student. They should read it first. Pre-teach vocabulary as necessary. It is not necessary
to understand the meaning of the computer acronyms.

Students should make notes as they discuss. When finished, elicit feedback from the group.

Additional Activity

If you have time, you may like to conduct a class discussion on CVs and the job application process. Some
possible questions include:

Do most companies request a CV from job applicants?

Is a CV in your country similar in style to the one you have analysed?
Do you think it is necessary to add a photograph to a CV?
Do applicants need to write their date of birth on a CV or application form?
Do you think most people are honest on their CV?
What would you write in the 'skills' or 'interests' section of a CV?

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Answer Key (Other answers are possible for some exercises.)

# 1) If you tailor your CV, you change it to suit the job.

2) If a resume puts you off an applicant, you don't want to take the applicant because of the resume.
3) Transferable skills can be used in more than one job.
4) If there are gaps in your CV's chronology, a period of time is missing from your CV.
5) If a CV is legible, you can clearly read the text.

$ Good Points

The design is good.

It is legible.
It's easy to understand - the headings are clear.
He mentions transferable skills.
He has detail on his TEFL certificate.

Bad Points

The email address is unprofessional.

Peter is wearing a t-shirt in the photograph. Is that appropriate?
There are spelling / grammar mistakes. (individuly / it's website / socalise)
There is a chronological gap between the end of university and his first job.
There is too much computer-related information, much of it meaningless to ordinary people.
The teaching skills are listed below the computer skills.
The interests are weak. It is assumed that people read books, and socialise with friends.

Suggestions for Improvement

Reduce the emphasis on computers.

Highlight the TEFL certificate more.
Fix the spelling and grammar.
Rethink the interests section.

How are we doing?

Have you taught this lesson? We'd be very pleased to hear your comments.

Send your feedback to editor@handoutsonline.com.

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Updated 9/15/2013

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 Peter Williams
127 Angel Steet, Bristol, BS11 4HC
Phone: 0177 496 8755 ! Mobile: 07700 9739288 ! E-Mail: crazytimes2002@xbemail.com

Objective

After eight years in the computer industry, I am looking for a change in

career. I have chosen teaching because I have experience of training
and I enjoy both being in a team and working individuly. I believe I have
the character and skills to become a fantastic English teacher!

Experience

Web Developer, Manu-Tech December 2008 - Present

I am the lead programmer for the Manu-Tech. I am mainly responsible for updating it's website. I lead a
team of four. I use PHP, SQL and HTML5 on a daily basis. I also regularly hold training seminars for other
departments, explaining the goals of the website.

Telephone Support, ABC Computers July 2005-April 2007

I was part of a team of 15 telephone operators. We provided support to ABC customers and helped
troubleshoot software and hardware problems. I learned the importance of patience when dealing with
difficult customers, and improved my communication skills.

Blockwood Video Store 2001-2003

During university holidays, I worked in a local video store. I dealt with customer queries and was responsible
for cashing up in the evening. The position taught me the importance of good customer service and
punctuality.

Education

BSc (2:1) Computer Science, Aster University September 2000 - July 2004
I also studied French for one year as one of the modules.

Skills and other Qualifications

Technical: CISCO Routers, TCP/IP, WAN Apache Web Server, HTML, SQL, PHP, Javascript, C++, Fortran

Teaching: ABB Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Passed August 2013). This
intensive one-month course included 20 hours of practical teaching experience as well as
class observations.

Languages: I speak conversational French and recently started studying German.

Interests

In my free time, I like to read and socalise with friends. I also travel, and have spent time in Europe and
South East Asia.

References available upon request