User talk:Vvladimirschi/Résumé writing for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners/Design blueprint
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| Thread title | Replies | Last modified |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback | 10 | 08:04, 25 April 2015 |
Hello Viviane,
I have no substantive feedback to offer other than to say your blueprint looks very clear and well organized.
But I do have some questions: What are some of the key differences between Portuguese and American résumé and cv presentation styles? Is the American style considered the 'best of the West' or a pragmatic consideration?
I'm wondering if the West and the North might be able to learn something to make our presentation styles more varied and interesting.
Hello Donna,
That's a very good question. Here are some of the differences:
When should job seekers use a curriculum vitae, commonly referred to as CV, rather than a resume? In the United States, a curriculum vitae is used mainly when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. A CV is also used when applying for fellowships or grants. In Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, expect to submit a CV rather than a resume. Keep in mind that overseas employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a curriculum vitae that would never be included on an American resume, such as date of birth, nationality and place of birth. United States law on what information job applicants can be asked to provide does not apply outside the country. There are several differences between a curriculum vitae and a resume. A curriculum vitae is usually longer (up to two or more pages), and contains a more detailed synopsis of your background and skills. A CV includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details. As with a resume, you may need different versions of a CV for different types of positions.
Writing a résumé is quite challenging since you have to take all that information that is on your CV and condense it to fit this particular format. It’s also important to note that many Brazilian companies are currently favoring the résumé over the CV. Why? Because it’s quicker to read, more objective and easier to use as a benchmark to eliminate job candidates that don’t fit the position.
In a nutshell, Brazilians are usually used to writing very long, elaborate CVs. The point of this lesson is to teach them how to summarise and condense important information into one page, which is more akin to the résumé format.
Does this make sense to you?
Hi Viviane,
Very clear, thanks. It looks like the US has similar equity legislation as Canada. As a citizen I appreciate the protection from discrimination on characteristics that have nothing to do with ability to do particular work. Although in Canada it's common to be asked to verify Canadian citizenship status.
Canadian CV and résumé usage conventions are also the same. I'm more used to writing CVs and agree with you that condensing to a résumé format is challenging. Doing a LinkedIn profile is one activity that helped me condense my CV. The fact that the LinkedIn forum is public and open to all kinds of anonymous strangers was the main factor that helped me edit down quickly. But then I got sucked in to expanding it somewhat by LinkedIn promoters! I plan to revert to the shorter version.
Of interest,I recently came across some typography studies that recommend using certain fonts in CVs as a subliminal influencer:
- Calibri – an HR favourite – suggests stability
- Garamond – solid, traditional, comfortable, delicate
- Corbel - knowledgeable, mature, experienced, professional, believable and trustworthy
- Baskerville - the ‘king of fonts’ in truthiness study
Hi Donna,
All Brazilians have a really hard time condensing CVs or any kind of writing for that matter. In Portuguese, we are taught to embellish our writing, write in circles and never quite get to the point of any subject. Objectivity is something that all Brazilian writers and speakers lack. I guess it is a cultural trait.
You are absolutely right! LinkedIn forces you to condense your CV. This is an excellent exercise for all Brazilians but since this is supposed to be an open content course, I can't use Linkedin as an example.
Thanks for your tips on the CV fonts. I will keep them in mind.
Brazilians aren't the only ones who lack objectivity. I think subjectivity is very widespread :-) And sometimes a good thing like in the arts, but not in CVs and résumés.
I once saw another study on the impact of different typographies in academic papers that affected student grades but forget which font was the one that got higher grades.
