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Getting that dream job overseas

October 9th, 2011 | Posted by glenn in Job Interview in English - (0 Comments)

Interviewing for a job overseas can be a different story to interviewing in your own country.  So, here is the guide to getting that job when you haven’t even seen the company yet.

Do your homework if you want to succeed

When you interview for an overseas company, you will not be able to see the building, meet a lot of the people and the tour of the office to see what resources you are supplied with and what the atmosphere is like. 

This means that it is even more important to do your homework and gleam all the information that you can from what is available online.  Make sure that you check out the company’s site thoroughly but don’t just look at one side of the story, check out what other people have to say about that company too.

You won’t get the job if you don’t answer your phone

Some people take ages to reply to emails.  If you are one of these people (and I am too), you need to make a special effort during the job-hunt to check your emails twice a day.  Imagine how you would feel if you lost an opportunity because you were just to slow to reply to it.

This also means that you need to make sure that your phone is working and charged at all times and if you do turn it off for a movie, flight or interview, remember to turn it back on and check it!

You don’t have to wear pants but make sure that your tie is straight! 

When you interview on Skype, you should follow the same dress code as when you are interviewing in person because you will be judged on the same criteria.  Make sure that you have a nice, plain background behind you and make sure that you are free of any distractions; so put the kids in the other room, turn off the movie and put your phone on silent mode. 

Check your microphone, camera and Internet connection well before time and be sure to connect to the person’s Skype account 30 minutes before the interview.  If it is your first time to use Skype, make a call to a friend first so that you get used to using it.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression so be organized and have all your documents ready before you connect.

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Making your English resume stand out from the pack

August 20th, 2011 | Posted by glenn in Job Interview in English - (0 Comments)

Imagine that you are a manager.  You sit in your comfortable chair at your big desk in your corner office and look at the stack of resumes in front of you.  You are looking for one new employee but you have to look through 104 resumes to fill one position.  I bet you are hoping that all of those resumes are written in a clear, concise, easy-to-read format, right?

You will probably only look at each one for a couple of seconds and if it looks good, you might spend the time to read it.  That’s how most resumes are judged.  So my first piece of advice is get the important information across quickly and don’t try to get your entire life into the resume.  Think about who you are targeting before you write it and only give the information that they need.

Making your resume in English

Now, what do you need to include?  Here is a list of what people expect to see in your 2-page resume.

Personal Information- Your name and contact details should be clear.  What information you need to include in this section depends on the culture of the country but usually the following things are not necessary in English resumes: weight, height (unless job states a height requirement), gender and even a picture.

Objective (1-2 lines) – Why you are sending them this document?  What do you want to achieve? This must be specific to the job that you are applying for.    Example: A position teaching English as a second language in a dynamic company which would benefit from a special ability to motivate and communicate effectively with students.

Summary- What are your skills, your accomplishments, past awards?  Sell yourself in one paragraph.

Work experience- Include relevant jobs but no more than five.  Include the title, company name, city, the period and your reason for leaving that position.

Education- What did you study, when and where?

Personal interests (3-4 lines) – What are your hobbies?  What do you do in your spare time?

References- These days, it is common to end with “references available upon request”

Final tips:  Be consistent with your style and your tenses.  You can write it in first person (I) or in third person (he/she) but keep it the same for the whole document.

Use adjectives that make you sound terrific!  But be honest, you must be able to prove everything you say in your resume.

Keep your name, email and phone number in the header so it is on the top of every page.