 What
about ESL Resumes and CVs for China?
Are ESL Resumes for Teaching English
in China the Same as Back Home?
Generally
speaking, no.
Get used to the
idea that the work scene in China (and most of the
world) is VERY DIFFERENT from the one back home.
Employers WILL want to see your photograph. Will ask
you about your family. Will ask your age. Will ask if
you are married - maybe even why not, if you aren't.
Okay, not
always, but it is not unusual in China and other
countries, for ESL employers to ask many questions that
would be illegal in many Western countries. In their
country they are legal and, in their eyes, legitimate
questions.
In spite
of what you have been taught to believe there is nothing
sinister in their questions. They just want
to know about you and understand you.
They
Have Their Reasons
Work visas for
English Teachers in in some countries will require that your passport be
from a country they deem as being English speaking.
Age, is sometimes limited for certain kinds of visas due
to mandatory retirement ages. Some schools may (and
often do) prefer a female for their preschool and
kindergarten classes - and on and on.
Get
over it
Decide now if
these issues really bother you. If they do - you may
have some difficulty landing a job - or even surviving
in China or any non-Westernized country.
What to
put on your Resume/CV
Traditional
resumes are fine - but be sure to put the essential
information near the top - where your potential employer
can see it quickly. Technically, a CV is a much more
academically-oriented form and more detailed, but you'll
find the terms resume and CV used somewhat
interchangeably abroad. Keep them both to two pages or
less (just my opinion).
If you are an
older person - like me - put a cut off point in time to
limit how long your resume will be. Do they really need
to know that you worked for McDonalds 35 years ago?
Unless, of course, you are applying to McDonalds to
teach English to their Chinese employees!
If you are very
interested in teaching in a particular specialty -
Business English, Medical English, Hospitality English -
be sure to include your experience in that area to
strengthen your position.
Photo
Yep, China will
want a photo attached to your resume. Passport size -
top left corner. Not everywhere is the same - but not a
big deal if you put it on the wrong corner . . . It is
usually okay if you print it on the resume. Make sure
you dress and appear professionally in the photo.
Age, Marital Status, Sex, Nationality,
Dependents
Get used to it
now. If you don't include this information, and the
employer has many applicants - guess where your resume
will go . . . If you do not include this information,
some people will assume you are hiding something! Get
used to the idea that not everyone thinks the way
Westerners do - or has the same rules or standards.
That people and cultures and countries are different is
what makes it all so interesting . . .
It's
okay to be creative
Avoid templates
- you blend into the background as if you weren't
there. Try something creative. Use color - give it
shot. Try a Google search for "creative resumes".
One last point -
get a professional email address. The author of
this website once saw a resume for a job applicant with
an email address like this:
HotSex69@Hotmail.com
Do you think
they got the job they applied for?
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"Twenty
years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the
ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the
trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." -- Mark Twain |
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