How to write a working resume in English: 5 main rules

Of course, compulsory English is more common in vacancies of a certain level - for executives or in international companies. But HR managers advise having a resume in two languages, even if you are not looking for a job abroad: often English acts as a filter by which candidates who have good growth prospects in the company are identified.

Therefore, tightening the tongue before making a breakthrough in the career ladder will not hurt. Start with a simple - resume. Maria Mikhailova, a methodologist and teacher at the Alibra School * School of Foreign Languages, helped to figure out how to properly translate it into English.

You can create a resume without errors at a free master class in Moscow, which suits Alibra. They will also talk about the features of business communication in employment - this lesson will help those who are serious about their careers.

Profile: About Me
It is better to start English-language resumes with a section that can be called a “profile” in the English manner. In fact, this is a squeeze from your entire resume of three to four sentences. In the summary on hh.ru this information can be indicated in the "About Me" section.

Here you need to say who you are and why you apply for this vacancy. For example, “A lawyer with 5 years of experience with the Russian, US and UK copyright” - “A lawyer with five years of experience working with copyright in Russia, the USA and the UK.” Briefly explain why you were attracted to this job, and accompany it with a listing of your core skills.

What words will help here? Everything related to your professionalism, knowledge, experience and intentions. Experienced, dedicated, qualified, proficient, enhanced, striving for, eager to, focused on. This short section has one task - to "sell" a resume to an HR department employee, so that studying CV would arouse his maximum interest.

Work Experience and Achievements - work experience and achievements
This section in no case can be translated from Russian into English verbatim. A direct translation of constructions like “it was my responsibility ...” or “engaged in solving problems ...” will turn the resume into a poorly written sixth-grader essay.

Your task is to retell the main points contained in the Russian text in organic English. To do this, it’s best to use simple sentence constructions and action words - words that indicate your actions.

For example, instead of “I had to make interviews with large amount of people”, simply write “Interviewed people”. Instead of “My responsibility involved planning and making decisions in ...” write “Planned and made decisions in ...”.

Here are a few words to help describe your experience: advised, created, managed, researched, arranged, promoted, distributed, trained, supervised.

You can demonstrate a high level of English using professional terminology. Include one or another specific term in the summary, but before that carefully check if it turned out to be tracing paper from Russian, which has a different meaning in English or is completely meaningless. A rough example: using a staff manager or, worse, a personal manager instead of an HR manager.

In addition, try to avoid cliches - phrases like “achievement of personal and organization goals” and “opportunity to grow” the recruiter sees ten times a day for sure.

Skills - Skills
Basic skills that are specific to your job should be clear to the employer from experience. Additional skills usually indicate knowledge of professional programs, driving skills, level of knowledge of foreign languages. By the way, it is not necessary to confirm it with Cambridge or other international exams. For most employers, a certificate of completion is sufficient: for example, in the Alibra certificate there is a note about the level of proficiency in vocabulary and grammar a student left school.

More abstract skills, such as team spirit or advanced ability to communicate, should be indicated only if you have something to reinforce them specifically. For example, communication skills can coexist with frequent participation in industrial exhibitions, and leadership can be reinforced by active participation in sports for a university team.

Words that may come in handy here: meeting deadlines, working independently, data handling, analytical and problem-solving skills, communication skills (written and oral).

Hobby - a hobby
Some employers pay attention to what a person does in his free time, and thus assess his degree of socialization, character traits or other qualities.

We understand that not everyone can boast that at leisure they are busy with something impressive. But this is not required of you. Just indicate any occupation that is approved in society, if you have any relation to it. They played basketball at the institute - excellent. Traveling from time to time - great! Love Charles Dickens books - almost perfect!

References - recommendations
In contrast to Russia, in Europe and the USA it is customary to indicate the contacts of past employers directly in the resume so that the recruiter has the opportunity to contact them even before being invited for an interview.

If the resume turned out to be more than one or two A4 sheets excluding the “profile” and the cover letter, then you definitely wrote too much. Simplify the text and remove irrelevant details to the last. Leaving only the most important in the resume, you will focus the recruiter on your main advantages.

Take your time to send your resume right away: make yourself wait at least a day to check it again with a fresh mind.

Better yet, give the resume to the English teacher for verification. If you live in Moscow, sign up for a free master class on writing resumes in English at Alibra School: you will learn how to write the perfect resume that you can safely use when looking for a job.

5 hand-selected modern marketing courses

Competitive analysis and research of the target audience. Knowing the market and the target audience is key for any marketer. They are alpha and omega, from which all further communications are built. If you do not want to be an illustration of the saying "what a brief, such a creative", be sure to take care of the maximum elaboration of these elements.

Illustrations, infographics, presentations: how to capture the attention of the audience. There is a popular belief that PowerPoint is a killer of creativity, and presentations only take time. So say those who often read poorly prepared presentations. Meanwhile, the reality is that without the ability to control the audience’s attention with the help of visual elements in modern marketing, there’s no way. To reach the heights you will have to master this area, and the faster you do it, the more time you will have to enjoy the view that opens at the top in solitude.

Web analytics basics. Most large companies have a rule: “Do not do it if you cannot measure the result.” Knowledge of metrics and the ability to work with analytics systems will distinguish you from your colleagues and will help more efficient implementation of projects.

The basics of social media marketing. Thank God, the time when SMM was a niche near-hipster story about cats and likes went into oblivion. Now this industry has become a standard component of the marketing mix of any large campaign. The results that social can give are often a cut above that of any other digital channel. But for such results, you need to be able to set goals correctly, clearly understanding the capabilities and limitations of SMM.

The basics of display advertising. Display placements are usually the most expensive budget item. In order for the words “leaked the budget” never to be heard from the lips of the leadership (people say: “Leaked the budget — to failures on the financial front”), it is extremely important to be able to select the formats and methods that will be most effective.

10 things you don’t need to write in a cover letter

When you apply for a job, you send the employer two things: a resume and a cover letter. Everything is clear with the resume: all recruiters are interested in the experience of a potential employee. With a cover letter is more difficult.

On the one hand, there are positions for which only the experience of the applicant is important. In this case, the recruiter may generally ignore the letter. On the other hand, there are employers who weed out candidates by letter without even opening a resume. So that in any of these cases we do not get into trouble, we have compiled 10 rules that will help us not to write too much in our response to the employer.

Rule number 1: Do not tell the biography
Example: “I was born in Moscow in 1987. He graduated from high school with an in-depth study of English with a gold medal. In 2004 he entered the Moscow State University at the Faculty of Journalism ... "

Your biography is not interesting to anyone except your parents, spouses and close friends. It is important for the employer to know how you will be useful to him and how to solve his task.

Rule number 2. Do not write in general terms
Example: “I was interested in the vacancy of a project manager in your company. My experience is fully consistent with your requirements. I believe that I can benefit your company. Please consider my resume".

This is a template cover letter in which there is no useful information about you - one “water”. There is a feeling that you sent the same text in twenty responses to vacancies.

Rule number 3: Do not write formally
Example: “Please consider my candidacy for the position of“ Internet Marketer ”. My name is Andrei Petrov, I am 28 years old, I am a graduate of the Russian State University for the Humanities, Department of Management, Department of Marketing and Advertising. ”

Why? Because the employer is a living person, not a robot.

Rule number 4. Do not write platitudes
Example: “I am stress-resistant, easy to learn, sociable, responsible and good at working both as a team and individually.”

This is a standard set of phrases from a resume. Such qualities can be attributed to any applicant. Try to prove each point with examples. “I am sociable: at the last job I had to talk a lot with the press secretaries of the Moscow courts. I met them personally and maintained a good relationship. ” Or: “I like to learn new things: when I needed the skills of prototyping interfaces, I independently mastered the basics of Axure in a month.”

Rule number 5. Don't talk about hobbies
Example: “I am fond of yoga and running, dancing Irish tap dance, listening to classical music, and on weekends I travel to estates near Moscow and I keep a blog about symbolism in Dostoevsky’s novels.”

Once again: the employer is hardly interested in your personality. He is interested in how you solve work tasks. It’s worth mentioning a hobby only if it is directly related to work. Do you have a blog? Tell us about this in response to the vacancy of an SMM manager.

Rule number 6. Don't try to be witty
Example: “I have been working with text from early childhood and intend to continue. Everyone - from parents to an elderly teacher of literature - called me young Pushkin. At the Faculty of Journalism, my mission was revealed to me ... "

A cover letter is not a place for wit. This is especially true for people of the so-called "creative professions." You don’t know what sense of humor a recruiter will have, so it’s better not to risk it: do not concentrate on yourself, concentrate on the requirements for a vacancy.

Rule number 7. Don't brag
Example: “For a professional of my level, not only the financial issue is of great importance, but also my personal interest in the projects that the company is engaged in.”

It looks as if you are honoring your employer by applying for a job. As long as you do not know anything about the company and its leaders, do not boast, do not demonstrate the principles, and do not write that with your help they will definitely earn a lot of money - you cannot guarantee this.

Rule number 8. Do not push for pity
Example: “I really need this work in order to manage to repay the loan before the end of 2017.”

The response to the vacancy is not a place for requests and pity. Credit, rent, children - your problems. So far, they are not interested in the employer.

Rule number 9. Do not talk about irrelevant experiences
Example: “I’m interested in your job as a sales manager. I have a lot of experience. In my first year I worked as a courier ... "

Everything that you write in a cover letter should be directly related to the requirements of the vacancy. You can tell the sales manager about the experience of negotiations at the university student council, but working as a courier is unlikely to impress the HR manager. Also, do not list all your achievements, bonuses and awards in a letter if this experience does not help you solve the employer's task.

Rule number 10. Do not compare yourself with other candidates
Example: "I am sure that I can solve this problem better than other applicants."

You do not know who else sent the resume, therefore you cannot be sure of anything.

Some tips to help make your writing better
Reread job requirements. Point by point, prove that your experience meets these requirements.
Do not write a “sheet” of text. Make the letter as structural as a resume.
Remember the task of the employer: as quickly as possible to find an adequate independent candidate who will solve the company's problem.
Check spelling. Just in case.
Keep in mind the main thing: the letter should answer the question of how you will be useful to the employer. Let every sentence prove your worth.

Modesty itself. How to look for work for shy candidates

According to HR managers, the most modest job seekers are in professions that are not related to negotiations, sales and other active communications. “Sales and negotiation professionals are also modest,” said Eugenia Solonina, ICL Services Deputy Director of Human Resources. - But they overcome this barrier every day, they have a great practice. And some engineers, for example, discuss their work, achievements, uniqueness and skills only a few times in their lives - when changing jobs. ”

Programmers and other specialists in the field of IT and digital are considered especially modest. “We work in digital and periodically attract developers to the state,” says Olga Nikitina, head of the recruitment department at Biplan agency. - It’s extremely difficult to get a detailed answer from them, but it’s almost impossible to get into a frank dialogue. Most of them are wonderful people who lack confidence to defeat natural modesty. ”

But among any other professions, there are those who are not used to showing off their strengths. What if you are the very humble job seeker?

1. Do not underestimate your abilities
In 1999, psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger conducted an experiment. They asked students at Cornell University in the United States to solve several problems of logic, grammar and a sense of humor. After that, students were asked to evaluate their abilities compared to fellow students. It turned out that most of the subjects overestimated their results. At the same time, students who made the greatest number of mistakes rated themselves above all. And the most successful participants, on the contrary, underestimated themselves.

The results of this experiment are known in psychology as the Dunning-Krueger effect: people with low qualifications tend to rate themselves higher than competent specialists, who, on the contrary, are not confident enough in their knowledge and skills.

Such self-doubt is far from always an inborn character trait. If the applicant has been working in one place for 25 years or has never looked for a job himself, most likely he will underestimate his abilities. “It’s hard for humble professionals to understand exactly what their competencies are in demand in the labor market,” said Ilya Goldovsky, career development consultant at Employment Psychology. - We have repeatedly observed responsible applicants who are able to achieve results who could not “sell” to their employer their ability to carry out projects, meet deadlines and budgets, and take responsibility for the team. It seems to such people that these qualities are characteristic of any employee. ”

Tip from hh.ru. Write a list of ten of your strengths (personal qualities, professional skills, knowledge of specific programs, languages). Make a list of successful solutions at previous jobs. It does not have to be large-scale projects for which you or companies have been awarded a prize. On the contrary, these can be processes that are visible only to you or your department. For example, you managed to introduce a way of working with documents, which significantly reduced the process of signing contracts.

2. Boldly respond to vacancies
Humble candidates tend to belittle their experience, knowledge and merit. Sometimes this happens even before the interview, says Yevgeny Solonin: “In our practice, there were cases when a candidate saw a vacancy, but considered that he was not suitable and did not respond. And later, HR managers found him and “took them off with his hands.”

It is not enough just to send a resume or leave a response on HH.ru. Practice shows that the more active the candidate, the more likely he is to get an interview, adds Olga Mishina, Softline HR Project Manager: “The resume may be lost in the flow of others. And an additional call to the recruitment manager will help the applicant to draw attention to himself. ”

Tip from hh.ru. Some applicants are embarrassed to publicly announce their job search on social networks because they will have to present themselves to a wide audience. But Facebook and LinkedIn are powerful HR tools right now. Use them, advertise that you are currently looking for work. Compose a short and concise post. Indicate what work you want to find and what you can do. Give a link to the resume and attach a business photo. Ask colleagues to confirm your skills - there is a special button for this in the resume. Post them in your stream and in profile groups. Feel free to ask friends to "share" your record.

3. Prepare for an interview in advance
Do “homework” before each interview, recommends Olga Mishina: “Study the company’s website, read articles with its mention, try to learn a little more about the peculiarities of corporate culture. With this knowledge, you can better prepare for the meeting. ”

“Be sure to prepare a brief presentation about yourself for 1-2 minutes,” adds Evgenia Solonina. - Give most of this presentation a description of the experience most relevant to the vacancy. And then the recruiter will help you by asking another million questions. ”

Ask friends and relatives to help you. “Let them evaluate you as an employee,” advises Alexei Nashchekin, a practicing psychologist at the Path of Dawn Center for Contemporary Psychology. - Choose from your environment a person who can honestly criticize you, identify the positive and negative sides. This will help to understand how to present yourself in the future. Write your advantages for the employer and voice them at the interviews. ”

The procedural therapist Elena Zateinikova also recommends asking loved ones about their strengths: “Ask to tell you what you are valued for and what virtues you have. It is important to hear this. You can even write down on paper and re-read until the information takes root in the mind. In childhood, they often repeat to us that we are not good at something, not smart, not enough. Give yourself the opportunity to make up for the lack of an objective, positive assessment. ” “Most recruiters have not yet learned to read their minds, and it’s up to you to decide what they think about you,” adds Anna Grechko, HR Director of NPM Group.

Tip from hh.ru: when you are going for an interview, rehearse your answers to the questions of the recruiter in advance. You can do this in front of the mirror, or you can connect family members or friends. This is a very popular recommendation that all HR managers give - because it really works.

4. During the interview, tell us about your experience.
An uncertain story about past work is the main mistake of modest job seekers, said Olga Nikitina, head of the recruitment department of the Biplan marketing agency. “Believe me, the HR manager can read all the necessary information about the candidate in a resume or find it on social networks,” she continues. - The applicant is only required to overcome fear and tell in his own words what he knows how to do, what he wants to learn and what he deserves. Model a conversation with a recruiter in advance. Most of the interviews are based on a template, so no special surprises should be expected. ”

In no case do not minimize your experience and personal achievements, adds Eugene Solonina. “If you are silent about successes or attribute them to the team, the offer may go to a more confident job seeker. Generally humble people are uncomfortable talking about themselves. Therefore, they try to complete this part of the interview as quickly as possible. As a result, something important can be missed, from which both the applicant and the potential employer will lose. If at the interview you are not at all comfortable talking about yourself, praising yourself and “selling”, try to shift your focus and talk about your work. Tell us about technology, results, achievements, better in numbers (numbers are just a statement of facts, not bragging). You can even talk about mistakes and difficulties (it’s not bragging at all, is it?). This will be an indicator of the experience and complexity of the tasks. ”

Tip from hh.ru: if at the interview you find it difficult to praise yourself and talk about your achievements, bring along certificates and documents that will confirm your skills. Show them to the HR manager along with your resume.

5. Treat humility as a virtue
The employer may well regard your modesty as a virtue, not a disadvantage. Usually, those who talk a lot and sell themselves well actually have weak competencies, says Vitaly Alexandrov, founder of Out Of Cloud email marketing studio. “Professionals rarely boast of their talents,” continues Vitaliy. - I have met modest candidates more than once. They came to meetings, we discussed their competencies for a long time. Those things that are for us the criteria of a highly qualified specialist are an ordinary thing, ordinary for them. Why talk about everyday things? So they reason. Therefore, if you are interviewing such an applicant, it is important to ask the right questions. For example, it is better not to ask what a person is proud of. It is better to ask very specific questions about the tasks: what he did, how he performed, to whom he delegated, how he checked the result. The more specific the question, the more accurate and understandable the answer from the candidate will be. ”

Tip from hh.ru: try to go through a few interviews without thinking about the end result. The more you attend the interview, the better your presentation skill becomes. You will also be able to evaluate how employers evaluate you based on the results of the meetings and how this relates to your real skills.

A simple way to objectively look at your strengths is a successful resume. The experts at the Ready Resume service help applicants highlight their merits and talk about their achievements so that recruiters notice them. Remember, humility in itself as a character trait is not a minus. But it should not stop you from getting a dream job.

5 courses for a decent part-time job

Copywriting: from receiving an order to publishing a text. Feel interested in writing lyrics? Make money on it. It's great if you can write interestingly and vividly on any narrow topic - this will make it easier for you to find customers! And the course will teach you how to work with different types of texts and interact with clients.

Development and implementation of an SMM strategy. Any company that respects itself and customers today is present on social networks, but not all such pages and accounts are effective for business. Learn how to develop an SMM strategy, and you can help companies successfully sell products and services on the Internet.

Work with the media: from a PR plan to press conferences. Have you long dreamed of becoming a PR shark? No more waiting. Learn how to build a company image, write great press releases and - most importantly - find a common language with journalists. At the end of the course, you will be able to independently draw up an effective PR strategy.

Basics of composition and color in web design. Master the profession of a web designer from the small: learn how to work with composition, the balance of graphic elements and complex color combinations. Help the sites to be more beautiful, and there will be no end to clients.

Methods of employee development and training. Not all companies have the opportunity to acquire a training and development manager. It is in such companies that your advisory services can be useful if you understand the matter and are ready to help minimize the cost of training and talk about the benefits of passive training. This will be discussed on the online course.