Snakey

I am an English lady married to an American. We have been married 14 months and deeply happy. I have been given my work authorisation and finally found a job in January however my place of work is having problems with customers *I work in a video store* and as I was the last one in I am the first one to be laid off. My question is... how do I write an adequate resume. I attended high school but American resumes confuse me. I have a diploma in business and finance as well as half a degree in English Literature. How do I sell my sell adequately on paper in the USA in order to find a job?

Elvira

I'm kind of in the same boat, but haven't got very far with 'translating' my CV into a 'resume'. I guess the first thing to learn is that 'lady' has different connotations here than back home...

I can't help you specifically, but you may find this book useful: The Resume Doctor: How to Transform a Troublesome Work History into a Winning Resume
by John J. Marcus

Also, if you google for 'resume doctor', various other sites come up.

NB: I have heard it said that a UK degree is the equivalent of an MA here. There are specialist companies that help 'translate' UK educational qualifications into US, though I don't have any experience of them.

Good luck!

Elvira

Bob

Welcome to the site

There's been quite a few decent threads on resume's already...but best advice is networking...seems the best way of getting a job...hmmm...

Oh, and the resume is a chance to whore your self out, basically, it's a sales pitch to get you noticed, say what your goals are and what you can offer them and experience that is related.

They don't care about what your hobbies are or any other worldly life skills you might have picked up over here....they just want a drone that is qualified for the job.

Different people and fields have different joys with saying there education/experience is UK based or left with basic info without locations...so that'll depend on what your looking for I guess...

Lynne

Keep it short, sweet and to the point. A lot of companies in my area don't even look at a resume if it goes into more than two pages. When I interviewed for my company all they wanted to know was how long I had been in the legal profession, what areas I had covered and what computer programs I was used to working with. The other big question was my status, whether I was here on a visa or green card.

Several of my English friends have had their resumes done professionally which can be costly, but if you are a top notch person it may be worth it.

Good luck.

ScousePete

I've never seen the adverb deeply used to describe something positive. It is most often used in the negative, like, "They felt the loss deeply", with it's synonym being something such as profoundly

Is there something that you are unconsciously trying to tell us? Or am I being too deep

Conway7

Then you obviously don't remember that "classic" musical hit by 'Right Said Fred," entitled "Deeply Dippy About You!"

cindyabs

or Truly, Madly, Deeply

cindyabs

Or How Deep is your Love?

Now onto the answer for the OP-This is not the time to practice British self deprecation. I had quite a tussle with my husband about the resume my best friend's husband (who taught a class in this) did for him. He said it makes me look like I can walk on water! Well he had had at that point 30 years experience in his field so I dare say he knew the business inside and out.
Lynne's right-short and sweet-not over two pages otherwise, as a another friend of mine who hires and fires says-it get's tossed in the bin.
You've got a diploma in business and finance? Those are good and practical skills. Think outside the box when applying for jobs also. Ironically, although my husband did not get a job in the field he was so qualified in, he DID get a job doing something faintly connected. For a 55 year old this wasn't bad.
Good luck!

Elvira

That was a great play. Juliet Stevenson - whatever happened to her? Or have I just been away too long?

Elvira

Conway7

If I remember correctly, it became a film/movie, and she has definitely made a rare appearance on TV recently, but all in all, I think that she is still heavily into being a stage actress (or actor if PC is required)!

Englishmum

She was very funny in the film "Bend it Like Beckham."

I have the DVD of "Truly, Madly, Deeply" and it's sooo sad.

Elvira

I really must see "Bend it Like Beckham." - so many people say it's very good. Though I find it hard to think of Juliet S as funny - it always seemed to me that she had a monoply on sad, soulful females...

Englishmum, I notice you put the full-stop (!) inside the quotation marks - gone native, have you?

To get back on topic: I wonder what happened to the OP. I always find it strange when people ask a question but don't show any sign of taking any interest in the answers...

Conway7

Do you mean exclamation mark? If so, I guess it must have been edited out, as it doesn't appear in the current posting, but "eh up any road," I have always inserted quotation marks after punctuation marks! If proven wrong, then my profound apologies!

I agree about Juliet S, but would go even further in saying that she has a face and an acting manner, which has always left me feeling depressed, not sad!

Elvira

Not sure what you mean about the exclamation mark; that was meant to hint at 'full-stop' (English), as opposed to 'period' (American).

As for quotation marks::

I really must see "Bend it Like Beckham." (American)

versus:

I really must see "Bend it Like Beckham". (English)



Agree about Juliet - she has an "it rains all the time and the end of the world must be near" sort of face... But her acting is compelling. I also saw her in "Death and the Maiden". I wonder how many years ago was that - where does time go?

Elvira