Monthly Lecture 1 (2022): “CV/Resume Writing Tips”
English Writing Teaching and Research Center, ZJU
On March 30, 2022, Prof. Robert Holmes, from the Language Center of Zhejiang University's International Campus, delivered the monthly lecture, "CV/Resume Writing Tips", at the English Writing Teaching and Research Center of Zhejiang University. Prof. Holmes holds a master's degree in English education from King's College London and has extensive teaching experience. The lecture was hosted by Li Yuting, a doctoral student at the School of International Studies in 2021.
Prof. Holmes began by analyzing the psychology of employers and explaining the definition, content, and language characteristics of CVs/resumes. In addition, he indicated the distinction between hard and soft skills, stating that while hard skills (e.g. academic credentials, etc.) are used to qualify applicants for interviews, companies will make the final hiring decision based on the applicant's soft skills (e.g. fundamental skills / interpersonal skills, etc.). Work experience, in his opinion, is the most challenging aspect of CV/resume writing. Prof. Holmes demonstrated how to express work experience effectively while avoiding informal languages such as slang, colloquialisms, idioms, and emotional words. The top nine CV/resume errors include the lack of work experience emphasis, ambiguous information, inappropriate information layout, unclear award content, insufficient referee information, unrelated work goals, excessively fancy CV/resume design, CV/resumes with multiple pages, and basic grammatical errors.
Numerous undergraduates and postgraduates from various schools and departments attended the lecture. Prof. Holmes emphasized during the Q&A session that the CV/resume should highlight the professional characteristics of the applicant and avoid excessive reliance on online templates or related information. Before applying for any position, applicants should conduct thorough research to create an excellent CV/resume. Prof. Holmes's warm and humorous response clarified students' confusion regarding CV/resume writing, and the lecture concluded in a joyful atmosphere.
English Writing Teaching and Research Center
Photo by Li Xi
Translated by Che Ruijia, Win Topatana, and Li Xi
